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Well I've reached the 10 month checkpoint. These milestones are coming and going now with ease. I wont say that its easy now... dont want to jinks myself but its definitely not the huge challenge it was in the earlier days of this quit. I still get the odd niggling craving but it passes quickly. Im not noticing people smoking on the street as much as I used to... and if I do, I just think, 'that used to be me' and I keep walking. The smoking dreams have stopped too. Havent had one of those in a while.

I dont think Im posting as much as I used to either. Nothing is happening or its not at the forefront of my thoughts as much anymore. Still feels nice to check in here though and give progress. And of course to cheer on those following the same path.

I think what I could say is that I have a great sense of pride for making this quit stick. So many attempts before this one to quit and never made it last. I have the 12 month checkpoint now on the horizon and I'm following Doris to get to it. Feels like entering the penthouse suite of this community to get to 1 year. We've got this.

Ready to Elevate Your Quit Plan?

Whether you’re preparing to quit, cutting back, or already on your quit journey, your quit plan doesn’t have to stay the same. As you learn more about your triggers, cravings, routines, and what works for you, you can continue to adjust and strengthen your plan.

Here are a few ways to take your quit plan to the next level:

 Know your triggers – Pay attention to the people, places, emotions, or routines that make you want to smoke or vape.

Build your coping toolbox – Have several strategies ready for cravings: go for a walk, change your environment, keep your hands busy, practice deep breathing, or connect with someone supportive.

Change up your routines – If certain activities are strongly connected with smoking or vaping, experiment with doing them differently.

Add support – You don’t have to do this alone. Friends, family, your Quit Coach, and the QuitNow community can all be part of your plan.

 Celebrate your progress – Every cigarette you don't smoke and every craving you work through is something worth recognizing.

 Review and adjust – If something isn’t working, that doesn’t mean your plan has failed. It means you’ve learned something that can help you build an even stronger plan.

Your quit plan is a work in progress — just like your quit journey. Keep learning, adjusting, and building on what works for YOU.

My first week clean and feeling great. No chewing of my arm and never gave anyone a rupture. I have to say this is the best path moving forward. My day is great and I was feeling a bit cheeky and my wife and I did something massive. She is a knitter and so we went and spent my expense on smokes and she is over the moon still sorting it all out. I am a numbers guy my whole life LOL never looked at what it cost. Feeling good my friends and I am always here to hear your struggles. Thanks again for your support. This time will work for me.

I tried tonight, not smoking a half hour before and a half hour after taking my dog for a walk to the mailboxes and home, and I was successful. I'll do this from now on when I walk my dog 1-2 times a day. I want to just start small with reducing my smoking and this is a good way to do it.

My goal already before was to walk my dog more each day. So, if I apply the no-smoking blocks of time before and after walking, and do more walking, I'll be achieving two goals at once: more exercise, and less smoking. This is great. I have a plan.

I'll post again soon about how this plan is working out over the long-term.

I've been procrastinating with reducing my smoking. I have so many things on the go, it's hard to focus on just one thing. Tonight, I've been thinking about things and read some of the posts here and I feel ready to focus on getting my smoking down to the bare minimum I can stand.

I feel afraid of withdrawal symptoms. When I try to reduce I get nauseous and can't cope with that. I don't know what to do. I've tried nicotine replacements and they didn't work.

It seems to work better to do small blocks of time not smoking, like not smoking an hour before my voice practice each day. Another idea is not smoking before my daily scheduled walk with my dog to the mailboxes and home. And after. I usually don't feel like smoking after exercising so I could build on that. Maybe, no smoking a half hour before and a half hour after each walk. I'm going to try this tonight when walking my dog. Good luck everyone with your quitting and reducing.

Is it time yet?

If you are cutting down your cigarettes per day, you might recognize this one.

You decide you are going to wait until a certain time for your next cigarette. Then suddenly you are checking the clock every few minutes. “Is it time yet?”

Sometimes waiting for the cigarette can actually make you think about it more. Instead of going about your day, the cigarette becomes the next event you are waiting for.

If this happens, try giving yourself something to do during that waiting period. Start a task, go somewhere, put on a show, make something to eat, take the dog out, or do anything that gets you away from watching the minutes pass.

You can also experiment with going a little past the time you originally chose. If you planned to wait until 2:00 and suddenly realize it is 2:10, see if you can keep going. You are not trying to prove anything or make yourself uncomfortable. You are simply seeing what you are capable of.

