I had to do it a little differently. I'd smoked since age 5 to age 55 - 50 years (I'm now 60, it's been 5 years for me too). 2 packs a day (brought up in a grocery store with plenty of access to cigarettes). I'd tried 'quitting' many times with no success. A customer came in, in his 70's, said he could smell the smoke on me. I conceded I'd tried quitting but couldn't. He said, "Don't quit, you'll start right back up again. You quit something it leaves a void and you fill it with restarting. You have to figure out why you want to change, then make it undesirable to continue and elevate yourself to being a non-smoker instead of smoker. Figure out why you like it, change it so you don't, then become someone better. That's all." and walked away with those words ringing in my ears.
I thought about it. Why did I like to smoke? I enjoyed the taste. How can you quit something you enjoy? You have to change something.
So, I like full flavor cigarettes. I made myslef switch to Lights. A small step. They were weak and tasteless. But, I started getting used to them, so I switched again to Ultra Lights. YUK!
Well, I still was smoking. So I increased my intake to 3 packs a day for 30 days. More YUK. So, I labored more - 4 packs a day. Double YUKKK! I was chewing up money left and right that I couldn't afford. Now what?
Make a commitment. GPS's were hot then and I had my eye on a Magellan for $554.00 including tax and Service Plan. I ressurrected my RS credit card and bought it with 1 year no interest. That worked out to about $48 a month. We couldn't afford 48¢ a month! Unless.... I ended smoking that was costing us $84 a month! My plan was now set; I couldn't go back to smoking because we didn't have the money and the bills had to be paid!
I changed on Christmas day, announcing to my family I was 'upgrading myself to a non-smoker' and threw away my pack of cigarettes, all of my prized lighters, matches, everything. Of course, no one believed me. Also, as I'd recently found out I was diabetic, I'd asked for bags and bags of sugar free hard candies... the fruit flavored ones.
I put a handful of candies in my shirt pocket and started eating them - OMG - these were so much better than crappy, yukky ultra-light cigarettes!
I never looked back and never had a craving for a cigarette again. I had successfully moved myself from smoker to non-smoker and enjoyed doing it! My family still can't believe it.
This may not work for anyone else, but for me, it's what I had to do to mentally be successful in becoming a non-smoker and staying with it. It's your choice and you can do it! If I can, anyone can! I was the most diehard smoker anyone knew; even I amazed myself that I enjoyed non-smoking!