Holiday Quitting and New Year’s Resolutions – KillTheCan Podcast, Episode 21
Episode 21 – Holiday Quitting & New Year’s Resolutions
Recorded December 24
Hosted by Chewie
The holidays can be one of the hardest times to quit dipping — but they can also be one of the most powerful times to finally take control.
In this episode, Chewie talks directly to quitters who are struggling through the stress of the holidays, considering waiting until January 1st, or wrestling with yet another “New Year’s resolution” to quit. Drawing from 17 years of personal experience, he explains why there is no perfect day to quit — and why today beats tomorrow every single time.
Listen to the Episode
Episode Summary
Quitting during the holidays feels overwhelming. Family stress, social gatherings, old habits, and the temptation to “just wait until after New Year’s” can make quitting seem impossible.
In this episode, Chewie breaks down why delaying your quit often leads to failure, why New Year’s resolutions rarely stick, and how connecting with people who truly understand addiction can dramatically increase your chances of success.
If you’re thinking about quitting — or recommitting to your quit — this episode is a reminder that freedom doesn’t start on January 1st. It starts when you decide you’re done.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
- Why the holidays feel like the worst time to quit — but often aren’t
- The myth of the “perfect quit date”
- Why New Year’s resolutions fail nearly 90% of the time
- How stress and quit-related depression overlap
- Why community is the single biggest advantage you can give yourself
- How KillTheCan helps people stay quit — for good
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Your question might help someone else more than you realize.
Don’t Quit Alone
If you’re struggling, you don’t have to do this by yourself.
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📄 Full Transcript
Click to expand the full transcript
Holiday Quitting & New Year’s Resolutions – Episode 21
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. As I’m recording this, it’s December 24th.
I apologize that it’s been a few days since I recorded an episode. Around the holidays, things get a little crazy. I’ve been off work since the 14th, which has been awesome. My middle son finished finals shortly after that, and my other two boys wrapped up school on Friday. So it’s officially holiday season in the Chewie household, and we’re looking forward to celebrating both Christmas and the New Year.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about quitters — as I often do — and about quitting around the holidays. Whether you’re brand new to quitting or a long-time quitter trying again with a New Year’s resolution, quitting during the holidays can feel incredibly difficult.
That said, there is no time like the present to be quit.
Don’t make the mistake of telling yourself, “I’ll quit after the holidays.” There is never going to be a good day to quit. If you wait for the perfect time, it will never come.
Quitting is stressful. And unfortunately, the holidays — with family, friends, and work obligations — add even more stress. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But I’m here to tell you that quitting during the holidays can be done.
You are in control of your quit.
You control whether or not you take a dip. You control whether you sneak away from your family to use, or whether you stay present. In my experience, a dip-free holiday season is far better than one where you’re constantly trying to fit your addiction into everything else going on.
Depression can also play a role for some people when they quit. That can be compounded by the emotional challenges that come with the holidays. I’m not a doctor, so I can’t speak to medical depression — but I can speak to quit-related depression.
Like every other quit symptom, it passes with time.
Go back to the basics. Drink water. Take it one day at a time — or one minute at a time if you need to. Reach out. Join our Discord. Leave a comment. Talk to someone who understands.
Now, with Christmas comes New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I can’t tell you how many times, before I quit, I told myself I’d throw my dip away at midnight and be done. I actually can tell you how many times — I did it 17 times.
For 17 years, I told myself my last dip would be later tonight or on January 1st. And as we all know, the vast majority of New Year’s resolutions get broken.
Only about 12% of resolutions actually stick. That means nearly 90% fail.
So why set yourself up for failure?
Every year, quitting dipping and smoking ranks high on people’s New Year’s resolutions. If you’re thinking about making that resolution, I want to give you something that will dramatically increase your odds of success.
Community.
Most people don’t understand what it’s like to be addicted. They don’t understand the panic when you leave the house without your tin. They don’t understand scraping the bottom of cans to get one last dip.
But there is a group of people who understand exactly what you’re going through — and it won’t cost you a dime.
That group is KillTheCan.org.
I won’t tell you quitting is easy. But I can promise you that the freedom you gain is worth everything you go through to get it.
If you’re resolved to quit on January 1st, why not quit today? There is no good day to quit — and tomorrow will always seem easier than today.
If you need a quit date, set one — and stick to it. I’ve seen too many people say “tomorrow,” “next week,” or “after the semester,” only to never quit at all.
If you make a promise to yourself, keep it. You’ll be glad you did.
I can’t guarantee success — nobody can. But I can promise your odds go way up when you join a community that tells you the truth, holds you accountable, and actually cares.
Some call it tough love. We call it caring.
Thank you for an incredible year. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. I’m honored to be quit with you.
