BREATHE: Get Motivated to Quit Smoking

People from all walks of life smoke and use tobacco, but those who quit successfully tend to have something in common: They were motivated to stop. In order to quit, former smokers identified the reasons why they wanted to quit. They reminded themselves of those reasons again and again and again as they were going through the quit process.

Here are some of the reasons other patients have said they wanted to quit:

• "I want my surgery to go as smoothly as possible so I can get back to my life."
• "I can't let my daughter down--she needs me to help care for her kids, my grandchildren."
• "My son is getting married next year, and I want to dance with him at his wedding."
• "I don't want to look and feel 'old' before my time."
• "A pack of cigarettes fell out of my daughter's purse. How can I tell her not to smoke if I still do?"
• "God gave me this life to live, and I don't want to waste it."

What are your reasons for quitting?

Write down your reasons on a piece of paper (or type them on the computer and print out several copies).

Put your list of reasons somewhere you'll see it often -- your wallet or purse, in the car, on your bathroom mirror, in your desk drawer at work. Later, when you feel like having a cigarette, you'll be able to remind yourself of your goals and why you're doing this.