Where have you caught yourself doing something just because it’s “what people do”?

That’s such a rich question, isn’t it? It invites us to pause and really look at the rhythms of our lives—the things we do by habit or expectation—and ask whether they still serve us. For me, a vivid example of going on autopilot was saying yes to every work opportunity that came my way. I told myself it was about building experience or being a team player, but underneath it was a quiet fear of seeming ungrateful or letting someone down. It wasn’t until I hit a wall—physically exhausted and emotionally disconnected—that I began to wonder whether constantly pushing forward, without any filtering, was actually helping anyone, least of all myself.

The turning point came in stages. At first, just noticing the inner script—“You have to do this”—was eye-opening. I started to catch myself in the act of automatically agreeing to things, as if being overwhelmed was some badge of honor. And in that noticing, there was room for a different question: “Wait, do I really want this? Is this aligned with my deeper values?” It wasn’t about swinging to the other extreme and saying no to everything, but about learning to pause and make room for a more intentional response. That little shift—allowing space between the ask and the answer—changed how I approached not just my work, but my time and energy more broadly.

What I’ve found is that questioning the autopilot doesn’t always lead to dramatic change. Sometimes, we still choose the same