LOOKING AT MOTIVATION: Motivation - five things to think about
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Motivation = your reason for doing something. |
Put another way, motivation is what drives you to act in some way. For instance, when you're tired you are motivated to get some sleep. Have you ever felt out of breath after going up a flight of stairs? Wanting to breathe better is an example of motivation to quit smoking.
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Motivation leads to action. |
In order to quit smoking, you need a reason (motivation). The stronger and more specific your reason to quit, the more likely you are to follow through.
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Motivation comes and goes. |
Does this sound familiar: "I want to quit, but at the same time cigarettes help me with stress"? It's normal to feel like sometimes you really want to quit and other times you don't. In fact, most people have the same mixed feelings, even after they decide to quit.
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Reminders help keep motivation alive. |
People remind themselves of their reasons to quit smoking in many ways. Some people write them down and hang the list somewhere in plain sight. Others have a phrase they say to themselves like, "I refuse to let cigarettes control me anymore," or "I don't want to wake up coughing every day." Reminders of your reasons will keep you positive and focused on quitting smoking.
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Can you do it? Check your motivation. |
It's not about ability to quit smoking-you can do it. It's more about having solid motivation. Imagine this: someone offers you a million dollars to quit smoking. What would you do? Most people can imagine taking the money and quitting smoking. In this case, the money is the reason (motivator) that can get you past the thought "I just can't quit." Your individual reason, if strong and specific, can motivate you in the same way.
