Success Spotlight

Cheer, Connect, Celebrate

Kicking the Habit

Like so many others, I’ve tried to quit smoking for years.

Since high school, I’ve made countless attempts to kick this extraordinarily difficult addiction, from nicotine patches to smoking-cessation drugs, and even going cold turkey. Nothing stuck.

Then, it hit close to home. I found out that my uncle had lung cancer after decades of smoking.

On January 1st, I made a New Year’s Resolution and set a HealthRally goal to kick the habit. My wife decided to quit smoking around the same time, so she joined my HealthRally team.

Now, I’m thrilled to say that with the help of my HealthRally supporters, I haven’t smoked a cigarette in more than six months.

To start my Rally, I set a nominal monetary goal ($100) and gathered a small group of friends, family and peers who I could rely on to be both supportive and entertaining to join my team. I used nicotine gum as a cessation aid and when I slipped up once, I quickly got back on track.

Reporting my progress to friends, family and peers was a big motivator; I didn’t want to let them down. But what really kept me going was their intense support—just knowing they were there to help me make it through another five or 10 minutes until the urge to smoke passed helped quell my immediate desires. When my wife wanted a smoke, I’d alert my HealthRally team and they’d call her and urge her to stay on track.

It’s those critical little moments that make the difference. My supporters were a huge safety net; they were available whenever I needed them, day or night, online or offline.

I’m proud that I’ve reached my goal. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without this incredibly useful motivational tool. If it worked for me, it may just work for you as well.