Every smoker needs help to stop smoking. Self help : let’s call that Motivation !

Smokers who have tried to quit and gave up often tell me they just can’t get motivated again. Oh yes, I’ve been there myself. Sometimes it takes a piece of bad news to get us motivated, such as finding out that someone close to us has cancer. Other times, it may be because we get a bad cold and recognize that we are having more trouble shaking it and recovering from it than we should. Repeated bouts of bronchitis or allergies get us thinking long and hard. Even so, if stopping smoking is not something we really want to undertake, then what are the chances we’ll succeed ?

The following is an exercise I urge you to do. Open a blank word processing document window, or get a sheet of paper. Just minimize this window for a minute and do it. It’s not a complicated exercise, but it’s a necessary one if you’re going to develop a plan to stop smoking.

There are negative motivators and positive motivators. What reasons lie behind your wanting to quit qmoking ?

Begin to list all your negative motivators, the pressure ones that irk you, such as “People remark that I smell of smoke.” Perhaps they criticize you for smoking, or you’re embarrassed to have to leave the building and be singled out as a smoker. Perhaps you are embarrassed or uncomfortable at always being out of breath. Whatever they are, list all your reasons.

When that’s done, list all your positive reasons for quitting smoking. Visualize what life as a non-smoker will be like. Perhaps you want your spouse or children to be proud of you. Perhaps you want your children to have a smoke-free parent who will set a good example. You want to be healthy, have more energy, to be proud of yourself, save some money. Take a few minutes to make your own list. Keep that list with the list of fears you made.

Read part 2 of “Help To Stop Smoking – Getting Motivated To Quit… Again” and learn to ski (you’ll see).