Adults ‘spend 10 years of their lives on autopilot’

The average adult spends the equivalent of just over 10 years of their lives on “autopilot”, it is claimed, meaning they follow the same routines and rituals day in and day out.

This equates to 1,396 hours each year, 27 hours a week or nearly four hours a day doing the same things.

One-quarter of those polled even admitted they drifted through five or more hours a day without any real thought about what they were doing.

And 64 per cent of adults claimed their daily routine hardly ever changed.

The top five things Britons were likely to do in the same way every day include getting dressed or showering at the same time of day, and eating the same breakfast.

But 79 per cent of those who felt stuck in a rut said this held them back from achieving their goals, including travelling the world, learning a new instrument, and starting to invest.

The survey, commissioned by NatWest, also found 51 per cent of adults admitted they procrastinated instead of acting on tasks that needed doing – including managing their finances, organising dates with friends and food shopping.

As a result, six in 10 had bought a self-help book – but half never finished it, with some not even completing the first chapter.

Although 53 per cent of those polled via OnePoll think they should be more proactive about managing their personal finances.