BeeDeeDubbleU - 10:59 pm on Jan 6, 2010 (gmt 0)

I quit on 17 October 1993. I always remember that date because it was one of the best things I ever did. I smoked for more than thirty years and I had tried to quit regularly during this period my "record" being 15 months.

Sharing my "How I did it" story...
I think the reason I finally managed it was that I had set the date three or four months before. I looked at my schedule for the year and tried to select a suitable time. This date was two weeks after an annual holiday abroad. In the past I had tried to quit on returning to work after a holiday and found the depression of finishing my holiday and going back to work was just too much. I always weakened. On this occasion I set the date two weeks after my return to give me a chance to get back into the routine.

When I had set the date I told all of my friends and colleagues that I was quitting on that date and explained why. I continued to talk about it during the lead up and when I got back to work. My reason was not so much that they were that interested, it was just to set it up such that failing to quit on that date would have resulted in lots of derision and denting of my pride. It worked for me and I actually found that occasion to be the easiest.