A tip to quit

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to quit, and one I made myself, is announcing it to everyone.

The moment you tell people, “I’m quitting,” you create pressure. Suddenly people are watching, asking how it’s going, reminding you about it and waiting to see whether you succeed. You’re no longer just dealing with the habit, you’re dealing with the expectation of everyone around you as well.

Instead, tell nobody.

If someone offers you one, simply say, “No thanks, not at the moment,” or “I’ve just had one.” Don’t make it an announcement. Don’t turn it into a big life event.

Then make a little game of it. See how long you can go before somebody actually notices and asks, “Have you given up?”

And even then, you don’t have to say you’ve quit. Just say, “I’m taking a break.”

It removes the pressure of forever.

You’re not trying to prove anything to anyone. You’re not counting down the rest of your life without it. You’re simply choosing not to have one right now.

Keep making that same choice, one moment at a time, and eventually your “break” might become something you no longer want to go back to.