Autopilot

I arrived at the office the other day and noticed a former employee pulling into the parking lot. Instead of parking, he made a U-turn, and left.

Turns out, he had been operating on auto-pilot that morning. Five years of working at the same place, and two weeks after leaving, he was still grooved in the old pattern.

It’s a familiar experience.

Whether we change our address, or our mindset, or our habits … old ways have the potential to linger. It can be easy to absentmindedly revert, or relapse, or slip back into previous modes.

Sometimes this is an opportunity to gently coach ourselves. Other times, it’s just a moment to laugh.