Do you ever feel like you’re on the express train through life? You wake up in the morning, do the same routine to get ready for your day, go to work or school or whatever you do, come back home, barely have time for a meal, and then do it all over again the next day. Throw pets or kids into the mix and there’s even more of a whirlwind. You feel so burnt out.
Everything is the same. Nothing is new. Your friends ask you about your life and you have nothing interesting to mention. When you do have time to do fun things, you’re just too tired and would rather stay at home to relax. Your job sucks and you hate it, but you just don’t have the energy to change anything in your life. Things become a blur. A sense of time eludes you and you can’t believe it’s been three years since you’ve last seen your parents.
Maybe you can relate to some or perhaps all of the things here. If you cannot relate to any of it, *high five* and keep up the great work! For those of us who have some of these feelings and experiences it can be a rocky road on which to ride. I have been in this position before and can certainly understand how difficult it is to pull yourself out. It’s like a vortex sucking you in or a planet with a large gravitational pull. As much as you want to get out of your daily routine and do something with your life, it’s just too hard. It’s easier to just go along with everything and ride the wave of the status quo. Unfortunately, this is a costly mistake and here are some ways in which to prevent and get yourself out of autopilot mode.
Catch yourself before you get into a trance
Early on it’s much easier to recognize things that make you unhappy. When you start a new job, immediately within the first few weeks you have a general sense of what you think and how you feel about your coworkers, your boss, the company, and the work that you do. First impressions are just that, first impressions, but are very important to remember. As time goes along your sentiment may change, but if it doesn’t then you should keep this in mind.
It is the same way with moving to a new place, having a new experience, or anything else. At the beginning, everything is fresh. Then as time passes you become desensitized and habituated with your environment. When you reach this point, it’s much more difficult to recognize when you’re unhappy in a situation.
Act now to create change in your life, don’t wait
Life really is seriously too short to continue doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re unhappy with a job, a place, or with someone you’re friends with and the circumstances are irreparable, then change the course of your life early on while you have the time and energy. While I certainly don’t advocate aimless bouncing around, I highly discourage you from waiting until the “right time” to make a change in your life, unless you have some compelling reasons not to do so at that point.
Why is later a bad time? It’s because there will always be a reason or excuse to postpone making a change in your life. Don’t be one of those people that looks back on their life and says, “I wish I would have…” Be one of those amazing people that looks back and doesn’t have enough time to share every great moment they lived. Make a change, and do it now.
Have frequent discussions with your friends and family about your dreams and aspirations as well as a regular status check with your current situation
Set aside a designated day and time to meet up with people to talk about your lives. If you have a family, perhaps dinner time might be an opportune moment to talk about your lives. Maybe you can get together with your friends after work on Friday and grab a drink. Perhaps once a month you’ll get your nails done with the girls, or play golf with the guys. Whatever it is that you do, make sure that it involves keeping tabs on each other.
I have a friend in Cambodia who is doing Peace Corps right now. Every time we talk this subject inevitably pops up. We don’t necessarily intend to talk about our dreams and hopes, but it usually comes up anyway. Although we don’t talk very often, given that we’re in different countries, when we do have a chance to chat, it’s much easier to notice a change in the other’s mindset.
I had wanted to start this blog for a couple of years now, and I remember telling this particular friend of mine a couple of years ago that I was going to start it at that time. I didn’t end up starting it then, and later on she asked me, “So what ever ended up happening with that blog?” I didn’t have an answer. I had simply let it slip my mind. Writing a blog was something I had wanted to do, but because I had gotten into autopilot mode, I was just sort of coasting through life, forgetting about what I really wanted to do with myself. As a result, she was able to remind me of something I had wanted to do for the longest time.
Do one thing differently everyday, break the habit of routine
Routines exist to speed up the process. They put you into autopilot so you don’t have to focus on what you’re doing. Break the routine and do something new.
When we do things different we can see the world in new ways. Things become meaningful and exciting. If you take the same roads and highways to and from work everyday, you could be missing out on the beautiful spring blossoms at the park one street over. If you go to the same Starbucks near your house every morning, you could be missing out on meeting your future wife or husband at the location near work.
In this way, it’s good to shake things up a little bit, because you never know what could happen. This will also make your life more interesting and meaningful. You’ll have more to talk about with your friends when you make it a point to do something (big or small) differently everyday.
Be mindful and live consciously
Pay attention to what you are doing. Notice the texture and smell of the food you are eating. Hear the sounds of the birds chirping in the morning. Look at the little patterns on your wood desk. Feel the fresh air blowing on your face.
Now, this might seem a bit too fluffy, but staying conscious and mindful is about being emotionally and intellectually present in whatever you’re doing at the moment. Don’t just let your body be present while your mind is off in Lala Land. If you let your mind stray too far from the task at hand and do it too often, you’ll get into autopilot mode.
If you find yourself stuck in autopilot mode and caught in a rut anyway, don’t despair. Keep trying. No life can ever be lived flawlessly. Without salty there is no sweet. Without bad there is no good. Breathe in the great moments of life deeply. When you get caught in a state of automation and meaningless routine, don’t worry because you’ll run out of steam at some point. When that time comes, you’ll be more anxious than ever to make a change and to live a more meaningful life.
