The Token Economy method uses the power of reinforcement and punishment to let you quit smoking.

The first step is to find out what you are interested in. It can be golf, science fiction, collecting coins, buying shoes or clothes, music, or anything you can think of. The only criterion is that you must be able to break this interest into units.

For example, suppose you are interested in golf. Your equipment is getting worn out, and dear is buying some new weapons. You need some new balls, a putter, a drive and a roller.

Set aside as much money as you think you need to buy all of these things. This may sound expensive, but it is a reliable investment compared to decades of smoking costs and early death.

Then take a piece of paper and two pens of different colors. Use any color you like. Draw a small box on the paper, then number them sequentially, using the second color of the numbers 8, 16, 32 and 48.

Once you have done this, think about four different value items related to your hobby. If we insist on playing golf, you can use the example given above: a bag of balls, a putter, a drive and a roller. Let us assume that they increase the price in this order.

Write the "ball" below the number 8. Write "Push" under 16 under "Driver" and "Trundler" under 48.

Now nail the paper to the refrigerator. Look at it and smoke as much as possible. Once it's fixed in your fridge, you can't buy anything related to golf until you "earn" it. When you wake up tomorrow morning, you can start.

Let us say that you get up at 8 in the morning. When you are having breakfast, you can start to manipulate your subconscious mind. Imagine buying the golf ball. Imagine turning them over and feeling the indentation and hardness. Imagine that when they fall into the cup, they roll toward the cup and the sound they make. You want golf. You want them to be bad, and you won't get them until they get paid.

At 9 o'clock in the morning, if you haven't smoked yet, take a pen and fill it with "1". Give yourself a tap. The act of filling out a box wins in a battle that constitutes a broader war to improve lives. When you fill it out, think about a moment in your life when you feel like a champion: your first salary, make love for an attractive partner, shoot your first one below 90 points, anyway. Close your eyes and try to remember the feelings of that moment. Achievement, satisfaction. When you fill out the box, tell yourself that you should feel the way you feel at the moment of glory. You too!

If you have a cigarette, don't worry – the token economy method is expected to fail. Remove the sheet from the refrigerator and tear it into small pieces, preferably in front of the mirror. When you pull it down, think about a moment in your life when you feel like a loser: beaten at school for your lunch money or the first car accident. Don't entangle too long, just connect unpleasantness with the act of making paper. Then throw the pieces into the trash.

Once again, know that you will never buy a golf ball until you reach "8".

At 10 am, if you have not smoked yet, please fill out the second box and recall the feeling of becoming a champion again.

Every hour, please fill in the next box. If at any time during the day you find that your determination has diminished, go back to the paper and check it out. Look at the boxes you filled out, and then think about "I did it, I can do it now!" Remember the feeling of filling in the front box. Tell yourself that you want this feeling again and it is less than an hour away.

If you have a cigarette, tear it away and throw it away, then start from scratch.

When you reach "8", it's time to take action. Go to the professional store as soon as possible! Fill in the box, get on the bus and get rewards!

Then continue. Your next goal is "16": putt.

When you fall asleep, you may hit 16. It doesn't matter – you don't have to get up at night to fill out the box. But if you sleep for 8 hours, you can fill 8 boxes the next morning. Remember, the goal is to break the reliance on nicotine, and the eight-hour absence is eight small wins, even though you must do so.

If you wake up the next morning, for example, go for twenty hours without a cigarette, then eat breakfast, fill out the box [always recalling your feeling of being a champion], and then immediately go to the Pro Shop. You must receive your reward immediately after you receive the reward.

Keep doing this until you reach the age of 48. If you fail once, three or forty times, don't worry. As long as you associate the behavior of filling the box with a positive feeling, you will reprogram your subconscious and make you successful.

How to use the Token Economics to quit smoking was originally published on Spring