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Have you ever tried to quit smoking and found yourself in a situation where the only thing missing was a cigarette? You were with the Thursday night crew of people that you meet after work at a restaurant that you commonly frequent. You haven't had a cigarette all day, and you're patting yourself on the back for it, but suddenly you feel yourself weakening and justifying reasons why you need to push your quit date back even further.

We've all been there. Those of us that have been successful at kicking the habit were not so successful the first or second time that we tried. If there is one piece of advice that I could give to those of you that would like to quit smoking, but don't know what to do first, or you're just afraid to start, I have a solution for you. Get to know your smoking habits.

Start by just thinking about it. Roughly estimate about how many cigarettes you smoke a day and dissect your daily routine. When are the times that your cigarette was the most satisfying? Maybe it's the first one of the day that you have with a cup of coffee or the ones you have after each meal. This should get your wheels turning and should help you start to understand the psychology of your smoking habit.

Next, create a craving journal. This is very similar to a food journal and a tool that many dieters use to discover how much they're eating, the same concept can be used to help you realize the emotions behind your smoking, and help you put into words your smoking habits. Because smoking is an emotional habit, it's important to know what makes you want to smoke and how you're feeling when you're doing it.

The entries that should be made in your journal are the following.

• Cigarette Number
• Time of Day
• Craving Level
• What was I doing?
• Who was I with?
• How was I feeling?

Once you've mapped out the categories begin filling it out each day for at least one week, so when you're ready to set your quit date, you've already done some of your homework getting you one step closer to your ultimate goal, which is to stop smoking for good.