I'd wanted to quit for years. I'd had enough of standing outside in the cold and rain to have a smoke. I'd had enough of the smell on my clothes and the constant need to suck mints. I'd had enough of getting out of breath when I walked up the stairs and I was embarrassed to be the only one in my group of friends who still smoked. I'd made some half-hearted attempts at quitting over the years, but I never fully committed and never achieved success.
"I had so many reasons for wanting to stop smoking. But they were never enough to make it happen." 😕
I tried to explain my reasons for not stopping. "Smoking is one of life's pleasures I just don't want to live without", I would tell myself. "I don't think I could enjoy a meal without the satisfying smoke that comes at the end. I don't know how else to cope with stressful situations. And how could I enjoy my morning coffee without the cigarette that goes with it?" I tried to convince myself that these were good reasons to keep smoking; but I knew they weren't. I was torn between needing to quit but thinking I couldn't. Wanting to be healthier but the pleasure I thought smoking was giving me. This conflict in my mind bothered me more than I wanted to admit, but it was hard to ignore the feelings of frustration.

After smoking for 25 years, I knew I was causing serious damage to my health. I knew there were no real benefits and I knew it was costing me a fortune. But I kept smoking because I thought I couldn't live without it. I promised myself I would quit before I turned 40. That milestone came and went. I tried to shrug off the feelings of guilt and justify my lack of success. I told myself there are people who smoke more than me. They are the ones who need to quit. I said that smoking makes my life more enjoyable and I could stop if I really wanted to. But I knew this wasn't true. The real reasons that I carried on smoking were weakness and lack of motivation. I'd given up; accepting defeat and thinking I would never stop. I just didn't have the willpower needed.
And then everything changed a few years ago, when I was badly injured in a car crash. I went through several surgeries and nearly a year of physiotherapy to help me walk again. I was reminded that life is short and unpredictable.
"This was the wake up call I needed.... It was time to take action!" 🤔
I finally found the motivation to make some changes and work on myself. I knew what I needed to do; I changed my mindset and mentally prepared myself. When I felt ready, I picked my day and finally, after 25 years, I simply stopped smoking.
After I quit, all my original reasons for stopping and all the changes I'd expected, took place. I stopped smelling like an ashtray, my breathing improved and I didn't need to stand outside in the rain any more. But these were not the biggest changes I experienced. There was something more profound. Something I hadn't considered would change. And that was my general mood. After two and a half decades of thinking I would be a slave to this addiction forever, I had finally freed myself. A great weight had been lifted from my shoulders and this feeling of relief had a big effect on me!
Smoking had been such a big part of my life. I used to feel that being a smoker was who I was, rather than something I did. Breaking free from this constraint and achieving the freedom I'd imagined for so long, has turned my life around! The biggest difference has been my confidence and attitude. When it started to sink in that I don't smoke anymore, I felt a huge sense of relief and a dramatic difference in my temperament. Now, a few years later, and I still feel that sense of relief. It's pretty clear why!
I'd spent so many years living with disappointment and failure. They'd become permanent features of my life. Finally, they were gone! That feeling of having a cloud hanging over me was no longer there and for the first time in years, I felt totally free! My confidence and happiness skyrocketed! I was so overjoyed and energised by this accomplishment, I started to wonder what else I could achieve! If I could beat this nicotine addiction, then surely I could do anything! A hunger and determination grew to accomplish more of my goals and long-term ambitions.

One of those ambitions was to begin a new, more rewarding career; something I'd wanted to do for a very long time. Without that new energy and confidence, I wouldn't have made the decision to enroll in a training course for the first time since leaving school. I wouldn't have wanted to develop new skills or had the courage to start a business, learn how to build a website or write this blogpost about my experience! Because I was so amazed by the transforming effect that quitting smoking had on me, I decided that the focus of this new business must be to help other people achieve the same thing.
"Some unexpected changes occurred.... I started eating more vegetables!" 🥕🥬😄
I was also inspired to pursue new health and fitness goals. I'd taken the first and most important step by quitting smoking; I wanted to continue with this! I lost weight, read books on nutrition and started eating healthily and exercising regularly; things I'd never done before. Since quitting smoking, my diet, health and fitness have become high priorities and they are now an important part of my life.
So now I eat broccoli. I save lots of money from not buying cigarettes and I don't go outside every half an hour. But quitting smoking did something more important for me. It put an end to my feelings of disappointment and failure. It gave me my freedom, a sense of accomplishment and ignited a passion and drive that led to new health, a new career and a new start.
Find out more about my Quitting Mindset Coaching Programme at gavindashwood.com
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