Tips, Tools & Tactics to Deactivate Your Autopilot

A lot of men struggle with living a life that feels like it’s on autopilot.

The antidote to this challenge is learning to live with intention. Living with intention is an essential step toward achieving emotional and relational wellbeing. It is the conscious choice to be more present and connected with the world that surrounds you.

Here are seven actions that you can experiment with to help deactivate your autopilot. Click here to read the full article.

1 - Catalog your priorities.

 It’s way too easy to get distracted in our daily lives and not achieve our goals at the end of the day/week/month/year. Write, or catalog what’s absolutely important to you. We must place our priorities above all the daily reactiveness. Not everything is of equal significance or value.

2 -  Cultivate Mindfulness.

 Mindfulness is a skill that helps you immerse yourself in the present moment. It allows you to focus on just one thing at a time and enjoy it to the fullest (or at least tolerate it, knowing it will pass). Being mindful will help you realize when your mind is not focused on the task at hand, and when you are thinking, sabotaging thoughts, or experiencing strong emotions.

3 - Be yourself. 

It’s absolutely true that comparison is the thief of joy. Stop comparing yourself to others. You never honestly know what someone’s life is like aside from the parts they choose to show you. Appreciate your uniqueness and be thankful for the things you have and the goals you’ve been able to accomplish thus far.

4 - Discover your purpose. 

Find your passion. Do things that fulfill you daily. Even if you’re just working these small yet essential moments of it into your schedule.  Take a moment to read my blog article, A Trail Guide to Tracking Down Your Unique Purpose.

5 - Adjust and readjust your expectations.

Have reasonable expectations and reassess them when conditions change. Focus on the positive. Expectations are a funny thing – you’ll find whatever you expect to find, so it’s best to have positive thoughts.

6 - Take a minute.

Take a minute (or a few seconds, if that’s all you have) to just breathe before responding to something (or someone) challenging, or before saying yes to something. Then, choose your response carefully - if one is needed at all.

7 - Slay overthinking by delegating a time and a place.

Yeah, we all get burdened by thoughts about work, family, health, and other stressors. Overthinking isn’t healthy. When you find your mind thinking about work during your off-hours or family matters during your workday, just bring yourself back to the present moment and focus on that moment and the task at hand.

Need more support applying these tips, tools, and tactics? Contact me to schedule a consultation.

Cheers,

Simon