It could save you a lot of time!!
Take today for instance. I have looked forward to renewing my driver’s license. Months. Here I am thrilled and overjoyed at life despite the challenges and fun opportunities springing up and not to mention the stress of adapting to change.
The big change with COVID 19 in our world raging as it is and someday was, is now we must make your appointment months ahead of time. Not what we are used to. You know that ability to go when you decide and expect to be there from a few minutes to an hour or two. Get the picture yet?
I know where the DMV is. Without thinking I could go there, however, I left in plenty of time. Ahhh maybe yes and maybe no. The route is clear. Action, wrong. I took the correct exit. (I must have been in automatic pilot).
Automatic Pilot…The art of not thinking just doing. A form of distraction and not paying attention. A dangerous state of mind especially if you are running late.
Follow me now…I did this before when headed downtown in my city. The exit is to the right and the entrance to the tunnel leading to the next city was left. NOT THINKING and NOT BEING PRESENT IN THE MOMENT. I took the entrance to the tunnel. Now what could have been a 10–20-minute trip is now a scenic route to another city.
I just started to munch intensely on some crackers and dealt with my error as a lesson…PAY ATTENTION.
Ok, back to the trip to the DMV.
I could choose to turn left or right. But nooo. I turned right as if I was going to see my Tax Consultant. No big deal. I make the legal reentry to the interstate which now takes me out the way and into a full circle away from my destination and now that plenty of time has been turned into running out of time for my appointment planned months ago. My calming mechanisms now fighting a desire to stress says. No problem. YOU WILL MAKE IT there on time. Just keep moving.
Now I am really concerned that I may be late. Heading down the highway…I look the next exit and I say….Oh, Mary…that first exit you took was the correct exit. No problem…I made the next exit and turned around. Back on track and on time…DMV. I made it. Despite going in two full circles of highway out of my way. I made it.
The tip here is …PAY ATTENTION. Be present in the moment.
It could save you a lot of time.