Kicking it with Habits

You can quit without being a quitter.

TJ's Ten Steps

1. Make a decision. You thought it. You said it. Write it down. JUST DO IT!

2. Stop/Start. Make a timeline

This was my cigarette timeline. It was my plan bolstered by significant dates on the calendar that kept me in check:

• Christmas- that was the day I said to myself... I don't need to do this anymore. I had 2 cigs left and haven't picked one up since.

• Super Bowl- after a great Seattle Seahawks victory, I indulged in the celebration by smoking the last cigar in my golf bag.

• Valentines- after a lovely drunk dial, I decided I wanted to get back to my process. That meant my a morning, post-jack offs, and nightly light up. So I would only buy the 2 pack of cigarillos to try and moderate this shift without hitting up a whole pack.

• St Patricks Day- this was my last regular swisher (Ill have one ready when I fuck up my backswing) but will continue to consistently use the vape and zins to keep me somewhere around par.

3. Don't buy into it.

This shit is an investment. Health, mentality, and wallet. But above all its time. Time you could spend with your friends, family, and experiences that you waste on a quick hit, let alone days to your life.

4. Does this register?

Its best just to say don't ring it up.

5. Find something else to do.

Right after the Indiana University wins the College Football National Championship, they decide now its time to come up with healthy alternatives to chain-smoking every Saturday for the history of your program. Fucking hoosiers.

• Eat crunchy, fresh vegetables.

• Eat a piece of candy.

• Chew on a toothpick.

• Chew gum.

• Take deep breaths.

• Drink a cold glass of water.

• Eat a popsicle.

• Brush and floss your teeth.

6. Suppress by waning.

Theres other ways to get nic'd up. Gum, patches, vape, chew, zins. As long as you make progress I find these battles to be acceptable for the greater war.

7. Don't whine, wine. CHEERS! Root for yourself!! YOU ARE DOING GREAT!!!

8. Kick it up a notch.

This step is important because you have already proven to yourself that you got a grip on this. Now its time to make a move. You can go clean or reassess your stability with/without this vice, but now you can realistically determine if you can handle this.

9. Hit your spots.

You made a timeline, you watched your triggers, you've been steady and faithful. But this is the a hot spot and you'll wanna run it back. You have made so much progress, and with the state you're in, you haven't needed a wagon since the Louisiana Purchase.

10. Keep control & Reward yourself.

I find this the best/worst. I'm scared of going on a bender. WE should be, that shit is scary, but many aren't strong enough to resist the monster. So I think everyone needs to write down 5 things to bring themselves back to neutral. Heres mine:

• Watch a game

• Work out

• Walk around the block

• Play music

• Cook

Bonus: Surround yourself with people who will support you.

This should be in the back of your mind since step one. I have a philosophy:

"You are as good as the people you surround yourself with"

If you surround yourself with degenerates, guess what, you're a fucking degenerate. If you surround yourself with potheads, you live in greener pastures. If you are a barfly, your "friend" hands you the tip jar instead of another beer. But if you surround yourself with the right people, you can become bigger, better, and more beautiful than you ever could have imagined.

Finally??? I'm not gonna stop, its actually good for me. It breaks up my day, gets me out of the house, and helps me manage my active brain. There may be a time and a place where I need to evaluate my priorities and if nicotine is helping that cause, but until then, these were the steps I took to get this detriment back on the rails.

GOOD LUCK O' DA IRIIISH!