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I had one of those days this week where nothing felt unusual… but it actually said a lot.
Just running errands. A few stops. Planning to meet a friend for lunch. Normal life.
I was driving to the pharmacy, listening to a podcast, thinking about a hundred other things. You know the kind where your brain starts connecting ideas and you’re halfway somewhere but not fully present.
And I kept getting into the right lane.
Which would have been fine… except that lane goes home.
And I was not going home.
The first time I noticed it, I just corrected. No big deal.
The second time, I caught myself a little faster.
By the third time, I actually said out loud,
“Okay… you are not going home. You are going to the pharmacy.”
(Yes, I talk to myself in the car. I’m assuming I’m not alone in that.)
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I wasn’t lost
What struck me wasn’t the driving.
It was how easy it was to drift there without deciding anything.
I wasn’t confused. I knew exactly where I was going.
But my body and my habits had already picked a direction for me.
That was my default route.
And if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have ended up somewhere I didn’t choose… and probably would have been annoyed about it later.
This is what your mindset does
This is the part that hit me.
We do this all the time.
Not just in the car, obviously. But in our thinking. Our habits. The way we respond when we’re tired or stressed or just not fully paying attention.
You can be clear on what you want. You can even have a plan.
And still find yourself right back in the same place.
Not because you decided to go there.
Because it’s the route you know.
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I see it in my own habits
I’ve been noticing this a lot with my health habits lately.
Nothing dramatic. Just the small, everyday choices.
Like how easy it is to pick the same item at the drive-thru without thinking about it the health changes I am making. Or suggest the same restaurant. Or order the same thing because it’s what I always do.
And I’ll catch it mid-thought sometimes and think,
“Wait… I didn’t actually choose this. This just feels familiar.”
Which is a little frustrating… and also really helpful.
Because now I can see it.
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The moment that matters
That moment right there is where everything shifts.
Not when you set the goal. Not when you write it down. Not even when you plan it out perfectly.
It’s when you notice,
“I’m about to go the way I always go.”
That’s the moment you get to take a different turn.
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Three ways to shift your route
1. Call out your default
​Where do you go without thinking
Food
Scrolling
Avoiding
Overthinking
You already know. You just have to say it.
2. Say it out loud
​I had to.
You are going to the pharmacy.
Try something simple
I’m sticking with my plan
This is already decided
I’m not changing this right now
3. Decide before the moment hits
​It’s a lot harder to change direction once you’re already in motion.
Pick ahead of time
What you’re eating
When you’re moving
What actually matters today
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This is what I work on with clients
This is the kind of thing I work through with clients all the time.
Not just what they want to do, but where they keep ending up without meaning to.
Because most people aren’t lacking motivation.
They just haven’t slowed down long enough to see the pattern.
Note to self
So here’s something simple to sit with this week.
Where do you tend to drift?
Not in theory. In real life.
When you’re tired. Busy. A little distracted.
Where does your default route take you?
And what would it look like to notice it just a little sooner?
You don’t have to fix everything.
Just… don’t miss the turn.
Productivity Hack
Pick one area this week.
Ask yourself
What’s my default route here
Then decide on one sentence you’ll use when you catch it happening.
Keep it simple.
If you keep ending up in the same place, it’s worth asking why.
It might not be effort. It might be the route you keep taking.
This is the kind of work I do every day with clients.
Paying attention. Catching patterns. Making small shifts that actually stick.
If you want help figuring out your own patterns and what to do next, we can talk.
If you’re in a season where things feel like they keep circling back to the same patterns, it might not be about trying harder.
It might just be time to look at the route you’re on.
That’s the work. And it’s the kind of work I love doing with people.
If you want help sorting that out for your life right now, we can talk.​
You don’t need a whole new plan.
Just a little more awareness… and a different turn when it counts.
Terrie
P.S. If this idea of a “default route” is hitting a little too close to home, come join us Monday night. Jason and I are hosting our Free Virtual Monthly Meet-Up on May 4 at 7:00 pm Central. We’re talking about how your energy and planning work together, and we’ll have time to answer your Full Focus questions and help you make your planner actually work in real life. We will definitely need this as our son is getting married on May 3 and energy will be a priority. Can't wait to see you there. You can join us here: https://linktr.ee/terriepower​
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