Five weeks smoke free

I can't believe its been five whole weeks since i stopped smoking, more than a month! I feel so proud of myself and amazed at how much better I'm feeling, especially physically. I've been going on so many hikes lately, and with my sister visiting me, I've been able to see how much I've improved. She used to be the more "in shape" and athletic one, but now it's clear that I've surpassed her in that area. 

When my sister arrived, i immediately told her that I've quit smoking. I did this because i remember reading in in our psychology textbook that announcing a goal to friends or family increases the likelihood of following through. Public commitments make us more accountable, which has been a huge help in my journey (Harkin et al., 2016). Sharing this with her has not only made me feel more supported but also helped reduce triggers, she has smoked less around me, which has made it easier for me to stay strong.

Another exciting thing happened this week, a coworker decided to join me in quitting smoking! When he told me he was inspired by my journey, I felt so proud and motiveded to keep going. It's amazing to think that my decision to quit has positively influenced someone else's life.

This week has shown me how powerful change can be, not just for myself, but for others around me. As the textbook suggests, "transforming a hard to do behavior into a must do habit" is essential to achieving big goals (Duchworth et al., 2016). While quitting smoking is challenging, I've been working hard to turn this new behavior into a habit, one day at a time.