BEFORE THE FIRST STEP

Every New Year starts with millions of us resolving to turn our lives around.  We’re going to get fitter, lose that spare two stone, manage our finances better, live a healthier life – just like last year, and the year before, and the year before that.

And we haven’t because we don’t actually want to – it’s easier not to look in the mirror than to ditch the chocolate digestives; everyone knows red wine is actually good for you; paying off the credit card can wait till next month.

#5stepping is a way to tiptoe to all the health and finance benefits you crave without giving up anything very much; however, before you start, there is one thing you have to do to prepare:

IF YOU SMOKE, YOU NEED TO STOP!

So if ‘Stoptober’ passed you by you might like to try my own rather novel approach to ditching the deadly weed because there’s no point in worrying about any other aspect of your health and wealth whilst you’re spending £3000 per year in order to knock ten years off your life expectancy … because that’s what 20 fags per day will do, including rollies.

And why wait till the New Year to fail yet again?  If you want to give up (and if you don’t, you should) – do it now with these simple tips from an expert who tried and failed many times but has now been ‘clean’ since Christmas Day 1996 (when my wife told me she was pregnant) ... so what was different this time? There are five simple tips I used to make it stick (nothing to do with #5stepping, I just like do things in fives).

•  Admit you’re an addict: You are, just as much as if you were an alcoholic or junkie. Smoking still seems to be socially acceptable: there’s AA, Gambler’s Anonymous, Betty Ford clinics – what about us smokers? My name is Martin. I’m a smoker. I haven’t had a cigarette for 18 years ... and I’m not having one today.  I never actually ‘gave up’, I just didn’t smoke today – and I won’t tomorrow. 


•  Want to stop: there’s no point in giving up for somebody else’s sake, you’ll just end up resenting them – either you want to stop or you don’t! 
If you don’t, make a will, because it won’t just gradually wreck your health and ruin your life, it WILL kill you, unless something else gets there first.

•  Cut down by one a day: if you’re only smoking 1 a day, it’s easier to give up than if you’re smoking 20 a day. 


•  Go cold turkey: You’re addicted to nicotine, if you want to break the addiction, there’s no point replacing one source of nicotine with patches or puffers. I carried a pack of nicotine chewing gum in the car glove compartment – accessible, but not immediately available – just in case I reached breaking point. It was a great source of comfort, knowing it was there. I threw it out unopened when I stumbled on it five years later. 


•  Ask for help: your partner, friends, doctor, dentist, chiropractor, boss, children will all want you to succeed because it’ll make you healthier, more productive and less smelly. If you want help, find the best person to give it and ask them. 


When you’ve quit, you can become a #5stepper but not before.

#5steppers can start now … include some bottled water in your weekly shop and I’ll tell you what to do with it on Wednesday!!