Those extra five or ten minutes may not seem like much, but they can teach you something important. The clock does not decide when you smoke, YOU do. Eventually, you may find yourself checking the time less and living your day a little more.

The best thing I did when I wanted to chew my arm off or give someone a rupture in early days is to give space and rapidly develop patience and tolerance. Easier said than done, but I am doing this to to the best of my ability, being very quiet in situations that have a big trigger. I wish all of you a good clean life without smokes. We will all get there with everyone in this community. Cheers Brad.. Or Richard is my legal name, That is what my coach calls me and my mom when I was in trouble. All good my friends and thanks again for your support.

Well here I am at 6 days no smokes or any help with patches or such. I had a great chat with my coach today and had a great feeling going forward with the webinar. I hade to give it up cold turkey and am suffering with sickness, lots of trips to the bathroom and it is not fun , but for me I feel I have to suffer to make it work. My mind always said just one. Been there and now it is a good suffering to say never again. I think this is what i needed and very grateful for all of you here and my coach. Feeling strange with the lack of the bad stuff, Man the body twitching, lack of sleep, not feeling that I want to eat anything, no motivation, but this is what I have to go through. Better days ahead. Thanks everyone. Brad.

"I'll Do It Tomorrow...": Breaking the Cycle of Delay and Giving Up.

How many times have you told yourself, "I'll quit tomorrow"? Then tomorrow becomes next week, next month, or "when life gets easier." Sometimes the thought changes completely: "Maybe I just can't do this. I'm giving up." This cycle is common, especially when quitting feels overwhelming. But you don't have to figure out the rest of your today, you only need to decide what you will do right now.

Quitting smoking is not about waiting for the perfect moment. There may always be stress, cravings, busy days, or unexpected challenges. What matters is learning to pause when your mind says, "Not today." Instead of thinking about forever, try focusing on the next cigarette you can choose not to smoke. One decision becomes another, and those small decisions can eventually create a completely different life. 

And if you've already tried and struggled, don't confuse a setback with failure. You are not back at the beginning, you are starting again with more experience. You have learned about your triggers, your cravings, and what makes quitting difficult for you. That knowledge can become part of your next plan. 

A Reminder for Today:

Don't wait for tomorrow if you can take one small step today. 

• Not next week.
• Not someday.
• Not "when things calm down."
• TODAY. 

You don't have to feel completely confident before you begin. Sometimes confidence comes because you begin. 

You haven't failed. You haven't missed your chance. Your next choice can still be a step toward becoming smoke-free. 

Trying to quit again. Lost track of how many times I've tried. Using nicotine patches & gum (third time I've quit via NRT). My past quitting attempts have ranged from a few weeks to two years. Not sure how to make this one stick...not even sure I want to...wish I could just smoke/vape now and again without getting addicted all over again. Almost 30 years old, have struggled with mental health & major mobility issues, struggled to maintain employment. Was doing well the past few months, though after quitting last week my mental health has been declining a lot again

“I’ll Just Have One”

One of the trickiest thoughts that can come up after quitting is, “I’ll just have one.” It might happen during a stressful day, while having a drink, around friends who smoke, or even months into a quit when you’re feeling confident.

In that moment, it can help to remember that the craving is asking for right now, without thinking about what might happen afterward. That one cigarette can bring back old routines and make the next cigarette easier to justify: “Well, I already had one, might as well have another..." Until that "one" becomes 5 or 10 or 20

Instead of arguing with the craving, try delaying the decision. Give yourself 10 minutes, change what you’re doing, grab some water, go for a walk, use your NRT if that’s part of your plan, or remind yourself why you stopped in the first place. Sometimes you just need enough time for that urge to lose some of its strength. Every time you let the thought come and go without acting on it, you’re creating a little more distance between yourself and smoking. Over time, “I’ll just have one” can become nothing more than a passing thought. one that doesn’t get to decide what happens next. “Just one” is a thought, not a decision. You still get to make that part. And sometimes, choosing to let that one pass is exactly what protects everything you’ve worked so hard to build.

And if you do have a cigarette, it doesn’t mean you’ve lost all your progress. Look at what happened, figure out what caught you off guard, and use that information going forward. 

Well day 2
no smokes, I did not chew my right arm off Or give anyone a rupture and missed the beach today as I slept in until 1 pm Feeling a bit of depression but to overcome that I took out my old 68 convert and had a bit of fun. Sounds weird but that old car of mine is as old as I am and she gives me great pleasure and a clear mind. Days ahead clean is my most important goal and thanks to all you guys and my coach good to go.