Everyone who smokes has a love-hate relationship with their nicotine-of-choice, be it cigarette, cigar, smokeless tobacco or other form.

Get to know your love-hate relationship better. It is the first clue, and a powerful cessation method, to understanding your triggers, cravings and barriers to quitting.

There are quite a few prescription drugs on the market to help you quit smoking, and they work by "fooling" your neurotransmitters into not craving the nicotine. They have worked successfully for many, many people.

However, before considering what smoking cessation method to try, write down all the reasons you LOVE smoking. Next, write down all the reasons you HATE smoking. Be honest with yourself, and if you are ready to prepare to quit, your "love" column will contain significantly less reasons than your "hate" column. You have to be mentally ready to quit, and this is a good first-step in gauging where you are at.