“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

~ Anthony Robbins

All of us are gifted with something that makes life easier.

This gift is called the subconscious mind—sometimes called autopilot.

This magical thing allows us to go on autopilot and form habits, many of which we do not think about at all. These habits can be a blessing, or they can disempower us from living the life we know we deserve.

Driving a car is perhaps the best example of this magical, unconscious autopilot.

When I was learning to drive a car, I had to consciously think about everything—how hard to apply the brakes, how close I was to other cars and the white line, how to look in the mirrors while continuing to drive smoothly in my lane and when to flick the turn signal on and not weave while doing so!

Driving was hard work, because I had to consciously think about every little thing.

Today when I drive, I can talk on the phone, eat a sandwich, talk to passengers and watch the GPS all at the same time!

(Just kidding).

Now, I sometimes arrive at a destination and don’t remember driving there at all. It’s as if I blinked and arrived like magic.

Can you relate?

This is the subconscious allowing me to drive on autopilot.

In order to step into being a Hero (someone who is being their true selves and living with purpose) in our lives, it is important to know about being on autopilot and how we form our habits.

To do or be what we want in life, we must learn to recognize our habits and how to change them.

I decided I wanted to start meditating a few years ago and make it a solid habit. It was tough, but I set my alarm thirty minutes before I had to get up and I meditated.

The first few weeks of this practice were awful. I disliked every minute of it.

But I told myself if I still didn’t like it after 70 days, I would quit. Because I knew it takes about 45 to 70 days to form a new habit, and when you first start doing things differently and changing habits, it’s not always fun.

An amazing thing happened—I started actually liking and enjoying meditation.

Now when I wake up, I meditate immediately, because it’s in my autopilot and it’s an empowering habit.

I love to do it—it’s rewarding, and I give this practice a lot of credit for helping me transform my life.

We can be on autopilot, allowing life to pass us by, instead of living the life we know we were meant to live?

Are habits easy to change?

Absolutely not!

Is it worth it to get rid of disempowering habits that do not serve us and add empowering habits?

Absolutely!

Replace a disempowering habit with an empowering habit.

What is a disempowering habit that we can commit to getting rid of in the next sixty days?

What is an empowering habit that we can commit to creating in the next 60 days?

During the first 30 to 60 days on the journey to creating new habits that empower us, we’re going to have to use our conscious mind to help us.

Put out sticky notes, shoes to trip over, an alarm clock far away from our bed or whatever it takes to jar our memory and kick us into action.

“Successful people are simply those with successful habits.”

~ Brian Tracy

 

Relephant:

6 Keys to Living A Life of Purpose.

 

Author: Tony Edgell

Apprentice Editor: Brandie Smith/Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Unsplash/pixabay