Living By Design Over Default

Do you ever stop and wonder how you passed your day? As far as you can recall, you pretty much did most of your work on autopilot. In fact, autopilot has been your mode for the last few days…or years.

You’re not alone; according to a study commissioned by Marks & Spencer, a surprising 96% of 3,000 individuals admitted to living on autopilot.

The reasons are burdening responsibilities and the hurried pace with which people are expected to manage them. Operating on auto-pilot is quick, neat and requires little to no thinking.

It’s also quite damaging.

The Price of Autopilot

While simple, everyday tasks such as brushing your teeth or making your coffee are regularly accomplished on autopilot and therefore do not overload the brain, you can’t exactly make career choices on autopilot, too.

A consistent default mode is detrimental to the state of your relationships, your job, your creativity or even your savings. (How many times have you neglected to file forms that would have helped you make the most of benefits offered at work to save on medical expenses or other similar opportunities?)

When you live a life on default, your decisions do not receive careful consideration. Instead, they’re made and implemented based on your frantic desire to avoid short-term worry and discomfort.

You miss out on so many things in your life. However, you can stop it today. All it takes is for you change your mode from “default” to “design.”

Here are some steps you can take to achieve just that.

     Have a bold vision

What are you setting out to accomplish in life? A designed life requires some sort of a grand plan. It can be anything—a five-year plan for your career, a ten-year plan for your family. As long as there’s a plan, you have direction.

     Review and redefine goals

Great plans are adjusted when circumstances change. Set aside a bit of time at the end of each week to go back and review your goals, check off the completed ones and tweak the remaining ones if necessary.

     Learn to say “no”

How often have you said yes to someone or something just to get the matter off your back? Not only are you wasting your energy, you’re also giving people exactly what they want—a “yes.”

Say “no.” The decision may give you some temporary grief, but you will be happier in the long run.

We’re all just striving to make the most out of what life gives us in this accelerated world. Living by design can help us get the max from it. Need some inspiration to dream, dare and do?

Check out Steve Rizzo’s inspirational keynotes or hire the speaker for your next business event!