Yet another 'Day One' but this time it's for real.

Hello everyone, long time lurker here. I know there have been a million posts like this but they never get old for me and they always offer a dose of hope so here I am starting my own thread this time.

I'm writing this as sort of a promise to myself. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. It is time to take steps to improve my life. It's time to go all the way. This means giving up weed. There I said it. I've been smoking for about 10 years pretty frequently with a few month long breaks in between. I've become a slave to my habits. I've realized that sometimes you can't just take that first step to improvement. You have to take a leap. It's like jumping into a pool. You can either put your toes in first and slowly fight the cold or you can just dive right in. When you only take a small step, relapse is still right behind you, breathing down your neck. One of my roommates and best friend just kicked his video game habit by uninstalling everything on his console and putting it back in the box with the intent of selling it away. He did this because he knew moderation doesn't work for him. He gets fixated on a game and devotes much his free time to it. This is a big deal for him because he is a huge gamer. He knew he couldn't just take one step and try for moderation. He had to take a leap of faith.

This act inspired me to kick my habit. I've "quit" many times in the past. They were really just breaks that I thought I should do or need to do for a job or something. It's no longer a need to quit, it's a WANT. I WANT to quit. I turn 29 this month. It's starting to freak me out. I started smoking at 18 and the big 30 is around the corner. I've decided I don't want to be dirty thirty, I want to be clean thirty!

I know it's going to be a tough road. Not just because of the usual withdrawals but because I live in a place where it is legal. It's so readily available. It's on billboards and it's not uncommon to overhear a conversation about cannabis while passing by. I'm in the lion's den so to speak. My roommates also smoke but the good news is that they've been very supportive and have even decided to quit themselves!

So here we go, let's struggle, suffer, overcome and beat this together.