When a pilot puts an airplane on autopilot it means they no longer have to manually control the plane. The same is true for driving a car, with cruise control you can take your foot off the accelerator and the car will go at the same speed consistently.
So often we get set in our routines, and do the same thing everyday. I am a recovering routine junkie. We eat, work, eat, work, workout, eat, sleep. Rinse and repeat. Before the pandemic you could add a commute on to that list. Many have changed up their routines while working from home as it allows more variety — throw in a load of laundry, make another coffee, go for a walk at lunch, sit outside.
When we are on autopilot we stop manually controlling our life — and by this I mean we stop conscious thought. We could go through the motions in our sleep. Do you often feel like that?
If so, then you need to stop using autopilot in your life and wake up your mind with more awareness throughout the day.
“I feel tired, maybe I should not go for that run.”
“I am not inspired right now, maybe I should focus on something else.”
“I am excited about this meeting and I’m going to share my energy with others.”
Our thoughts and bodies are always telling us things, but often we are not listening because we are on autopilot or coasting on cruise control. With everything going on in the world today — now is a great time to slow down and see what comes up for us.
What can you do to pause, listen and take back the control?
