If you've been a smoker for any length of time, you've given thought to quitting. Why haven't you? Because you keep making excuses like "Now's not a good time for me" or "I need to lose some weight first." You know exactly what I mean because if you haven't said these words, you know someone who has.

So here's what you need to do. You need to put down in writing the things you want to accomplish (quitting smoking) and come up with the reasons why. And while you are doing this, write down all the reasons why you can't (your excuses).

Why have you been telling yourself these lies? For that's exactly what they are. Repititious lies that you've been leading yourself to believe over the years. And whether you like it or not, tell yourself these lies long enough and pretty soon that's all you're going to believe. Better to write your goals AND excuses down and analyze them for what they really are.

I've listed some of the more common excuses here, but ultimately it is your responsiblity to list EVERY reason you think keeps you smoking.

"If I quit smoking, I'll gain weight."

Really? Would you believe that it has been shown that we are better off healthwise to be 70+ pounds overweight than to continue smoking. Of course that doesn't give us the excuse to binge. Yes it is true that some people do put on a few pounds when giving up smoking, however there is healthy alternatives to your diet which will help alleviate this. Just keep in mind to snack on healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, not chocolate bars and pretzels.

"Smoking is too enjoyable to quit."

If that were truly so, then chances are you wouldn't be sitting there now gathering information on quitting, would you? Don't worry. I'm not picking on you. I used to say the very same thing. Making statements such as this creates one major issue. And that is the fact that the more times you say it, the more you become to believe it. I've said it before. So time to come clean and be honest with yourself, is smoking really that enjoyable or is it just a fallacy you've convinced yourself to be true? What is it that you think smoking gives you? More money, better health and cleaner, fresher breath? Looking at it from that angle and writing down the answers will show you that you really don't enjoy smoking that much at all.

The thing is that I am not trying to come across as mean or condescending, so please don't take what I am saying the wrong way. No, what I am trying to do is be truly helpful by telling you that none of the excuses that you are currently using or have used in the past do anything for you other than keep you smoking and once you come to terms with this fact, the easier quitting will be.

Trust in yourself and you'll find that you already have what it takes to beat these lies.