“Tried Many Times”: How to Succeed After 5+ Attempts

Introduction: experience is not the enemy

Most people who quit smoking have tried more than once. According to the CDC, the average smoker makes 5 to 7 serious attempts before breaking free from nicotine for good. But each of those attempts is not a failure — it’s part of the journey.

Michael from London shared: “I thought I was weak because I had quit six times already. But then I realized — each time I learned something new. On the seventh try it worked, because I brought all the experience together.”

Why past lapses are a resource

Each attempt shows you:

• which triggers affect you most (stress, alcohol, travel);
• which methods work for you personally, and which don’t (see more here);
• which situations you already know how to handle without a cigarette.

Sofia from Prague said: “I used to slip at parties. Now I know my trigger is alcohol. I learned to swap a glass of wine for a non-alcoholic cocktail in advance, and the temptation became much smaller.”

Dig out old patterns and rewrite them

The brain keeps memories of past “rituals.” To overwrite them:

• Recall specific situations where you lapsed.
• Analyze the context (with whom, where, in what mood).
• Create an alternative action you can slot in instead of smoking.

David from Toronto explained: “I realized I always reached for a cigarette after a call from my boss. Now I immediately pour a glass of water and take a couple of deep breaths instead. It’s taken the cigarette’s place in my brain.”

Super-gentle start: fewer ambitions, more progress

A common mistake is inflated expectations. Someone says: “That’s it, tomorrow is a new life!” and expects perfection. But this creates stress and raises the risk of a lapse.

A softer start works better:

• Don’t demand instant “flawlessness.”
• Allow yourself to go gradually (for example, by reducing the nicotine dose).
• Focus on one day at a time.

As the NHS notes, gradual steps often increase success rates and reduce anxiety.

The “quiet wins” metric instead of perfection

Failures feel loud. But it’s the quiet wins that build resilience:

• getting through a meeting without a cigarette;
• handling stress with breathing instead of nicotine;
• saving the first $20 from not smoking and spending it on something enjoyable.

Anna from Warsaw recalled: “When I stopped judging everything as ‘a slip or not’ and started marking small wins, the process became much easier. I stopped scolding myself and started supporting myself.”

The main point — you’re closer than you think

Every attempt to quit smoking makes you stronger. If you’ve had 5 or 10 failed tries, it means you already have a whole library of experience that can help you this time.

And most importantly — you don’t need to invent a method from scratch. The SmokingBye PDF guide includes a scenario specifically for those who’ve “tried many times.” It’s a gentle, structured plan that turns past mistakes into allies and gives you a real chance at success.