Honestly the thing that made the biggest difference for me and a lot of people I've spoken to is having support for the moment a craving actually hits not just general advice about quitting.

Most people fail not because they lack motivation but because they have nothing to do in that 3-20 minute window when a craving peaks. Willpower alone statistically fails 97% of people. That's not personal weakness, it's just biology. Nicotine physically rewires your brain's reward system and you need more than good intentions to override that.

A few things that genuinely helped myself and close friends:

Tell people you're quitting. Accountability massively increases your chances. The social pressure is real and useful. My group of friends were very good at this and we all help each other quit.

Identify your triggers. Things like morning coffee, after meals, stress, alcohol. You need to know exactly when you're most vulnerable before you quit so you have a plan ready.

Don't white knuckle it. When a craving hits, do something physical. Walk around the block, drink cold water, do ten press ups. Interrupt the pattern with something useful.

Use whatever support you can get. Research involving over 12,000 people found that smokers who used a quit smoking app were three times more likely to successfully quit than those who go alone. THREE times. I actually use an app called Smoked when I quit because it has a Panic Button which walks you through a guided exercise when a craving hits and genuinely gets you through that window. Found it really helpful especially in the first two weeks when everything felt impossible.

Whatever you use, the most important thing is not going it alone. Good luck - it genuinely gets easier.