If you make the resolution to finally quit smoking this year, congratulations: acknowledging that you have a problem that needs to be solved already means that you have won half the battle.
Now, your next challenge is to actually keep that resolution and make sure that you follow through on it.
If you are doubtful about your ability to finally stop smoking, take heart! Here are a few tips that you might want to follow as you try to get rid of your habit, which, by the way, is also a debilitating addiction.
By quitting smoking, you can make yourself a better person, and perhaps even make everyone else around you breathe a little easier.
Be specific about your quitting goals.
Why do you want to quit smoking? Is it for the benefit of your children, or your spouse, or your immediate family? What kind of smoking do you want to quit: smoking a pipe, cigarettes, or illegal drugs? Are you going to take the entire year to get yourself dependent on only a pack a month, or are you going to quit smoking altogether? By being specific about your quitting goals, you are providing yourself a timeline on which to work out your quitting regimen: you have a sense of what you need to do, why you need to do it, how far you have to go, and when you look back on everything, how far you have come from being a smoker to being better.
With this line of thought, you may need to keep a journal.
It might sound cheesy, but a journal will help you keep track of your quitting goals and actually encourage you to keep on going with your quitting regimen.
You can also turn your journal into a gratitude journal: find five things every day that you are thankful for, and list them down.
Give yourself a chance to see the world from a different angle and use your quitting experience to help you look at things from another perspective.
Consult with a doctor or an expert in quitting.
Most people make the mistake of doing things on their own and thinking that their bodies are ready for quitting.
Your body may undergo extreme withdrawal: it will initiate a physiological response that can range from anything to a pain in your side, to your entire body convulsing as it hungers for tobacco.
You will need a doctor to tell you about any underlying medical conditions that might make it difficult for you to quit, or that might require you to go to a rehabilitation center.
Don't be afraid to take baby steps.
You might want to quit immediately and be smoke-free within the next week or so - and you might be tempted to go cold turkey and quit altogether, regardless of the risk.
You might be desperate, but try not to be senseless! If your doctor tells you to take baby steps, follow your doctor, and take the baby steps as a chance to reward yourself along the way.
If you find yourself living on only a stick a day, or a pack a week, go and treat yourself to the movies.
If you find yourself living on only a stick a week, or a pack a month, go and treat yourself to a good buffet restaurant, or to a five-star meal.
If you find yourself living on only a stick a month, or a pack a year, go to that ski resort and pamper yourself at a good spa.
Join a support group.
There's nothing like encouragement from like-minded individuals to get you going.
By meeting up regularly with people who want to quit, or with people who have already quit smoking, you can find yourself more motivated to keep on going.
Hopefully, you won't find yourself stuck in a support group where people still sneak smokes to each other.
Find your own ways to de-stress! You might be thinking of that oh-so-tempting pack of cigarettes, and that stick - and you might be tempted to regress to your old habits.
Don't let your desperation get the better of you.
Instead, engage in a fun activity that will keep your mind not only off smoking, but off the painful process of quitting.
Take up an old hobby or get a new one going.
Sew, crochet, or knit, or learn how to make a quilt, rug, or different kinds of jewelry.
Not only will you enjoy your new hobby, you can sell your things if you make them really well and earn money off your quitting regimen! Keep trying and keep that resolution well until the end of your years.
It may be difficult to finally quit, but you will eventually get around to it - just believe in yourself and know what you want.