Are You Suffering from the Autopilot Dilemma?


An epidemic is occurring all around you, and there is a good chance it has already found its way into your life. It begins slowly at first, nearly imperceptible. But it grows. In time it can take over your entire life. I have seen it happen too many times, and if you don't act now, it may happen to you.

It's easy to fall into the trap. Well-intentioned individuals of all ages don't mean for it to happen, but that doesn't matter. It takes much more than good intentions to steer clear of this problem. If all it took was good intentions the world would be packed with people living their dreams and accomplishing their goals. But that's not how it works, and this trap is one of the most common reasons why it has happened too often in the past, and will continue to happen in the future.

What exactly are we dealing with here? What is so deadly to the goals and hopes you have stored away in your head?

Routine.

ACTION WITHOUT PURPOSE

A very unusual experiment was conducted by John Fabre, the French naturalist, consisting of processionary caterpillars, a type of caterpillar that blindly follows the one in front of it. This explains the name processionary caterpillar. The experiment consisted of several of these caterpillars, a flowerpot filled to the rim with dirt, and pine needles.

The caterpillars formed a complete circle around the rim of the flowerpot, with the first one touching the back of the last one. The pine needles, the food of the processionary caterpillar, were placed in the center of the circle.

The caterpillars began their procession around the flowerpot, one following the other in a circle. This went on hour after hour, day after day, for an entire week. In the end, every one of the caterpillars dropped dead of starvation.

The one thing that could have saved them was only six inches away, but without purposeful thought or action, the caterpillars continued with a habitual routine that eventually proved too much to endure.

This is happening to people you know, maybe even you, although not to this degree. Get stuck doing the same old thing every single day and your goals, sitting only inches away, are as good as gone.

Plain and simple. You might think it's a little too simple, but falling into a routine can destroy your life. I have very strong beliefs about this because I have seen it happen to people close to me, as I'm sure you have as well. Good friends and family start off with bright hopes for the future, but their routine begins to take their place. 'No time, no time,' is a common excuse. After seventy years of having no time to do the things you have always wanted to do you'll end up with nothing but a good excuse in the end.

This is your life we are talking about here. It's worth taking the time to break the pattern of habit and creating the changes you wish to make. There is little more that is as important as the life you create and the good you leave behind. Recognize if you are in a routine and break free.

IT'S NOT YOUR MORNING ROUTINE

The routines I'm referring to are much deeper than a morning process of a shower and shave. I'm talking about turning off your brain and letting autopilot kick in. Doing the same things you did the day before with no plans to change the pattern any time soon.

You know the drill - wake up, shower, work, home, sleep, repeat. This is no way to live, and you know that. But it's still hard to break free once the routine has gotten hold of you. All hope is not lost. If you want to turn off the autopilot and start taking control of your life it takes only one moment to make the decision. And then everything changes.

You've heard it a thousands times, and it's a good thing, because it's true. If you keep doing what you have always done in the past you will keep getting the exact same results. People experience a partial insanity when it comes to routine. Perfectly logical creatures believe that doing the same thing again and again will get different results. That's crazy!

If you want to lose weight but continue with the same eating habits, you won't lose weight. If you want to have more energy but stay up until four and get up at six it won't happen. You have goals, just like everyone else. If you are stuck in a routine you won't accomplish them. Be honest with yourself about this one. It's the only way you'll realize the need for a change before you can enjoy improvement.

BREAK THE PATTERN!

What does it take? It takes a decision. A choice of what you really want to do with your life and the corresponding actions to make it happen. I want you to create a plan for your future and the goals you want to accomplish. If you know where you are going and how to get there you will not be disappointed in the end.

by Jason Gracia - Motivation123
Get your Free Motivation Kit filled with dozens of quick and easy motivation tips and techniques at the Motivation123 Web site. Visit http://www.Motivation123.com now!

MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
The Top Ten Strategies to Employ When You Feel Like Quitting
Ever feel like quitting?  "Are you kidding?" you ask, "A better question would be, 'How many times TODAY have I felt like quitting?' "  Sure.  We've all felt like "throwing in the towel" at one time or another.
Struggling With Juggling
'The trick to juggling is determining which balls are made of rubber and which ones are made of glass.' --AnonAre you juggling too many things at once and are you finding it a real struggle not to let any of the balls drop? Almost everyone is juggling more than one thing at one time or another, so how do you make sure that you can cope and not reach the point where you are tempted to just chuck everything into the air and let it all go?Juggling in itself is no bad thing.
Finding the Easy Way
For the last hour I have been sweating over what I will write about in "Roy Bits." I have been laying in bed trying to conjure up something in my head.
The Doomsday Device ... The physical Brain In Action
Our physical brains quickly and easily handle mundane sequences of operations, or processes without question. It repeats processes like a machine: A»B»C».
Letting Events Control Your Life ... Dropping The Negatives And Moving On!
It's interesting to note how we sometimes become so inundated with events in our lives that we allow them to become our lives. Instead of enjoying and nurturing the life we have, we fall prey to the fears and stresses that occur as a result of negative experiences.
Get Negativity Out Of Your Life!
They say that the way to have a positive attitude and a positive life is to surround yourself only with positive things and positive people. What do you do then, when the negative influence in your life comes from your friend, maybe your best friend, or even worse, your spouse?If you are to take the positive advice literally, you are going to dump them! We both know that such advice simply is not acceptable.
The Art of Wastebasketry
Are your filing cabinets stuffed so full that it's difficult to retrieve and file papers? If you're like 80% of the people in the audiences to whom I speak, your answer is "Yes." "Are there things in your filing cabinet you could probably throw out?" Most once again answer "Yes.
Nothing Ever Stays The Same
Nothing ever stays the same. On the one hand we despise change yet on the other we don't want to stagnate and become boring.
Universal Alignment
When the Universe is aligned, all things are possible. Kismet, Karma, Synchronicity and Serendipity work together in unison to provide for us when we sometimes least expect it.
Tips for Mastering Visualization Techniques
Visualization is creating a mental picture of something. Visualization is important because it makes the future become more clear.
All Talk And No Action; So Let It Be Written; So Let It Be Done!
It is so important to know how to motivate ourselves in an effective manner and in a desirable direction. Throughout life we continually struggle between the dual forces of what we say and what we do.
How to Master Lifes Problems
"Life is a Tiger-ride, by no means easy, but ride we must; to dismount is to be devoured mercilessly."To most people, life is unfriendly, even merciless, and it is not all together incorrect for people to hold such a dreadful opinion about life if vicissitudes of life, unattainable goals and injustices are considered.
What You Can Do About Procrastination
Goals stalled? Always running behind? Stuck in a rut?Procrastination means "putting it off". Whether it's a career goal, a home project, or something about your daily life, a sustained plateau on a goal can rattle your motivation, challenge your thinking.
Day Dream Believer
I am sure you, just like the rest of us, experienced all sorts of day dreams when you were younger. Who amongst us did not find themselves, at one time or another, in the precarious position of being blissfully lost in day dream when one of our teachers called on us in class? You know how that story went.
Its Never Too Late To Start
Many people never start anything because they think the bus has left them standing at the station.They think it's too late for them to jump in the game.
Quick Tips On Getting Motivated When You Dont Feel Like It
The secret to getting started on something when you don't feel like it, is surprising, but easy.Edward W.
Mortgage Marketing - How to Maximize Your Motivation
Do you have the motivation to succeed in the mortgage industry? Without the drive to succeed you will surely fail.Did you know you can create the motivation you need?I know that sounds odd, but it's true.
Anchors Away!
If we want to fill our heads with the doom and gloom society seems to thrive on, all we need to do is turn on the local news at night. To make that quantum leap toward personal happiness and success in life, sometimes we just need to do what so many people seem to be talking about lately: "clean house" and take personal inventory of the people we associate with most.
We Are Trying To
How many times have you heard this in your life? Perhaps you have said it yourself. We are trying to accomplish something here.
7 SECRETS To A Great Life
A great life doesn't happen by accident. A great life is the result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work towards what you want your life to be.