#1 Make a plan to quit

Even if you’ve quit a hundred times before, now is the perfect time to make a renewed effort. If you don’t feel ready to give up cigarettes for good, try going tobacco-free for 24 hours and see how you feel. You might be surprised at how much easier it is this time around. In preparation for the day, ask a friend or family member to hide or dispose of your cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters and matches. Plan a day full of activities that don’t trigger a cigarette craving. Try to keep yourself busy, but don’t do anything too stressful. Ask a friend who supports your cause to be on call in case of emergencies. Promise them that you will call them first if you have a craving. If you don’t smoke but know someone who does, reach out today and offer to “adopt” them and be their first responder during the day.

#2 Set goals based on actions rather than outcomes

Your doctor just gave you a laundry list of ways to improve your health, but where do you start? Figuring out how to implement and stick with new habits can be tricky. That’s why the American Heart Association is recommending new guidelines to help you get and stay on track. Setting concrete goals, such as walking for 30 minutes a day, are more effective over the long-term than simply saying you need to walk more. Focusing on your actions instead of the results is also key. If you tell yourself you need to lose 10 pounds, you’re more likely to quit exercising if the scale doesn’t budge. But if your goal is to log two miles every day, you’ll achieve a greater sense of accomplishment. Keep a journal to write down your progress every day, so you can reflect back on how far you’ve come.

#3 Improve your mood

If you’re a smoker, you probably smoke more when you’re unhappy or stressed. That’s because we tend to indulge in unhealthy behaviors like smoking and drinking when we’re fretful or depressed. In fact, many smokers believe cigarettes can help them cope with stressful or sad situations — which can compound the negative effects of stress and depression. But as it turns out, those extra puffs aren’t helping your mental state one bit. Researchers at Brown University tracked the moods of smokers and found that they are happiest when trying to quit. During the study, those who remained the unhappiest were those who never attempted to give up cigarettes. Because negative moods can intensify cravings, a smoking cessation program that incorporates stress management techniques may boost your efforts to quit. Ask your doctor about programs in your community.

#4 Pump iron

Good news for those trying to kick the tobacco habit: Lifting weights can help you stomp out smoking for good. Research in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research found that two one-hour sessions of strength training a week boosted success rates for smokers trying to quit. Those who pumped iron were twice as likely to surrender their smokes than those who didn’t lift weights. As a bonus, weight lifters also avoided the dreaded weight gain that sometimes comes with quitting and, in fact, dropped both pounds and body fat. If the weight room holds little appeal, try some other activity instead. Past research suggests any form of exercise could help smokers quit. Each bout of exercise fights cravings and withdrawal symptoms from anywhere between several hours to one or two days. So when the urge to light up strikes, put on your sneakers and run, walk or bike away from your cravings — and get on the road to being smoke-free.

Need a little extra motivation? Track your steps and get to a goal of 10,000 steps a day for many additional health benefits. Try one of our favorite gadgets, the Omron GOsmart pedometer.

#5 Consider your career

You know that smoking is bad for your health, but did you know that it could also be bad for your career? With the national unemployment rate near 10 percent, finding a job in this economy is no easy feat. But it could be even harder for those who smoke. Job postings in the help wanted section may soon read, “Smokers need not apply.” In order to reduce health care costs and encourage healthy behaviors, many employers, including the Cleveland Clinic, are adopting nicotine-free hiring policies. If you have a college-aged kid who smokes, this could be the incentive they need to kick the habit. Talk to your health care provider about smoking cessation programs in your area.

#6 Think about your future

Practice heart-healthy habits now to protect against dementia and brain aging later. You work hard your whole life to hopefully enjoy decades of leisure when you retire. Make those years last as long as you can by wiping out your risk factors for heart disease. Not only will it keep your ticker tocking, it will help keep your brain fog- and dementia-free. A recent study in the journal Neurology found that high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and being overweight or obese sped up the brain-aging process and were linked to memory and cognitive problems as soon as a decade later. By quitting smoking, bringing high blood pressure down, losing weight and avoiding diabetes, you can help keep your wits about you as you enter old age.

#7 Go for a bike ride

Even a quick burst of exercise, like a 15-minute walk or bike ride, can help reduce cigarette cravings in people who are trying to quit. A study in the journal Addiction suggests that people who had abstained from smoking had less interest in cigarettes after pedaling on a stationary bike than when they simply sat for 15 minutes. What’s more, a 2006 study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention showed that current or former female smokers who were physically active were less likely to develop lung cancer than those who were sedentary.

#8 Get free phone counseling

Having trouble saying sayonara to smoking? Research shows that counseling via telephone quitlines increases the success rate of those trying to quit. Every state in the U.S. has a toll-free quitline that is staffed by experienced cessation counselors. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to get one-on-one support, including a personalized quit plan and self-help materials, coping strategies to help you deal with cravings, and the latest information about cessation medications. Counselors can also provide you with referrals to resources and cessation programs in your area. If you’re not a fan of the phone, the National Cancer Institute offers a similar, free instant-messaging service called LiveHelp. Cigarette smoking is the number-one preventable cause of death and disease in this country. Boost your odds by calling a quitline today. Find out more about the importance of smoking cessation from the Cleveland Clinic Tobacco Treatment Center.