I stopped several times in my life with stretches that went on for multiple years. At the moment again I unfortunately started smoking again.
But there are a couple of ways you can try to stop smoking:
a) Set a date you want to stop and happily smoke until then like a madman which should actually give you a head start because by the time you reach the set date and you probably oversmoked and are actually looking forward to stop. Then its a about surviving about the first 3 days where you will have to fight with the physical dependence and after that it will be mostly about replacing your old rituals where you used to smoke with new modes of behavior. It wont be easy but once you have done it its rewarding in so many other ways. More money, improved life expectancy, away with that smokers cough, the need to step outside every hour or so to have that smoke and the list goes on. That would be the cold turkey approach.

b) Use nicotine gums. Smoking cigarettes is much more addictive then regular nicotine gums so once you switched over from smoking cigarettes tapering down nicotine gums is a cake walk. I tried that approach once as well and it worked very well. You still will have to fight your old rituals/habits though. But as time goes on the urge to smoke grows smaller and smaller.

Now on thing to keep in mind most smokers have not succeeded kicking their habit on the first run or their second or third. It might take you some multiple attempts but keep in mind just because you failed once or gave in once into the urge to smoke a cigarette don't throw away you whole plan you have set out to kicking your habit. Its just a minor setback and go straight back to your plan and keep following it.