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It started with a decision: I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired! I no longer want to be in the 70% of smokers who want to quit – I want to be in the 6% who really have quit!
For that decision to become a reality requires that you develop a series of habits and activities that become second nature and will keep you moving in the right direction. Attitude feeds action and action feeds attitude!
You also need to prepare yourself for the tough moments. The first days you probably expect that but what about Month 2? Are you preparing to confront the no Man’s Land challenges during Months 2 – 4? Your chances of becoming an EX increase much more once you get past Month 4.
/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months
And we’re not there yet! 6% refers to those who launch a quit and see it through an entire Year! Don’t like those numbers? Here’s the good news:
It is absolutely within your ability to become a 6%er regardless of how long you smoked, how many packs a day, messy life stuff. You can make it happen!
Victories don’t only happen with milestones and calendar days. They are built on true challenges to your resolve! Your inner Nico-Voice knows that (and is probably screaming right now because of it!) Each victory makes more challenges less frequent and less intense – for me, that’s a huge motivator to get to the other side NO MATTER WHAT!
Here’s some techniques that will help you make it:
Ritualize:
Smoking is a ritual – from counting how many Sickerettes you have left to never losing your lighter. Now it’s time to start a new set of rituals. Coming here every day to BLOG is a great ritual. Reading at
The Easy Way
quitsmokingonline.com
And whyquit.com
is also very helpful.
Making Daily Pledges is a wonderful ritual. Our Community has made it easy for you. Just hop on this link:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/docs/DOC-1091-take-the-daily-pledge
Cleaning you teeth, your house, your car can be ritual. Drinking 8 cups of water a day, eating 6 times a day, walking 10 minutes 3 times a day can all support your quit with ritual. Mindful breathing can relieve your cravings ritualistically.
These are just a few Examples of how to ritualize your Quit Journey. You can do any or all of these and add your own.
Recognize your cravings:
Ignoring cravings doesn’t help. Recognizing them while deciding to change your focus leads to success. When it gets to be day three and you’re debating whether tobuy a pack or borrow a Sickerette, recognize what’s going on. Learn to say to yourself, “I’m facing a craving.” Recognizing this is like taking the blindfold off before the fight begins. Now you know that you have the option to fight or to calmly walk away and focus on your alternative list. “What can I do instead?” Each victory makes winning the next one easier.
Smoking is not an Option (SINAO):
Unlike other “bad habits” such as binge watching Netflix or biting your fingernails, smoking is ADDICTIVE! So you’re doing more than breaking a habit. Therefore, smoking even one single puff ever is simply not an option!
1 = 1 million!
Around here we say: N.O.P.E. Not One Puff Ever! Any other approach is a recipe for failure! Coach yourself through a craving by asking these two questions:
1) How will I feel if I beat this craving? and
2) How will I feel if I lose it?
This brings emotion into the process, and emotion promotes action.
Mindfully imagine the feeling of accomplishment, the pride and confidence you gained, the self-empowerment from knowing you can beat this! You can turn craving into victory. Relish the process from beginning to end when you know that you beat another craving. Review through your mind how your total body is healing all the way from your mouth to lungs, from your heart to your Brain, from your blood to your skin. See yourself celebrating with your buddies and family. Tell them how hard it was and how you did it!
Feel it happening – right now!
Mindfully go through the entire process of going to the store, saying those words, placing your hard earned money on the counter, going to a smoking area, feeling the stares of strangers who judge or pity you, unwrapping the package, putting the Death Stick in your mouth, lighting the end and taking that first puff. Clearly imagine the feeling of the smoke hitting the back of your throat, travelling down your bronchioles, entering your lungs rushing through your heart to your blood stream and hitting your brain. Even allow yourself to envision that false hit of dopamine.
But don’t stop there! Feel the guilt and shame! The sense of loss and frustration of failure! Imagine telling your family that once again, you let them down, you let yourself down! Feel the disgust at the whole dirty habit!
If you can imagine that you are no longer a smoker, you’re going to feel good about yourself and probably a lot healthier. If you’re still smoking, you’ll probably feel like a failure, or at least experience negative emotions that come with not meeting your goal. In either case, negative or positive emotions are powerful motivators that will help you become a success.
See Yourself in the Future:
Take thirty seconds and, in great detail, think about where your life will be in five years if you consistently stay smoke FREE. Be honest and let yourself feel the benefits of constantly beating your Addiction.
Then, go through the same process and suffer the feelings of defeat after giving up on your Quit Journey. How much you’ve embraced these techniques will determine the outcome.
Let’s assume you’ve joined the 6% Club, a new lifestyle has become a regular part of your existence, and smoking and quitting no longer feel like things you have to intentionally remember or push yourself to do. It’s normal to feel proud, but keep your guard up. Common traps can send you into relapse. Check out Giulia’s very comprehensive Relapse Traps Group:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/relapse-prevention
Do you want to jump through the same hoops over and over again, each time a little more discouraged, a little less confident? Do you want to convince yourself that you can’t do it and will die a Smoker?
OR do you want to get it right the first time? The choice really is YOURS! We want to support your Quit Journey right through the 6% Club and beyond! We want to see you celebrating this time next Year your Smoke FREE Victory!
You may wonder just how many of us have actually done this. Well, here’s the list of active members who belong to the 6% Club and beyond. Next Year you could be there too!
/blogs/smorgy8513-blog/2015/07/03/chronological-elder-list
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