Bhagavad Gita 2.59 · Krishna
Even the longing fades
विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः।
रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते॥
viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥrasavarjaṃ raso’apyasya paraṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate
Things fall away from one who abstains, yet the taste remains. Even the taste fades once one has seen the highest.
What it means
Krishna makes an honest observation. You can give something up, and the thing goes. But rasa, the taste for it, lingers. Willpower alone doesn't end longing. What dissolves it is seeing something higher, param. When you've found something better, the old craving simply loses interest.
The story
Krishna isn't telling Arjuna to grit his teeth. He knows forced renunciation leaves a hungry heart. The Gita's way is different. Fill the heart with something so real that lesser things fall away on their own.
In your life
Maybe you know someone who quit sugar and still dreamed of cake, until they fell in love with cooking real food. The longing faded without a fight. Instead of only fighting a habit, find something you love more.
Find something better, and longing fades.