Checklist for Success

 

Just as everyone’s reason to start smoking is different than everyone else’s, so is/are their reason(s) to quit. Their motivating factors are different. Their social, psychological, behavioral interactions are different. This is part of the reason no one plan/program/aid works for everyone and why it is important to tailor your smoking cessation to YOU.
First, relax. Take a deep breath. Be comfortable with the fact you are taking control and are going to stop smoking. Second, at your leisure, review our website. I would recommend jotting down notes as you go along. Consider taking out a fresh pad of lined paper (emphasis on more than one sheet of paper), and writing things down as you think of them. “Flow of consciousness” is what some might call this. Don’t be concerned with organization, just get your thoughts, notes, and questions down on paper. Just this act alone is meant to calm and allow your mind to free up some of the stored stress and anxiety you inevitably have. When it is written down, you simply don’t have to remember, or keep reminding yourself, all those items. Allow yourself to concentrate (or not) on other things. What do you want to do instead of smoking? How do you feel you will change or be a better person since you no longer smoke? Are your friends going to be surprised?
How are you going to keep track of these thoughts? A journal? Notebook? Computer? Voice recorder? Thumbdrive?
Be relaxed and allow yourself to alleviate your mind of all the concerning thoughts. And don’t worry about how long this takes. Continue to go along with your life and jot things down as you think of them. This is why I personally recommend either a small, pocket-sized spiral bound note pad (you know, the type Columbo used. Or do you prefer Jim Rockford?) Or, for the anal retentive types, a pocket-sized note pad with the ability to remove or add refill paper. This will allow you to start organizing as you are writing thoughts down. For the truly anal retentive, jot down in the note pad, type them out on the computer, then reduce the size, place holes in them and replace the hand-written notes with typed notes.
Studies show persistence, intensity, preparation, and an individualized plan are the keys for successful smoking cessation. In my opinion, preparation is the most important part of smoking cessation. Would an athlete show up for an event without planning and conditioning? Not if that person wanted to win. The same goes for quitting smoking. Preparation now will make the actual journey to a smokeless world much more pleasant.
When I was in college, during breaks in semesters and long weekends, I would travel back home across Florida. With my old junker of a car, it was a seven and a half to eight hour trip. So I prepared ahead of time. I gassed up the night before, I had my favorite music cassettes set aside (couldn’t afford CDs and MP3s weren’t around yet). I had water with me. Ensured proper tire inflation, oil, water, general car maintenance. I had a map. I wore comfortable clothes. And to boot, I had all this written down so I could review it each time I traveled. I updated it when necessary. I took the journeys. Was it overkill? Probably. But I never broke down, was never thirsty, and I always knew where the next rest area was. No matter how many times I drove that same route, I was always prepared.
This preparation section is a guide only. That is the great part of this website and program in general. My goal is to give you as many tools as possible. It’s up to you to decide which tools to use.
• Set a date
• Formulate your plan – This should be ongoing to the point a “clone” of yourself could pick up your material and jump right in. In the unlikely event you are not successful; you will have more ammunition to build on for the next time. And you will be able to review possible flaws in your plan and adjust accordingly. Of course this isn’t going to be the case, is it?
• Write your plan down – Decide how you want to write it down. Are you going to do it narrative (story) form? Are you going to use checklists? Is it going to be more philosophical? Write it down free-hand? Type it? Use a notebook? Pocket-sized notebook? PDA? Computer? It should be easy to update and change around as you think of new sections and/or thoughts.
• Tell your family, friends, and coworkers
• Prepare your home, car, and work area for a smoke-free existence.
Sounds simple. And your date may be tomorrow. But at least read through the rest of this guide before you make the decision to start that soon.
Why set a date? A great deal of what you do for preparation is getting in the mind set to quit. Decide how you want to prepare and then give yourself adequate time to prepare. I would discourage “I’ll start at the end of this pack (or carton).” This way of thinking is telling your mind you are allowing the cigarettes to dictate, or have minor control, over your defeat against them. Take control, read this guide, and plan a logical quit date to attain the preparation you require. A good friend of mine quit using tobacco March 17th, 2003. It just so happened his one and only child was three years old. He picked the third month of the year for this reason. The 17th was significant because he had been using tobacco for 17 years. This date was now almost as important as his anniversary and the birth date of his loved ones. Almost.

What are you going to change about yourself and your environment?
Tell as many people as will listen your plan to quit smoking. Many reasons but you want to make a commitment obligating yourself for success. Many times it’s the fear of failure which motivates people not to quit. Turn the tables. Put it in your mind to fear letting your friends and family down. “I have to quit because I am setting an example for my friends/family/coworkers.” The real bonus is you will see who are your supporters. You will be surprised from the most unlikely of places where you will be able to pull support. It might be your next door neighbor. The cashier where you pump gas. The person who bags your groceries. Tell them how you are planning to quit. Tell them your quit date. Tell them the preparation you are doing to quit. You will be motivating yourself as well as receiving motivation from others. Turn the nay-sayers to a positive. They may be subconsciously testing you and when you are successful, they will be the first people to ask how you did it! Maybe one of your “smoking buddies” will want to quit with you. Remember, 40% of smokers have made a conscious effort to quit within the last year. This means a minimum of two of every five smokers you talk to should express an interst in quitting also. Be the leader. You will feel better about yourself and people will appreciate the initiative. Also remember, you are doing the best thing you can do for your health. Don’t your friends and family deserve the same?
I procrastinated for quite a while before deciding to develop A+ Smoker’s Control™. I always thought the time would be better later. That I would have more time later. It would be easier later. I was way wrong. I found myself with less time. I found myself with more commitments. I was deployed to Iraq within six months of my ending time in service in the Army. Transitioned from Army to civilian life. New practice, new location, new home, growing children, new friends. A fantastic time but my dream to help people stop smoking took a back seat. For over a year before officially launching this project, I would mention it to friends, relatives and coworkers. I received good responses. It wasn’t until I started the physical process of getting things on paper, working with the formulation, and starting the design process that I again started talking to friends, relatives, and coworkers. When they saw the PLAN, the PREPARATION, the look in my eyes, and the enthusiasm with which I spoke about helping people – only then did people really start sparking, asking ME questions about MY plans. People would walk up to me and look excited to hear of my latest progress. This, in turn, added motivation for me to do more so I could relay my progress to others. I was amazed the response, motivation and input people offered me.