Later this month, I complete 7 non-smoking years, having moved overnight from 40-50 sticks a day to zero, ending my count at 500,000+ sticks over 26+ years.
I decided to write this post because I'm frequently asked how I did it. I suppose every ex-smoker has his pet formula: mine was "won'tpower", and it was a 3-step process.
Here, then, are the steps:
1. Decide that you really want to quit: Believe it or not, this is the hardest part! Most smokers don't really want to quit, but it's fashionable to say that you do. So DECIDE ! Start that won'tpower engine.
2. Stop the associations: Quitting smoking is difficult because it is ASSOCIATIVE. Yes, smoking associates with almost everything you do. Your early morning wake-up high; your morning dump. Your work. Your spouse’s “Not tonight, my dear, I have a headache” vibe…….and dozens of other things. CUT OUT these associations, one by one. Take 3 months to do it.
3. Go cold turkey: Once you're done with the associations, you're ready. STOP DEAD from tomorrow. You'll have THREE difficult days, not more. From the fourth, you're an ex-smoker.
