How to Quit Smoking (and introducing Prezi!)...

[James81]

How to Quit Smoking - The Power of HowRedefining How To...

I've been working on this article for the past couple of days. It's a BEAST of an article (landing in at about 6000 words), so enjoy all of it's insightful goodness.

It's basically a gigantic compilation of the many things I've learned through my many attempts to quit smoking (and my new-found success on that front )...and it concludes with a 28 day challenge.

If you know someone who smokes, pass this article onto them.

Also, notice near the end the embedded Prezi. I thought I'd throw that in there because I Prezi is pretty damn awesome and, if you haven't used it, now is the time to see what it's all about and learn something about it.

[Senin]

James81,

Allow me to be the first one on this board to say that was one hellava article. I loved it.

Nicotine is not my problem of choice, but I will apply it to my situation. I really like the day to day commemorations. Thoughtful, insightful and practical.

Good job and, speaking for many, thank you.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Senin

James81,

Allow me to be the first one on this board to say that was one hellava article. I loved it.

Nicotine is not my problem of choice, but I will apply it to my situation. I really like the day to day commemorations. Thoughtful, insightful and practical.

Good job and, speaking for many, thank you.

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Criseyde]

I liked it too, and I've never smoked a cigarette in my life! I thought that the list of things to DO was ingenious.

Also, congrats on finally quitting.

[VinceG]

What a fantastic article! I may end up using it to help out my coaching client. If I do, I'll be sure to donate some of my fee!

[Chris G]

Good article

I smoked for 14 years, i tried will power/cold turkey. 5 years ago my wife recommended Alan Carr's book, i wasnt in the right head space as i ignored it and defiantly scowled what can a book teach me.

1 year ago after many unsuccessful efforts, i read Alan Carr's book. There was a point in the book where he says, if you read on you will never smoke again. It was true and it was also true it was pretty much the easiest thing to do.

shame he didnt create a book for easy manifesting, however im sure some principles could be applied.

[Cochonette]

1. You will never quit smoking until you DECIDE to never smoke again. Until you definitively decide to quit, you will continue to smoke (no ifs, ands, or buts).

Yay, I love your response to this b.s. And that your response is more than just words, which advice like that isn't!

You mention "desire muscles" as the solution. So basically you are boiling it down to willpower? That's odd considering willpower never was enough for you.

[Cochonette]

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built to it,"
quoth Rumi.

Maybe it's not so much about "desire muscles" as "letting-go-of-barriers-to-the-desire muscles"? It seems to me that it's not really about how MUCH you desire something, but how deeply and completely you release yourself to that desire. Then again, it's probably a combination of the two.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Cochonette

Yay, I love your response to this b.s. And that your response is more than just words, which advice like that isn't!

You mention "desire muscles" as the solution. So basically you are boiling it down to willpower? That's odd considering willpower never was enough for you.

Nah, I'm not boiling it down to JUST willpower. There is definitely an element of willpower involved though.

Actually, what I meant by that is that the desire to quit waxes and wanes with all smokers. It's something I noticed quite a bit was that I would definitely get in phases where I wanted to quit REALLY BAD, but when I'd go to actually do it, I'd make it like a day or two at most. And then, as soon as I'd smoke that first cigarette, I'd be right back where I was and the desire would be gone for a while.

So, it wasn't about willpower per se, It was about how to cultivate a desire to quit that would outlast the withdrawal period (a good three weeks).

But a part of creating that desire also involved creating all the right circumstances in my life that made this such an optimum quit time for me.

I mean, I looked at all the elements that have went into this:

1. Ran out of money (this was a biggie in weak moments because in those weak moments I COULDN'T buy them because I simply didn't have the money).

2. Changed to a career that doesn't allow cigarettes even on the property.

3. Moved to a place that instituted a smokefree campus policy.

So, I think three things really play a major part (and I meant to put this into the article...maybe I'll add it in later or write another article or something someday)....

1. Circumstance
2. Willpower
3. Desire

And I think the one that causes us to falter the most (and is hardest to cultivate) is the Desire one. Circumstance is the easiest to manipulate.

[Cochonette]

Originally Posted by James81

1. Circumstance
2. Willpower
3. Desire

And I think the one that causes us to falter the most (and is hardest to cultivate) is the Desire one. Circumstance is the easiest to manipulate.

Still not the model I prefer, but I like it, and I like how #1 is circumstance. Not always the easiest to manipulate in reality, though... in the case of smoking, you are fortunate that our society opposes smoking and therefore others were working to create that circumstance for you of the smoke-free campus. With other things, there is not always such a thing to help out.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Cochonette

Still not the model I prefer, but I like it, and I like how #1 is circumstance. Not always the easiest to manipulate in reality, though... in the case of smoking, you are fortunate that our society opposes smoking and therefore others were working to create that circumstance for you of the smoke-free campus. With other things, there is not always such a thing to help out.

Just out of curiosity, what model do you prefer?

The thing about circumstance is that it's the least personally effective way to change your life. Most of us depend on circumstance to make our decisions for us, though, because it IS the easiest to manipulate.

On the other hand, desire is probably the MOST effective way to change your life, but it's the toughest to cultivate and MAINTAIN. Desire can be really easy to cultivate, but very challenging to maintain. (And when I say desire, I mean something akin to inspiration.)

[Senin]

The best model is the model that works. There is no "best".

By the way, do you think this "model" works for other things that need to be quit?

[irfan]

NRT worked for me. I used nicotine chewing gum for about a week after stopping smoking. That was just long enough to get the carbon monoxide out of my system and to lose the stink of tobacco. Once my body had cleared the grosser impacts of tobacco, I was in a much better state to cope with nicotine withdrawals -- I was already enjoying the feeling of being an ex-smoker, so it was just a mildly poignant pang.

I very, very occasionally use a piece of nicotine chewing gum when I get a sudden urge to smoke now. If I had a cigarette instead, I'd be overcome by a sense of failure and would be smoking a pack a day again within a week. Chewing the occasional piece of gum doesn't affect me the same way.