How I Managed to Quit Smoking

Quit Smoking

Watch this video first - it will make you want to quit smoking immediately

"Quit smoking." It sounds like such a simple thing, and for people who don't smoke it is exactly that simple. Unfortunately, as a former smoker, I can tell you it's actually the hardest thing I've ever done. It's also the best thing I've ever done.

The High Price of Cool

We all know tobacco is horrible for you, and studies have shown that nicotine is more addictive than cocaine, so where does the appeal come from? That's easy, it makes you look cool. There is almost no other explanation that fits. Call it whatever you want, but that's basically what it boils down to: you want to be cool.

When you need something much more than you want it, you should realize you have a problem. It took me a long time to face this truth, but then I recognized it for what it was - an addiction. This provided me with the proper motivation to quit smoking.

By the time I quit smoking, I had spent 24 years with a monkey on my back. I started with an occasional stolen cigarette or cigar when I was 14, then gradually worked my way up to more than 2 packs a day. If I were hungry, almost out of cigarettes and down to my last few dollars, I'd buy a pack of smokes and go hungry. But at least I thought I was cool, why would I possibly want to quit smoking?

37,440 is the magic number. That's what I wasted in today's dollars before I quit smoking. That's almost as much as I paid for my first home. I shudder to think how much money I would have if I invested this same amount in the stock market over a similar time period.

A Healthy Decision

Now that I have quit smoking, I don't spend my first half an hour of being awake coughing and hacking. I can taste my food now, my clothes don't stink, and I saved enough money to buy a motorcycle. I don't get sick nearly as often, my skin doesn't look so old as it did, my teeth are whiter, and the list goes on.

How I Quit Smoking

You have to have proper motivation. You can't avoid it. You have to WANT to quit smoking. The method isn't even remotely as important as the motivation you use. I tried several different methods, including 'cold turkey' for 8 miserable months, and nothing worked because I didn't really want to give up my habit.

For the record, I used FinalSmoke to help me quit smoking, it was the easiest program to follow, especially since I was working 14 hour days at the time and didn't really have time to go through some big ritual. They also use a positive reinforcement system with rewards based on intervals of being smoke-free.

I have no cravings for nicotine at all, I can stand right next to someone who is smoking and it doesn't bother me. Even when I have a couple of drinks, which is the Acid Test for any quit-smoking plan, the need just isn't there.

The best part about quitting for me is how much better I feel all the time. It's amazing. I started working out again, I can walk for miles without tiring and I just don't feel so run down all the time. So if you're thinking about quitting, you just need to figure out how bad you want to quit, because if you don't really want to quit, don't waste your time or money.

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