by a value which allows the determination of the actual operational point dependent this time on an existing and available lifetime loading value of the automatic transmission the correction of the determined adaption value in the step 3 is made on the basis of a characteristic graph 1 shown in fig2 this curve in fig2 is a plotted as a damping factor characteristic after the above correction of the adaption value has been carried out by means of a correction factor k taken from the damping curve 1 shown in fig2 the corrected adaption value is accepted by the adaption memory in step 4 of the flow diagram of fig1 the said value is saved in the adaption memory for a later run of shifting at the same or similar operating point for the adaption of that shifting sequence of operations in the automatic transmission the damping characteristic curve shown in fig2 presents a function of the lifetime loading wherein in the determination of the said characteristic line most specially the running time of the automatic transmission the kilometer accrual as well as the number of gear shift operations carried out are all considered as inputs alternative to this provision can be made that the correction factor can be.