As a member who has over a ten year quit and has been on this site observing those who succeed and those who fail I would say the following: The first thing one should begin with is the right attitude. How you think about your quit is how your quit will go. Mindset is something that we must continually work on during this journey. Major behavioral changes, such as quitting, take a lot of personal work and self evaluation. And a sense of humor will go a long way in lightening the load.
I'd say that's one of the first building blocks. A strong preparation is also vitally important. Many quits fail because we jump in without a great amount of forethought. Education is the beginning of preparation. Understanding the nature of this addiction and our personal relationship to is part of our necessary homework.
Once we begin to understand what's necessary, then we can make thoughtful plans. Setting short-term goals is a good tool to keep the momentum high.
Perseverance is key. The freedom so desired does not happen over night. The cure for cravings is time. Time away from our old smoking selves. Time to adjust to our new non-smoking lifestyle. So we have to be willing to commit to our quit, perhaps make sacrifices when necessary, and accept the journey with all it's ups and downs FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES.
And finally, we need to pay attention and stay mindful and aware all along the journey. And we do that by keeping a connection to a support site such as EX. It can be through reading, furthering our education, offering support to others, asking questions, venting when times get tough. That's part of the necessary quit maintenance. Our quits must be nourished and encouraged on a regular basis, else they dwindle and we become liable to relapse.
Believe in yourself. Believe that you CAN quit. Just look around this place at all those who have achieved freedom from the slavery of this addiction and be inspired! We KNOW you can quit! Because we did. And we're no different than you.
