The best formula I have heard for quitting smoking, the one which has worked for more of my friends than any other, I call the hour-by-hour method. Instead of trying to reach the ultimate goal—freedom from the habit—just by resolving never to smoke again, the person resolves not to smoke for another hour. When the hour is up, the smoker simply renews his resolution not to smoke for another hour. Later, as desire diminishes, the period is extended to two hours, later to a day. Eventually, the goal is won. The person who wants freedom from the habit all at once fails because the psychological pain is more than he can stand. An hour is easy; forever is difficult.
— David J. Schwartz, The Magic of Thinking Big
https://archive.org/stream/MagicOfThinking/Magic-of-thinking_djvu.txt
