Adults spend a decade of their lives on “autopilot”

According to a new study commissioned by the bank NatWest and conducted by OnePoll, the average adult spends more than ten years of their lives on “autopilot,” following the same routines every day. One fourth of the 2,000 British adults surveyed claimed that they often drift through as much as five or even more hours per day without thinking much about what they are doing, which equates to 1,396 hours each year or 27 hours a week doing the same thing.

The study revealed that, for 64 percent of adults, their daily routines – including repetitive behaviors such as getting dressed or showering at the same time of the day, or eating the same breakfast – hardly ever change. However, 79 percent of those who consider that they are “stuck in a rut” of repetitive, boring routines feel that this is holding them back from achieving their goals. The most common things the respondents said they would like to do to improve their daily lives include learning a new skill or craft, travelling the world, or starting a new career. 

In addition, 51 percent of adults admitted that they procrastinate rather than act on tasks that need to be done, such as managing their finances, organizing meetings with friends, or shopping for food – an aspect which led six in 10 of them to buy self-help books (which half of them never finished reading though).

Following these findings, NatWest launched a series of videos with entrepreneur Stephen Bartlett to help people take action to improve their lives, with episodes focused on how to set goals, start a business, or managing personal finances. 

“We all have goals and ambitions – whether that is buying a pair of trainers, saving for a big event, or even starting your own business. But we also know how hard it can be to take that first step to make those things happen [since] everyone experiences different challenges and obstacles in life,” said Alison Rose, the CEO of NatWest. 

“But we hope that Stephen’s inspiring story and motivational personality can help people to set and strive for their own goals – whatever they may be.” 

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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer