I'm a carrot chick, all the way! A stick doesn't do anything for me, never has, never will. I raised my kids on carrots, treat my staff with carrots, and believe sticks belong on trees.
Knowing that my prior quits have broken down and ended at around the three-month mark, it's time to put the carrot to work.
I've drawn up a list of 100 Things To Do and I'll start on it next Monday, the tenth day of my quit. It's a simple plan, so if you're a carrot lover, this may help you, too.
All you do is make a list of 100 things you'd like to do. They can be as simple as gettng a manicure, renting a movie, going for a bike ride, whatever it is that you would like to do, that would give you joy and pleasure, even if that involves cleaning out your cabinets or your closets. Some things may appear twice on your list (manicures, facials, registering for 5K races, etc.) and it doesn't matter, as long as it's YOUR desire.
Some of the things you come up with will cost you nothing, others will require cash.
All the things are to be financed by your savings (money you've saved by not buying cigarettes), so plan accordingly. If you're on the first day of your quit, your piggy bank won't have much in it so that luxurious dinner at that snazzy restaurant you've been wanting to try may leave you eating croutons and drinking water.
Everyday you remain smoke-free, choose something from the list to do the following day. Your list can be 10 items or 30 items, whatever works for you.
The idea is to reward yourself and do something for yourself. We're often so busy doing for others, that we forget to take time for ourselves.
The timing of my list ends at the four-month mark. If I have to come up with a new list at the end of that time and carry this through for another 100 days, so be it. But knowing how good carrots are, I think I'll see it through this time.
The visual of 100 cool things I get to do for myself is powerful. Equally powerful was the imagery that my new EX buddy planted in my head yesterday: this is a marathon, push through the wall, the finish line is right around the corner.
