100 Days In - Now What?
This is a rendition of my HOF speech, which will fade into history. My intro, however, can be bumped to the top of the list at any time.
After 100 days, we are supposed to have the tools it takes to remain quit. What are these tools? They are different for every quitter. Basically, the habits you've picked up over the past 100 days to help you remain quit are your tools to remain quit. These are mine:
Tool #1: The Promise
For the past 100 days, the first thing I do after getting dressed is post my promise, to myself and to the world of KTC, that I will remain quit today. This is huge, and probably enough to help maintain my quit.
Tool #2: The Accountability and Brotherhood
Should I happen to miss roll, to miss my promise, I expect quite a few people to text me to see if I'm okay. Even Mrs. Irish will occasionally ask me if I've posted roll today. People other than me expect me to do this every day. I have to live up to it.
Tool #3: New Quitters
You never want to get too far removed from the suck, the fog, and the funk. You don't ever want to experience these things first hand again. The Law of Addiction maintains that you will experience them if you cave. By supporting and keeping up with new quitters, you can have a constant reminder of how bad the first 100 days are, and continual reinforcement of your decision to remain quit.
Tool #4: KTC Wildcard
Sometimes we just need some type of diversion to get through the next few minutes. I gravitate toward "One Word Post" and "This or That", but there are dozens of threads in this section to occupy your mind.
Of course, there are hundreds of other tools available at KTC to use to remain quit, but these are the four that I will continue to use, the tools that have become my habits. We are creatures of habit. In order to remain quit, we must develop daily habits that make it easier not to use nicotine. The only way to stay quit is to stay quit.
I want to thank everyone that I've encountered on this site. Every encounter has been special, and I don't want to diminish one by naming another, and it will take more than the next 100 days to list and describe them all. That being said, let's quit on!