It's a common belief that you have to "want to quit" smoking for it to be successful

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Many will put off quitting smoking thinking someday, they will "want to" quit enough to actually make one stick. (It's actually a misinformed excuse to keep smoking.)

I'm here to tell you, You do not have to "want to quit" to quit smoking.

The simple truth is you have to decide to quit and be willing to quit.

If you do that, everything else will fall into place.

brought to you by the "Keep It Simple Stupid" foundation for tobacco cessation

[Giulia]

Yes.  True.

[freesoul2]

Agreed

[OldBones-Larry]

So true my friend. I know that I didn't really want to quit, but decided I had to for my health.

[SkyGirl]

Amen, Dale. 

I think just about everyone harbors a secret fear that they can't be successful at quitting because they looooooove to smoke. 

In reality, that "love" was really just the addiction "thanking" us every time we lit up to replenish the dwindling amount of nicotine in our bodies. That made us think that we didn't really WANT to quit. 

Think of it this way:  In your heart, you do want to quit, but your addicted body (including, and especially, your brain) does not.  When you quit smoking your addicted body will pull every trick in the book to convince you to feed it some nicotine.  That is the withdrawal part of quitting.  You will survive that.  It won't be pleasant.  But you don't give your body everything it wants, right?  (I am thinking of hot fudge sundaes, loaded baked potatoes and long, lazy naps, but I guess those aren't really addictions, are they?)

In short, Dale said it:  You don't have to WANT to quit in order to be successful.  You just have to decide to quit, commit to that decision and honor that commitment each day.

xxxooo,  Sky

[cheyenne7]

I believe this .... as a serial quitter, I have enough experience to say that this is true...

[freeneasy]

True-Ididn't want to quit-but I want to stay quit

[lindan_7-14-10]

I quit, kicking and screaming. Dale had me change my mindset, and the rest is history. Thanks for caring, (((jonesie)))♥

[Deena-A-Yenni]

Like.

[promise_judy]

🙂

XOXO

[pir8fan]

Anyone who remembers my early days here (or who has gone back to my early blogs) knows that I did not want to quit! I came here kicking and screaming on day 8! There was not a single one of my first 40 days that I wanted to quit! But I was determined that I would! Now 1670 Days into my quit I think I am off to a damn good start! And, I am just as determined as I ever was! You do not have to want to! You just have to do it!

[louise-irene]

I am going thru that right now.  My final quit date is set for August 18, 2014, and I am supposed to be (according to home health nurse and doctor) cutting out one stick a day every 5 days, but got stuck and lost motivation.  If what you are saying is true, I will never be "motivated" and just need to force myself to do the right thing. And like in another comment, kicking and screaming the whole time.  Unitl it gets better.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Can you just accept that you are quitting smoking without the kicking and screaming?