I was demoralized.I was sitting on my front porch, looking into my hands.I was holding a cigarette.I had just smoked a cigarette for the first time in 2 weeks.What made it worse was that I had just gotten home from the gym.I had gone 2 weeks without a cigarette, was eating healthy, was exercising, and now--this.I crushed it into the bowl with the others.Regret.Self-loathing.Anger.But it was the last one . . . anger.That was what offered me the energy to try again.I walked inside, reset my focus, and headed out for the day.I've quit smoking many times, but that time was one of the last.I've now been completely smoke-free for 4 years.It wasn't the patch--I tried that.It wasn't the gum--I tried that, too.It definitely wasn't dieting or exercise, either.It was all of this, together with the people around me, and an eagerness to convert anger into fuel.That was my first experience being relentless-- and it's paying off.After you crash and after you feel the wave of emotions that inevitably strike--remember that you have a choice.The rest is up to you.

2 Minute Action

Choose 1 of these things to accomplish, today.

• 15 Pushups
• 10 Sales Calls
• 1 Difficult conversation
• Call a parent, mentor, or role model and ask for support

You don't have to do everything, that's impossible.You just have to do something. Make it small--that part doesn't matter.Just start.