I love all the things Carolyn has to say (congrats on your quit date, Carolyn!)...Imagine your mission to quit smoking as the opening of a door to your new life. If you 'decide' to launch a business, for example, your decision needs to be followed up by work. The same holds true for 'deciding' to free your self of cigarettes and create a smoke-free life. Reading the blogs, listening to what everybody has to say, and gathering information is important; and it's only the beginning. You may encounter tools or advice that don't apply to you - let it go and find something that does. Then, when you find something that can help you, implement it into your life.
It is perfectly natural to be obsessed with smoking - it's taking up a significant portion of your life and dominated your every emotion since you picked up the nasty habit! Why not turn that obsession into educting yourself and other smokers...Not just on the negative affects it has on your health - but how it controls you on a daily basis and manages to ALWAYS keep you from the person you want to be.
Take your cravings one at a time to dissect and question - asking yourself, "What do I get out of this?" "What feelings am I escaping, and why am I so afraid to face them?"
Your answers could be simple or they could be deeply rooted in your emotional development. Keep support close. If you need a non-judgemental understanding ear, myself and hundreds of other recovering smokers are only a phone call away.
Good luck to you! You can choose not to smoke 1 minute at a time; and you can choose to seek out methods to engage in smoking behavior modification exercises to help you quit smoking for ever.
