Weigh your pros and cons
Think about what benefits you get from smoking and about some of the not-so-good things about it. What does smoking mean to you? A lot of people have a love/hate relationship with smoking. This is an opportunity for you to see which side of that relationship is stronger. Get out a piece of paper and make two columns: Pros of Smoking and Cons of Smoking. Now fill them each in with as many as you can think of in five minutes.
Do you have more cons? You can see that smoking is doing more harm than good in your life. Perhaps it’s time to move forward and take that next step.
Do you have more pros? There are still some aspects of smoking that are important to you. You see some benefits to quitting, but right now, they may not outweigh your reasons to keep smoking. Keep reading but come back to this list of why quitting smoking was important to you before you make a final decision.
Were your lists equal? You see some good and some bad things that come with smoking but you’re still on the fence about which side is right for you. Try this: what are your pros and cons of quitting smoking? How are your answers different? Keep an open mind as you continue through this section.
If you’re having trouble making your list, you could talk to your friends or family, post in our forums and discuss it with other people at all stages of quitting, or call a Smokers’ Helpline Quit Coach.