Introduction

It will soon be the 5th year since I’ve quit smoking. I wanted to write this post to talk a bit about how I did it, the method used, and the process that I went through.

I thought of it as an important topic to write about for two reasons:

First is that I hope that by writing this in some shape or form it might help others who are also struggling with an addiction.

Second is that the techniques used to quit smoking are those that can be used in other areas where determination and perseverance is also needed including matters related to our career and job.

Determination

When the trait of being determined is attached to a person in our day to day lives it tends to hide away a lot of inner workings that goes into having this trait. The word we use is a veil that hides away what in this situation is an internal conflict.

We often think of being determined as a swift motion of a sword that paves the way for a person. What hides behind this swift action are many contributing factors that work together and create a determined mindset. We will delve into my experience with these components and how they helped me quit smoking

Desire

The first of these components is desire. Without having a true inner desire to do something no amount of pressure or external motivations can create a sense of determination.

This component is of utter most importance and it is the cornerstone of determination. It is the foundation on which the other parts are built on, without a strong foundation the whole structure will fall.

Strong Reasoning

The second component of determination is to have strong reasoning as to why you are doing something; You need to not only desire what you are striving for but need to have a strong set of reasons for why you are doing it.

You can think of these reasoning as the pillars on which the roof of the structure is built on. The more pillars you have the stronger your structure will be and it will handle the worst environmental stress.

In the context of quitting smoking the following were my reasoning:

1. I was tired of my dependency on cigarettes and the discomfort it caused me and those around me.
2. The only way to end this dependency is to quit smoking.
3. Withdrawal symptoms are temporary.
4. It is not possible to reduce the amount of smoking to quit or replace it with something else such as a vape. I will just be prolonging the withdrawal symptoms.
5. The above points are instrumental in managing the next component of having a strong determination and that is: The internal dialogue.

Internal Dialogue

this critical component of determination is hidden from an outsider eye and only the outcome and action is visible. However, the process involves continuous debates and back and forth arguments and counter arguments requiring enormous amount of energy and time.

In the context of quitting smoking this process looks like the following:

1. I get the urge to smoke due to withdrawal pressure and dependency on nicotine
2. The brain tries to find justification to lure me into smoking a cigarette
3. I resist by convincing myself that I am trying to get rid of this dependency and if i tolerate the difficulty for some time I will achieve my objective. I must stay strong and overcome the temptation.

With this I have won the internal dialogue and was able to keep moving forward towards the goal I have created for myself.

The tricky part of this comes in the next phase which is the repetition of this process.

Repetition

You see this internal dialogue is repeated over and over. You must fight the same battle numerous times. This is why you need a strong desire and reasoning to succeed. Otherwise in one of these repeated battles you can lose the whole war if your tools are rusty.

Internal dialogue may start at any time and under various states of minds and emotional conditions. you have to be prepared for it.

Ending Notes

Determination is often thought of as a trait when in reality its a process that a person goes through many times in order to achieve a goal. It is through this process that a strong desire and reasoning are utilized in order to overcome many obstacles that you may face.

The stronger the reasoning the easier it is to come out of these internal battles victorious.