All tips to quit smoking are wrong. You only need this.
To cigarette makers, your life is worth $10,000 (more on that later).
Billions are invested in research, psychology, and branding so they can trade your health for dollars.
The day I discovered the truth behind the tobacco industry, I quit radically (I smoked 1 pack a day for 7 years).
Let's find out how and why knowing the truth will turn you into a non-smoker for good.
Tips to quit don't last
Chew gums, tell your friends, work out... All the tips out there seem plausible.
But all of these tips lack the most important element:
None will make your craving for cigarettes fade away.
They only try to suppress it, which requires constant willpower.
One day you'll be caught off guard because you're tired, sad, or lonely, and rush to a tobacco shop.
There is a simpler way to quit and stay a non-smoker forever.
Change must come from within
Back in 1968, Jim Hines became the first man to ever finish the 100-meter in under 10 seconds.
Nowadays, that feat may just be enough to avoid last place. Did human beings become a stronger specie in 50 years?
No, we just started to believe the 10-second barrier is achievable.
Your worldview, your judgment, and your identity drive your actions.
To quit smoking once and for all, you must become the type of person who's not easily manipulated.
You are a lab rat
Cigarette companies make about a penny in profit for every cigarette sold, or about US$10,000 for every million cigarettes purchased.
Since there is one death for every million cigarettes sold (or smoked), a tobacco manufacturer will make about US$10,000 for every death caused by their product.
There are literally people in offices brainstorming about how to sell you poison.
Your health is traded against money and no one is asking your opinion.
You are not the only one being manipulated, governments and non-profits too.
Next time you go to the tobacco shop, remember the evil hiding behind this pack of 20 cancer sticks.
Final thoughts
Becoming the type of person who's not easily manipulated is the key to quitting smoking.
All other tips can be helpful but are no substitute for building a new identity.
If you want to keep track of your progress, you can use Habits Garden for free. This gamified habit tracker helps you build the identity of someone who gets shit done.
Until next time, ping me on Twitter.
PS: What works for me might not work for you. But I stand firm about how identity is the root of long-lasting change.
Discover other posts to fight procrastination, form good habits, break bad ones and live a better life.
"The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity."