Looking Forward to a Smoke Free New Year

How to Make Your Resolutions a Reality

Have you made your list of resolutions for the new year? If you're like most of us, you have a list that includes changes you've tried to make before. Have you thought about how you'll make them stick this time? Before you get too involved in looking forward, start by taking some time to reflect back on the year just completed.

It can be easy to overlook progress we've made, and instead only focus on the things we didn't accomplish. For instance, if you didn't reach your weight goals last year, you might feel as though you failed. The reality may be that you've made many small changes to your lifestyle that will ultimately support weight loss. Getting a good picture of where you've been will help you build a plan for where you want to go, and give you clues about how to get there. Did you exercise for 6 months last year consistently? Write it down. Did the bathroom get remodeled or the deck get rebuilt? Note it. Our lives are influenced by so many factors. Take a good long look at last year, and note everything from big to small that you achieved.

One thing I do at the start of every new year is create a "Wish List" for the coming year. I list out things I'd like to get done around the house, trips I'd like to take, personal changes I'd like to make, etc. There aren't any rules for what can go on the list other than it has to be something I want, plain and simple! I then take that list and tuck it away in a cubby in my desk. I take it out a few times during the year and look to see if there's anything I can check off. Usually, by year's end, there are only one or two items left unchecked. Writing out what you'd like to have happen in your life is a good place to start the ball of change rolling. Try it.

Looking Ahead
Now for your list of goals. List out all of the things you'd like to change, receive and achieve in the coming year. Don't be shy about it! This is your wish list - make it as grand as you'd like. If you've always wanted to take a cruise, but haven't yet done it, put it on the list.

If quitting smoking is on your list of goals for the coming year, there's no time like the present to get started. The following list of links will point you to information around the Smoking Cessation site that will help you prepare for a successful quit program.

Education is empowering! The more you do to prepare for your quit, and the more you're aware of what to expect as you go through the process of recovery from this addiction, the better able you'll be to make this quit the one to last you a lifetime.

Preparing for Your Quit Date

Why Should I Quit Smoking?
Why do you want to quit smoking tobacco? What are your reasons? Making a list of reasons for quitting is the first step toward successful smoking cessation.

The Pros and Cons of Smoking
From Zoemajik: "I made a list of what I liked about smoking vs. what I hated about smoking...and though I really missed it at first, looking at this list I made really made me see that I didn't like it as much as I thought I did."

Developing the Will to Quit Smoking
Nicotine addiction is powerful. Smoking cessation involves a lot of work for most people - it's not handed to us on a silver platter. It is doable, however, and the good news is that thousands of people quit smoking successfully every year. Many of them thought at one time or another that they couldn't do it, yet they have...how did they do it??

After the Last Cigarette
What happens inside our bodies when we quit tobacco? Have all of the years of smoking or chewing caused too much damage for quitting to be of any benefit? Not at all. The human body is amazingly resilient. Within the first 20 minutes of quitting, the healing process begins. Quit smoking benefits will continue to improve your health and quality of life for years.

Choosing Your Quit Date
Has anyone ever told you that "you'll quit when you're ready"? If you wait for the perfect time to quit, it may never come. You could find yourself facing a serious smoking-related illness while you're waiting "to be ready". Not a pleasant thing to think about, but the fact is, it happens every day. Tobacco kills over 430,000 people in the United States yearly. Globally, a person dies a smoking-related death every 8 seconds.

Preparing to Quit Smoking
Preparing yourself for what lies ahead when you quit smoking will add to your ability to make a success of your efforts. Preparation puts you into the driver's seat when you quit smoking, and will help you get your mind geared up for the big day.

Believe in yourself!
Make your dreams come true this year - let's all THRIVE IN '05!