Automaticity

Automaticity is the ability to perform a task or group of tasks without conscious thought or attention due to repeated practices.

Learning is defined as a sustained change in behavior.

Both can be beneficial or negative on our careers.

As I was adjusting my trip planning for the load tonight, which ended up not being preloaded as it was supposed to be, I automatically, without conscious thought, messaged my dispatch, changed my arrival times to the reciever, checked my weather, stopping points and adjusted my other preplans stacked on me.

I bring this up because automaticity is something I sought, be it backing, trip planning, driving, or just about any other facet of trucking, but knowing that I can learn bad behaviors or good behaviors, which in turn will morph into good habits or bad habits.

Obviously the goal is to develop good habits and then a state of automaticity of those habits.

I used other people's systems and developed my own systems for doing the tasks. Most of which, I wrote down and followed time and time again. Without a systemic approach of repeatable tasks, it's much more difficult to practice tasks. And without practices, automaticity is extremely difficult to achieve.

Just some thoughts rattling around the Ole noggin tonight.

It’s also called muscle memory.

Even after 12 years of retirement I still have many automated responses from my prior proffession. I have picked up some in trucking as far as the truck/trailer goes but not much past that. My days are very varied and as such I haven’t noticied it elsewhere. But I’ve only been at it 11 years so there is still time I reckon, lol.

Without a systemic approach of repeatable tasks, it's much more difficult to practice tasks. And without practices, automaticity is extremely difficult to achieve.

One key that distinguishes highly accomplished, successful people from the rest is their focus on constant learning and personal growth. Most people do very little of this.

It's so deeply ingrained that I find myself thinking through even small details, like how I wash the dishes, load the wood stove, or make eggs. Can I do it faster, easier, or more efficiently?

You really must make a conscious effort to improve, though, and not just put in reps. We've all known people who have done something for 20+ years, and somehow, they're still terrible at it! My varsity football coach was at his post for almost 25 years and he was just awful. His playbook never changed. We had parents that played for the same coach, and they used the same plays!

At the same time, one of the main differentiators in intelligence is one's ability to plan ahead and give up things in the near term for long-term rewards. Most people do very little of this.

Interestingly enough, the ability to postpone near-term gratification for long-term rewards is something you can practice and improve upon, and I do it all the time. For instance, I'll buy a small bag of hard candy - about 15 pieces - for the week. I set it out on the counter, and that's all I get for the week, but I put no restrictions on how I eat it. Sometimes, it's gone in two days, and sometimes, it lasts the entire week. I'm always happier when I make it last.

High-achievers integrate routines, practice skills, learn, and plan ahead in their everyday lives. We are creatures of habit. Therefore, forming good habits is a powerful tool. Failure to do so or developing bad habits can become a brutal punishment.

Trucking offers many opportunities to develop strong habits, learn, and grow, which shows in top-tier drivers' performance. They've mastered their skills and developed the discipline and habits that keep them at the top.

Brett, I couldn't agree more. I fought for every inch of tarmac I raced over. I was just simply not one of those racers that was blessed with natural talent. It's definitely counterintuitive to place ones knee out and make contact with the ground, riding a motorcycle at triple didgit speeds. The only way I found to improve my performance and make myself reliably do things was to study, drill, do exercises, train physically and constantly get feedback if my riding position and skills were improving. It was essential to make sure to practice the movements and concepts correctly. Ultimately your lap times will show your results. The only way to buy speed is to purchase education.

Same with skiing. I can still comfortably teach and ski in any conditions and any terrain, but it over a decade of daily education, practices and training to attain and maintain that level.

In both sports, over time, performance with talent but a lack of discipline and training invariably leads to injury and default. It may not be noticeable at first, but solid fundamentals eventually win the day every time. It eventually became the core principle in teaching young ski racers. We found long term success if we forced them to develop strong fundamentals and practice habits rather than simply relying on inherent talent.

I too think about increasing efficiency in much of what I do on a daily basis. One of the things that I really enjoy about trucking is that there are so many nuances that we can tweak and adjust and then see the results real time.

It eventually became the core principle in teaching young ski racers. We found long term success if we forced them to develop strong fundamentals and practice habits rather than simply relying on inherent talent.

I wonder how often the failure to do this leads talented people to come up short? In football, how many Heisman Trophy winners never have good NFL careers? I asked AI to explain:

It's a common observation that many Heisman Trophy winners, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding college football player in the United States, have not translated their success into notable NFL careers. A study or general observation would show that perhaps less than half of Heisman winners become significant contributors in the NFL, let alone stars.

So many talented people have natural gifts that get them far in life, but they never develop the discipline to practice at the level they should, and because of this, they fall far short of their potential.

One of the things that I really enjoy about trucking is that there are so many nuances that we can tweak and adjust and then see the results real time.

That's true! It's a career where you can set yourself apart, not necessarily through safe driving, but through overall efficiency. Most drivers are safe drivers, and it's not uncommon to go many years without an accident, but far fewer drivers can turn big miles consistently and be on time for all of their appointments.

Being on time and efficient over the long run takes a lot of creative problem solving and commitment. It takes a lot of experience and experimentation to figure out the tricks of the trade.

I always enjoyed the flexibility trucking offered. Of course, getting to write down what you did in a loose-leaf logbook sure helped!