209. How to Stop Living on Autopilot and Feel Like Yourself Again | Journal With Me
Have you caught yourself thinking, “Why does my life feel like it’s just happening to me?”
Like you’re doing all the right things, but you’re not really in it anymore?
Maybe you’ve been moving through your days on autopilot - showing up, performing, meeting expectations - without checking in with what you actually want.
Today, we slow everything down. Not to fix anything, but to notice what’s been running in the background of your life. You’ll get space to reflect on where you’ve been performing, why it feels safe, and what it might look like to come back to yourself in small, honest ways.
Journal with me using these prompts:
- Where have I been performing or living on autopilot this past year? (At work, at home, in my habits, in how I show up.)
- Why does staying on autopilot feel good or safe for me? What am I protecting myself from?
- What is this version of me actually costing me? What do I miss out on when I stay here?
- If I stopped performing for a moment, what’s one small thing I could do this week that feels more like me?
By the end of this episode, you’ll feel more grounded and self-aware—less pressure to keep performing, and more permission to reconnect with who you are underneath the autopilot.
Resources Mentioned:
- Free Calm Mind Blueprint: http://www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-pod
- Newsletter: www.samanthapenkoff.com/prompts
Work with me:
- 90 min Breakthrough Intensives: You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes. Plus integration call 2 weeks later. Book your Breakthrough
- Exhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with me
Transcript
Hello, happy new year. Happy 2026. Welcome to journal entries and to today's strategic journaling session. This episode is kind of building off of Tuesday's episode where I shared with you a vulnerable breakthrough that I had personally that really uncovered my performance. And I was doing it because I was trying to
control the perception that other people had of me. And we went over why I was doing it and why you might be doing it as well. But today I want to kind of help you reflect on why you might be performing or maybe you can think of it as being on autopilot so that if you did set New Year's resolutions,
then you can really go after them with full authenticity. And if you haven't set New Year's resolutions or intentions, I actually haven't done any of that yet. I really am just leaning more into embracing who I am, kind of like getting rid of any resolution and also getting rid of any filter, any shoulds that I've been living by and embracing my true authentic self.
n autopilot this past year in:Think at work, at home, even in my habits for myself. List them all, there's no judgment, just notice every small area.
Samantha Hawley (:Prompt number two, choose one from your list above. Why does performing this way feel good or why does it feel safe? What am I protecting by staying on autopilot here? Maybe you're protecting yourself from judgment, from failure, from disappointment, or from having to face something uncomfortable.
Samantha Hawley (:Prompt number three, what is this performance or autopilot mode actually costing me? Not just time or energy, but what am I missing out on? Maybe excitement, presence with my kids, passion in my work, connection with my partner, write it all out.
Samantha Hawley (:Prompt number four, if I stopped performing and put everyone else's needs aside, what's one thing I could do differently this week that actually aligns with what I want, even if it feels weird or unlike me and things that I would do in the past, what wants to emerge? What energizes me?
Samantha Hawley (:Amazing job. This is the work that we are doing in 2026 on this podcast, going way beyond awareness of the performance and your perceived solutions into digging
Sorry Effie, I'm trying to not do any edits.
the work that we're doing in:If you want to go deeper already before the next episode, can download my Calm Mind Blueprint. The link for that is in the show notes. And next Tuesday, I'm announcing something big that has been in the works and I'm so excited. I've got a big smile on my face just talking about it. So follow the podcast if you're not already so that you don't miss it. Thank you for journaling with me today and I will see you on Tuesday.
