I Guess I'll Try to Quit Smoking

By Darren Warmuth

If there was one word I wish I could remove from the English language, it would be the word 'try'. It's one of those words that take the proverbial wind out of the sails of anything we do. Just 'trying' will not get us anywhere with most tasks and it certainly won't take us to where we want to go when quitting smoking.

Whether it is using the 'try' word when convincing yourself to quit or when talking to your friends and family, I have to warn you, don't do it. You are doing yourself a disservice and potentially setting yourself up for failure.

Don't belive me? Then consider this. Most people who aren't afraid of heights or have a particular phobia about speed can ride roller coasters. Not my wife. She won't get near them and we really can't figure out the reason why.

In any case, there have been occasions when my son and I have been able to convince her to stand in line with us and have got her to say 'I'll try.' But here's the thing; every time we get near the loading lane, she bails out and decides to wait for us at the end instead.

So what gives her a way out? The word 'try' of course. Trying isn't like promising or really committing to something. It's more like a convenience. And saying you'll try isn't going to work when quitting smoking because whether you realize it or not, you've probably set yourself up for failure because now you've allowed yourself a way out.

Talk to any smoker who has gone through this process, some of them more than once, and you will find that when they set out to achieve their goal of quitting they said 'I'll try' and when they failed, they state 'Oh well, I tried.'

So what you need to do if you are to commit is remove the word 'try' completely. Use a statement like this. 'I am going to quit to better my health. For the betterment of my family. For the betterment of my finances. No exceptions.' Can you see the difference? You must state the exact reasons for why you want to quit. With no allowances for weakness or failure.

Put this commitment in writing. Carry it with you everywhere. Have a copy in your vehicle; distributed around the house. Anywhere you can see it to remind yourself of what your true desires are. It will make all the difference in becoming a non-smoker.

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