Quitting smoking is not the first thing you should do when you decide to become a non-smoker. Yes, you have read that right - but it’s true. Indeed, quitting is one of the last steps you should take on the road to quitting smoking. It is the end, not the means. If you start with quitting smoking, you are most probably going to fail, and all your efforts will come to naught besides the damage it will do to your personality, your confidence in yourself and much more.

Smokers, usually, are quite oblivious of the harmful effects of smoking. They continue to smoke until one factor or another brings the idea of quitting smoking to the forefront of their thoughts. It is often either a health scare or they finally notice the toll that smoking is taking on their bodies. The reason is immaterial; what is of significance is that the idea has finally dawned on them. This is an excellent starting point. From here on, if they follow the correct method to quit, they will succeed. And the correct method is of education and preparation before quitting smoking.

Preparation and education is the key to everything, including quitting smoking. You wouldn’t attempt to rebuild your car’s engine just because you bought a set of tools off the shelf, or sew a dress for your daughter’s wedding after picking up your first ever sewing machine, so please don’t think that you can buy an off the shelf smoking cessation aid and you are home free. You would have just as much luck getting your car’s engine back together properly as quitting smoking. Oh sure, eventually you might get it right, but why waste your efforts when the proper information is available to help you be successful the first time.

The internet is your answer to all questions. Look at the available stop smoking programs and really compare them. Judge each program on the basis of the steps they follow. Always give preference to the ones that go about systematically by first providing information and then preparing you for the goal. Don’t get caught by catchy slogans that promise to free you of your habit in a week or ten days. Remember, easy bought is easily lost. You need to do thorough comparison shopping before you buy a program. The program must encourage you to take your time to learn and prepare as opposed to placing your faith in a product that states that there is no effort required on your part.

Nothing comes without a little effort from you - especially this. Remember, quitting is the easy part - you just stop. It’s the preparations you take before you quit that determines if you’ll be successful or not. So make sure you have all the data you need before you try and you will be the success you want to be.

Happy Quitting,

Darren Warmuth