Embrace Autopilot to Get More Busywork Done

You have to make a lot of decisions every day. However, some things aren't really decisions at all. For the routine things you have to get done, embrace—rather than avoid—running on autopilot.

As productivity blog Barking Up the Wrong Tree explains, we run on autopilot more than we think. You don't have to make decisions about how to get to work because your brain already knows how to do it. This part of your brain that knows how to get things done is a powerful tool. And the more rote activities you can assign to autopilot, the better:

We get more done when we're on autopilot, actually. Not having to make decisions uses less willpower. So start building better habits. You don't "decide" to brush your teeth, it's just something you do and it's not a struggle. With more habits like this you can get a lot more done in less time with little stress. At first, just try little habits. Connect them to things that are already part of your routine.

The advantage to this method is that you can save precious brain power for the decisions you actually need to make. It can feel a little guilt-inducing to be running on autopilot for important tasks, but remember that just because something is important doesn't mean it's so complex you can't develop a routine for it and let it run.