With so much "helpful advice", it's difficult to know where to turn and what to try, and with the feeling of information overload, it's not hard to see why so many people simply give up on giving up smoking. Which is really sad, because with the right advice and some simple directions, you really can quit smoking.

You are no doubt well aware of the health benefits to be gained when you quit smoking for good. But that doesn't make it any easier to give up, or more importantly to find a suitable stop smoking program of method that will work for you. Unfortunately the failure rate is unnecessarily high, so here are some tips to help get you started:

Tip #1 You must have a very good reason to quit smoking. The health benefits of quitting smoking are obvious, but you need your own personal desire for giving up, otherwise you'll be relying on will power alone.

Tip #2 As you make progress, give yourself small rewards for your achievements. Quitting cold turkey is hard, so these rewards will help spur you on, and are great ways to boost your motivation.

Tip #3 Plan out your quitting strategy. Decide how you want to try to quit and stick to it. Set a specific amount of time for your plan. If after a time, say six weeks you have not quit, work on a new plan. This will allow ample time to try each method, while still giving yourself flexibility to try something else.

Tip #4 Spend some time to deal with any issues that you may be facing. If your smoking helps to alleviate your stress levels, look at alternative ways you can combat that stress so that you don't need to rely on cigarettes anymore for it.

Tip #5 Don't give yourself any breaks. If you fail to achieve one of your goals, make sure you punish yourself accordingly. If you break the plan and sneak a cigarette, punish yourself by refraining from one of your favorite activities the next day. This drives a clear message to your subconscious that you mean business.

Tip #6 Seek out help from your friends and family. You need support as you are trying to quit, and this will help you to ensure that you are not alone in the entire process.

Tip #7 Do you work alone, or are you a team player? If you think a quit buddy would be a good idea, find someone you can give up together with. It doesn't have to be a friend or family member - just search for a local quit smoking group. Having someone to support and be supported by can really help give you the extra motivation when you need it.

Tip #8 This may sound simple but make sure you get plenty of sleep. You know what you're like when you're tired - so don't make the task of quitting smoking any harder by being tired.

Tip #9 Aim to quit for good. This might seem a bit strange, but if you are just planning to quit for a weekend you are not going to put much effort into the process. If you are planning to quit for good, a lot more time and effort is going to go into the process as well as your plan to quit.

Tip #10 You will undoubtedly have cravings and urges, so make a list of things you can do to take you mind of smoking when these situations arise. Forewarned is forearmed.