This whole "wanting" thing. It's an equilibrium equation:
I want to Smoke
⇌ I want to Not Smoke
1The concept of stopping smoking only becomes tenable
at all once the equation gets pushed well over to the "Not Smoke" side. Whilst there is only small inclination, or indeed if the equation is canted the other way, then it will be very much harder to drive yourself through the tough times.
The introspection I mentioned earlier in the thread is important in helping to diminish the LHS of the equation. As you work through it in your head, you'll realise that although you thought, perhaps even was convinced, that you wanted to smoke - in fact you don't want to that much. A good example is the "I enjoy it" argument. I'd bet that most smokers don't in fact enjoy it - what they enjoy is the temporary suppression of the feelings of loss you get as time passes since the last smoke, and that actually, even dyed-in-the-wool career smokers like Mrs S, if they are really honest, don't enjoy a lot of it.
When you stop, the junkie that lives inside you (there's one in each of us - including those of us who've not smoked for years) will crash about like a 15 year old with the worst possible case of hormone driven ADHD who's unable to get their way. That person will try desperately to convince you of arguments that will drive the equilibrium back to the left. Your job as sane quitter will be to keep the equation well to the right.
Even now, after over six years, I have one of these equilibriums. It's pushed waaaaay over to the right now because of years of reinforcement and hard work. It would not be out of the question for circumstances to succeed in pushing it far enough back to the left for me to start smoking again. You can never let your guard down!
I'm waffling now. Shut up Chris.
----------------------------
1There's an equilibrium sign in chemistry that I'd love to put here, if only I knew how. Thanks GB
.