When a lot of people want to stop smoking, they don’t bother setting themselves a stop smoking timeline. They just either completely stop or slowly cut down heading towards some vague date in the future.
Where it is very good to stop smoking, it is crucial that you do everything you can to maximize your probability of succeeding. Nicotine is a extremely addictive substance and it is too easy to start giving yourself excuses for not really giving up.
With a quit smoking timeline, you boost your chances of succeeding stopping smoking because you have a clear date when you will be a non smoker. You also will have defined a number of milestones or mini goals along your timeline.
These milestones will help you to attain your quit smoking goal because you will know where you need to be and when you need to be there, with respect to quitting smoking.
Your first step in setting your stopping smoking timeline is to come to a decision when you want to quit by. This may be an event you are attending such as a wedding, party or other activity, or it could be a date that you have picked to stop by.
Whatever the date you pick, it needs to be a reasonable one. There are people who can just stop, whereas others need some time to reduce their dependance on Nicotine.You know which of these types you are. For most people, the steady reduction in the amount they smoke is easiest as it is less stressful on their body.
Once you have picked your date and are positive it is a realistic one then you need to set your milestones along the way.
These are dates when you will have cut down the amount you are smoking by.
An example of a quit smoking timeline is you decide you are going be a non smoker from 31st December, in 3 months from now. By the end of October you will down to 1 packet a day. On the end of November you will be down to half a packet a day, and by the end of December you will have quit smoking.
A stop smoking timeline works well if you have someone who is either giving up with you or someone who will help you stop smoking. The idea is that this person ensures you stick to your quit smoking timeline and makes sure you achieve each of your stop smoking milestones.
Each time you get to a mini goals successfully, you reward yourself, and not by smoking. You give yourself something you really crave. If you fail to reach a milestones you may want to carry out a forfeit such as giving something away, doing some charitable work or something else so that other people benefit.
Many people who want to stop smoking do not set themselves this stop smoking timeline and because of that they are giving themselves the option of failure. By setting yourself a stopping smoking timeline you will be in a better position not only to stop, but to stay a non smoker.
