5 tips to break out of autopilot and come back with a good story to tell

Between commitments, screens and tasks repeated every day, it is easy to slip into autopilot. It is also common to link memorable experiences with major trips, holidays or special occasions. Yet some of the stories that stay with us most vividly come from simple moments, when we are willing to try something different.

For entrepreneur and creative director Deco Neves, making good memories is less about grand events and more about getting yourself moving. “We have always preferred the idea of coming back with a good story to tell over doing something perfectly. Sometimes, what becomes a memory is precisely the detour, the hardship or the thing nobody had planned,” he says.

Here are 5 tips for breaking out of autopilot and coming back with a good story to tell.

1. Stop waiting for the perfect occasion

Waiting for your next holiday, having more money or managing to arrange every detail can mean some experiences are put off indefinitely. Not every memory has to come from a major event. Choosing a different outing, trying a new activity or simply changing a daily habit can be enough to make room for fresh stories.

“There is often this feeling that everything has to be organised before we can start living. But many of the best stories begin precisely when someone decides to take the first step,” says Deco Neves.

2. Make room for improvisation

Planning is helpful, but trying to control every stage can also remove what makes an experience distinctive: the unexpected. A change of plan, a conversation that starts along the way or a last-minute invitation may become the very thing remembered afterwards. “Sometimes, you begin an experience imagining you will have one kind of experience and end up telling a completely different story. Leaving room for that to happen is part of it,” he says.

3. Do it for the enjoyment, not the performance

Not every activity needs to end in an achievement, a record or a result. Trying something new can be worthwhile simply for the pleasure of the experience itself. That could mean taking up a sport without worrying about being good at it, learning a new skill or returning to something you once enjoyed without turning the hobby into another obligation.

“Not everything needs to become a goal. You can start something, be bad at it, laugh about it and still have had a brilliant moment. When we remove some of the pressure to do things perfectly, we create more space to enjoy them,” says Deco Neves.

4. Notice what happens along the way

What was planned as the defining moment of an experience will not always be what remains in the memory. Paying attention to the people, conversations and small events that emerge during the journey can make everyday situations more meaningful. “Sometimes, the story you will tell in a few years’ time is not about what you left home to do, but about something that happened along the way,” he says.

5. Create memorable moments at work too

If a significant part of adult life is spent working, good stories do not need to be limited to holidays or weekends. Small rituals, unusual celebrations, gatherings outside the usual setting and shared experiences can all make working life more memorable.

That is the very idea Deco Neves chose to put into practice in 2026. In the year Bolovo marks its 20th anniversary, the company created the Bolovo® at the End of the World project, an expedition taking around 50 members of the team to Ushuaia, Argentina. Rather than celebrating the anniversary solely by revisiting its own history, the aim is to create a new shared story with the people who are part of the company today.

“If we spend such a large part of our lives working, it also makes sense to create moments that will be remembered beyond working hours themselves. For the 20th anniversary, rather than only looking back, we wanted to experience a new story together,” he says.

Ultimately, breaking out of autopilot does not necessarily require major changes. It can start with a small decision, a different experience or simply a greater willingness to let unplanned things happen.

By Gabriela Cardoso