I know many people set this as their new years resolution but I am adament that I am going to manage this time. I stopped for 9 months when Caroline was pregnant so I am sure I can do it again but this time for good. I have enjoyed smoking but there comes a time in your life where you realise how much it costs you and the damage it does to not only your own health but the poor other souls that sit around you.

Stopping smoking is just a mind game that you need to get familiar with as it will be played for almost all of your life, I will always be a smoker but from this day on I choose not to smoke. Smoking will be made illegal here in public places as of March but I would rather just get it over and done with and kick it now so I have done just that.

My number one tip for anyone out there that is stopping would be to just say “No thankyou, I don’t smoke..”, NOT “No thankyou, I don’t smoke anymore…”

The key to this philosophy is that you are re-enforcing the fact that you don’t smoke in a verbal format and not reminding yourself that you used to smoke and you really miss it. I am no expert but I know that is the one thing that kept me going before, although I am not going to go into the trigger for me starting again… Whatever the cause, it wasn’t worth it… I now have to start again!!!

Anyway, if you have stopped or are currently trying to stop, well done and good luck, it is probably the hardest thing you will ever do in your life but if you can do that, you can do anything!!!

Lastly, if you see me smoking, kick me, punch me, trip me up, take it off me and then remind me that I am a stupid prick with a memory like a sieve and I deserved the punch coz I am stopping smoking!!!

Thanks!