Quitting Smoking? Be Accountable to Others
It is not easy to break any old habit, least of all smoking, which is more than just a habit. However, if you have reached a point when you really want to quit smoking, you can do that more easily in a group rather than do it alone. But, first things first! You must be honest with yourself whether you truly want to quit smoking or is it just a passing fancy that impels you to give it up for any temporary reason. If you really want to give up smoking, then you must feel accountable to yourself and others. That is why you need a support group around you that can be of at least two or three other people, though five is ideal.
Here the numbers are important because it is that much more difficult to get past five persons to succumb to an overwhelming urge strikes than it is to convince just one person ” yourself.
So how do you hold yourself accountable to others?
It kind of works backwards to just being accountable to yourself. For example, let’s say you’ve been off cigarettes for a week and for whatever silly reason your mind has come up with, you figure you need a smoke. Well, before you can do that, you have to battle your inner demons and then live with the guilt that you have failed. But the nicotine beast, as I said, is very strong and you are only one person. Many people fall down at this point.
But what if you had five loyal soldiers standing between the nicotine demon and you? Ah, now that’s a completely new ball game.
The process
Set up a small support group for yourself whether it be via email, telephone, or a support forum. Tell these people your goal to quit smoking but also ask them not to pester you about it – just to be there when you need help and positive support. Use them for encouragement.
Now, lets see what would be the scene when the overwhelming urge strikes you to have a smoke. Now, you will have to fight not only your own guilty conscience, but also get past five people. You will have to tell them that you have decided to start smoking again.
And that’s all you get to say. No more. Then you just have to sit back and listen without getting angry or upset. If you can make it through all five members of your support team and you still think that their advice and support is misguided and your deep down beliefs that you should quit are suddenly wrong, then by all means have that ‘one’ cigarette. But I warn you now, don’t think that you’ll just have the one – you won’t. It’s always, always, always the first one that will get you.
The support system works so well only because of numbers; it is six times more difficult to convince six people (your support team plus you) against the ‘one’.
As I say, the more you know about quitting, the more successful you will be. So get all the information you need BEFORE you try to quit. It’s much easier, believe me.
Happy quitting,
Darren Warmuth
