I was clearing out some old files and came across this list I wrote the day before I quit smoking nearly 2 1/2 years ago. I intended to make myself read it every time I came close to caving. Funny, I never had to read it. Maybe someone will benefit.
I pride myself in being a rational person. Nicotine withdraw is making me irrational.
I will read every word of this because I know the urge to smoke will ease in 3 to 5 minutes.
Being in a rational mind, I decided to put in place a plan to get control over many aspects of my life that need improving. Allowing the irrational mind to sabotage my plans is weak, counterproductive, and harmful to myself and my family.
My rational mind decided that I wanted to quit smoking because:
[*]I'm not ready to die
[*]I want to see my daughter's wedding
[*]I want to be able to focus on tasks at hand without scheduling my life around my next cigarette
[*]I was the only person in concert band I direct who smoked
[*]Those band rehearsals became stressful because of my needing a cigarette
[*]I was jeopardizing my job because of smoke breaks
[*]I did not practice my instruments because the inability to focus, and th deleterious health effects
[*]Social situations were diminished because of my time spent outside
[*]Networking, particulary at gigs was diminished because of time spent outside
[*]Break time at the big band I teach was not spent with the students
[*]Travelling was a drag
[*]I was physically unable to:
[*]Take long walks
[*]Work in the yard for very long
[*]Do any work that requires even a modicum of strength
[*]I was spending the family fortune:
[*]1.5 packs of cigarettes/day at the best price ($3.09) + Insurance surcharge $30/month
[*] $5.64/day
[*]$39.45/week = 4+ hrs/work each week
[*]$170/month = 17hrs/work each month
[*]$2000/year = 2000hrs/work each year
[*]Totally unfair to my wife
[*]Unable to meet the monthly bills
[*]Unable to buy extras
[*]Unable to save
[*]Spending extra gas to go to post office at work because I wasn't allowed to smoke in the company car.
[*]Smokers are stigmatized
[*]I smelled bad
[*]My car smelled bad and was junky
[*]I couldn't get myself going in the morning
[*]My deck was littered
From a rational perspective, none of the above makes sense!
Don't be a fool. Grow a pair, suck it up and move on.
I know from experience it gets better, the water is good!
