Living On Autopilot

Does life happen to you? Or do you make life happen?

Have you ever done something without thinking, such as brushing your teeth or driving to work? For many, those everyday routines are things they can do almost automatically, with minimal cognitive awareness. People often refer to this as being "zoned out" or on "autopilot.”

In a recent research study, 3,000 people were surveyed. Eighty-nine percent of them admitted to making most decisions on autopilot—automatic, fast, and unconsciously.

We are creatures of habit and routine, which isn’t always bad. It serves us well at times. The scientific community suggests that we make about 35,000 decisions each day. Our brains can’t take the time to consider everything we do.?Imagine if you had to remember to get dressed every day. Talk about decision overload!

In his book,?Thinking, Fast and Slow, Professor Daniel Kahneman describes autopilot thinking as “System 1” thinking. It is autonomous and efficient, though deceiving too. It’s more prone to bias (unreasoned judgment) and repetitive errors.

Being on autopilot has its benefits when dealing with mundane situations, whereas being intentional with your thoughts, which Kahneman describes as “system 2” thinking, is vital when contemplating a concern, problem, or dilemma.

Here are four signs you are living on autopilot:

1. Your daily routine is predictable. You could practically tell someone how you’ll spend your entire day a month from now. For example, you could accurately predict where you’ll go, what you’ll do, and whom you’ll see.
2. You are always on the go.?You take action without stopping to think about what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and?why?you’re doing it. Your decisions and actions have become so automatic that it takes little thought.
3. You’re not making meaningful progress. You make little to no significant progress toward your goals as days, weeks, and months fly by. As a result, you’re not focused on what’s most important to you and feel down because of it.
4. You say “yes” more than you should. You agree to things you don’t want to do, then dread the decision. Instead of carefully considering your options, you’ve made “yes” your default answer. For example, you say “yes” to working late, hosting a family gathering, or attending a function when you’d rather stay home.

If most of these signs resonate with you, there’s a high probability you’re living your life on autopilot. The good thing is that you?can?get your brain off autopilot by creating a life vision so that you’re crystal clear on what you want your life to look like. Then, once you’re aware of what you want, you can align your thoughts and actions accordingly.

It's never too late to be the best that you can be. Happy Monday!

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