Let's start at step one.

You want to quit smoking but you don't believe you can.

In fact, you're  convinced that it is going to be very difficult - and very painful.

Deep down, however you know the absolute futility of putting.........   

• Dark
  

• Dirty
  

• Cancerous
  

• And tar-infected.... 

.....smoke into your lungs every day.

However, it's now that most people make their first mistake.

They pick a day, usually a Monday. 

They then try to focus all their willpower and say,

"Right this is it. I'm not going to smoke anymore. I'm going to go through all the pain and horror which I'm told I should expect and force myself not to smoke. I really am. Surely if I can last long enough I will succeed. Won't I?"

And so off they go.......hoping, with all their hearts that it won't be as bad as they have been told.

And that through some miracle, the desire to smoke will somehow vanish and leave them for ever.

When you got your first car - were you able to jump straight into it and speed up the motor-way ?

Of course not.

You had to begin at step one - and before you could even turn on the engine, you had to learn the basics of how the car operated.

In other words, you had to do your homework. #

You had to prepare. 

It is the same with quitting  smoking.

Before we can stop successfully, we MUST take the time to understand the Method behind quitting smoking successfully. 

So, although it may sound contradictory, the first step in quitting smoking - is to continue smoking until you have completed and understood all the parts of this program. [If you have already stopped smoking  and are happy this does not apply to you]

A Positive, Mental Attitude

Most people who decide to quit  smoking, if they are honest with themselves, start off not really believing that they will succeed.

They start off more with hope than conviction.

They believe that they may last a few days - maybe weeks if they are lucky and nothing important or really stressful happens in their life.  

But deep down,  they feel that they are climbing a 'Mount Everest' and that it will be extremely difficult to quit.

It's really a question of -- 'let's keep our fingers crossed' - but don't expect too much'.

It is vital  that we  develop a more positive and confident attitude towards giving up. 

The good news is that this will occur naturally as we begin to examine the nature of this addiction and the techniques that we can use to overcome it.

Understanding

The key to developing this confidence is UNDERSTANDING the nature of smoking and what makes it so difficult to stop ?

Why is  it so difficult?  

For people who smoke, it is the greatest puzzle of all......