Smoking Hot Secrets For Keeping New Resolutions, 2015

Mark Twain said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.”

It’s that time of year when we hear many people making New Year’s Resolutions, and smoking cessation is a big one!

It’s also one of our favorite, life-saving resolutions here at FLASS.

At the Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists, (FLASS,) we wanted to bring you a blog that might help you with this difficult New Year’s Resolution, plus some background on keeping any other New Year’s Resolutions you might have made.

In our research, we found many articles about how to make New Year’s Resolutions, but found very little about how to keep those resolutions successfully.

Then, we discovered a perfect system for keeping a New Year’s resolution, in the middle of Time magazine, December 29, 2014 to January 5, 2015 issue, written by Mandy Oaklander.

We re-phrased some of her ideas, summarized them and put our own spin on them, especially with regards to quitting smoking.

We bring you the FLASS Seven Steps for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions. It’s our New Year’s gift to you, whether your resolution is stopping smoking, losing weight or spending more time with your family.

(We are a little radical on the topic of smoking cessation, so forgive us if we use it as our prime example.)

1. Ready, Aim, Fire!

According to Oaklander, New Year’s Day makes a very good “benchmark” for defining a goal.

It’s also a very busy day, so we agree with Oaklander that if you “miss” it, find a Monday to begin your resolution.

According to Time magazine, you’ll be statistically more likely to accomplish it. This is the secret behind the success of programs like “Move It Monday,” a fitness technique that just might be a good fit for your New Year’s Resolution.

If you are ready to get started with your smoking cessation, then, you will definitely enjoy looking at Webmd’s hottest “quit smoking tips,” at this informative website. 

2. Don’t Wing It! Make It Your Plan “A.”

You should make out a concrete plan. Your wishes or grand intentions are not enough.

We suggest you put it in writing, make a chart, devise a list, or sketch a pictograph. Oaklander stated, “An actual plan prevents procrastination.” Write it down in detail.

A small part of changing deeply ingrained behaviors might require that you know a little bit about human behavior. Check it out at “Psychological Self-Help Tools,” at this helpful website.

Likewise, if quitting smoking is your goal, we highly recommend you learn about what you are up against at this informative online source, sponsored by The American Cancer Society.

They phrase your challenge in terms of drug addiction, saying, “Nicotine is a drug found naturally in tobacco, which is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Over time, a person becomes physically dependent on and emotionally addicted to nicotine.”

So, FLASS says, to keep your resolution, you must find or create a plan, Plan “A,” a personalized self-help guide in which you believe. Plan “A” is your basis for keeping the resolution.

3.  So, What About Plan “B?”

The idea of a Plan “B,” is a statistical shocker! Behavioral experts advise us to forget it! No Plan “B!” 

If you have a back up plan, you might be sabotaging your major goal. So, in circus language, you have to work without a net on the tight-rope of your resolution.

The lack of a Plan “B” will maximize your will power, and minimize your procrastination. Research demonstrated that people with a Plan “B” were less likely to attain their main objective.” So if your Plan “A” is to quit, you might only be fooling yourself with a Plan “B” which is to smoke less.

4.  Make It Expensive:

A great example of a difficult New Year’s resolution would be losing weight. See how behavioral economists have designed a system for negative feed-back if you miss your objective, at this website. www.stickK.com
(Example and Hint: If you don’t lose pounds, you pay money. You can even choose who you pay for your transgressions.) Oaklander calls this technique “Raising the Stakes.”

When you elect to quit smoking, money is going to matter automatically, even without a self-help website. Whether you put that money into a vacation fund or force yourself to give it away to a charity, you are “raising the stakes.”

5. Divide up That Big Goal:

We all know about this step: In any behavior modification, you must learn to take baby steps.

At the FLASS, we suggest you list small objectives, and tick them off your list when you accomplish them. Perhaps notations like, “I did not smoke after dinner…” or “At coffee break, I went on a short walk instead of smoking…” Perhaps such notes, written as a personal check list would help you take baby steps to achieve you resolution to become a Non-smoker.

Not only will this check-it-off-the-list tactic enhance your enjoyment of the process of accomplishment, but the tactic will help boost your resolve.

6. Use Willpower Wisely:

Apparently, there is a limited amount of willpower within any goal-oriented person, behind any behavioral change.

We know that constant refusals of something we want, like calories, results in a sense or deprival which leads us to depression. In the case of weight loss, it could even lead to a big binge on your favorite carbohydrates. It’s the same idea with smoking cessation.

So, be on target, but be gentle with yourself if you fail.

If you want to know more about the power of creating good habits and losing the old ones, you might take a look at Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. In addition to re-enforcing your resolutions, you will discover behavioral secrets of a book “which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and spent over 90 weeks on New York Times’ best seller lists.”

7. Get A Little Professional Help!

The Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists take a moment to finally suggest you get help if your New Year’s Resolution has anything to do with your lifestyle or health.

If you are resolved to become a non-smoker, or even if you are just curious about the many tactics you might use to accomplish such a resolution for 2014, the experts at FLASS are here to help you.

Likewise, we do not believe you should embark on any new health regime without first checking with your primary doctor.

A consultation about the health of your respiratory system might bring you insights and help in ways that you might not even imagine.

The doctors and Staff

of the Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists

wish you Health, Happiness and Prosperity

for the New Year. Happy New Year!

Breathe Deep in 2015!