The Sterile Cockpit

A few hours ago I was sitting on a plane, staring at the closed cockpit. It was a small jet, and so in seat 2A I was just about 10 feet back from where the Captain was flying the plane. Despite being so close, I couldn't see anything. The cockpit was closed and the door never opened for the duration of the two hour flight. The reason for that, is what is called the Sterile Cockpit.

 The Sterile Cockpit is something that airlines started enforcing in order to reduce the amount of distractions while flying. It is also one of the best focusing tools I've ever learned. What's funny is that what inspired me to write this was not the cockpit door I was staring at just a few hours prior, but rather the abandoned business center I am currently sitting in while I wait for my Hampton Inn room to be ready.

I went away this weekend to try and find some space to write. What I didn't realize is that soon after landing I would be plunged into the perfect environment to do so. Just me. My laptop. And my over-priced Pretzel Thins from the airport Kiosk.

When I read about the sterile cockpit rule in Chip and Dan Heath's book, Switch, I thought it was a bit extreme. I can focus pretty well, I thought. I don't need to completely block out everything. What I've learned though, in the process of writing my book, is that I am capable of far more when I actually give my brain the space it needs to think. Far too often I will be in the middle of a great train of thought when just one question or noise from my phone can throw off the entire flow. And that’s because we were not created to live with constant distraction.

Did you get that? Let me say that again.

We were not created to live with constant distraction.

Is there something you're having trouble accomplishing? Or maybe even trouble starting? Take a look at your calendar and find as big of a block of time that you can manage and do everything you can to make yourself unavailable during that block. Turn off the phone, switch your status to Out of Office, and then see what happens.

If you're interested in reading more about The Sterile Cockpit approach and other methods of focusing, check out this old article I wrote: Focus Time That Actually Lets You Focus