As a smoker of over 30 years the idea of quitting has created a bit of anxiety for me. No surprise there. I started to break down that anxiety and evaluate what is creating it in hopes of identifying ways to mitigate the cause. What was surprising to me was the realization of the impact that the word quit was having on me. I associate that word with defeat, throwing in the towel, giving up. When I commit to something I see it through to the end, regardless of the obstacles and/or pain it may cause. And there is no question to what the most probable outcome of smoking will be. Please don't confuse this with a fear of failure. I have failed at many things. But I never quit. When I get to the end of a project, personal or business, I reflect on it. How did it go. Was the outcome what I had hoped for? Is it worth repeating? If so, what can I do differently to make it better. From this I understood what i need to do. Re-frame the task at hand!
On April 11th, I will begin a new endeavor of learning how to be smoke free. It will be tough, no doubt. But keep in mind, I don't quit anything. I will continue to try new techniques, strategies, and seek support from this community and others. Over the next week I will evaluate my smoking project of the last 30+ years to see how that worked out. Spoiler alert, the outcomes will not be positive. Smoking is not a life project that I will be repeating.
Here's to learning something new!
