How to Become More Self-Disciplined by Thinking Like a Pilot
Borrow the best thinking from pilots to level up your routines.
Pilot training is full of procedures that keep everyone safe and organized. Many of these principles are just as useful in everyday life. Here’s how you can start thinking like a pilot.
These five strategies are for anyone who appreciates structures that support self-discipline, or who wants to build a culture of disciplined teamwork. They're especially helpful for parents, young adults learning to manage routines, neurodivergent individuals seeking practical systems, or anyone looking to grow.
1. Do the Same Checks Every Time So You Don't Miss Them Later
The aviation version: One example of an avoidable accident in aviation is pilots attempting to land "wheels up" without lowering the landing gear. Since many planes have fixed gear (wheels always down), while others have retractable gear, pilots accustomed to fixed gear can forget to lower it.
To avoid this, student pilots use a landing checklist that includes verifying the landing gear is down no matter what plane they're flying.
The everyday principle: If an important step in a routine only sometimes applies, do it every time so you don't forget it when it really matters.
Everyday examples:
- Always put knives and medication out of reach of children, even when they're not around.
- Always lock doors after entering.
- Always take your passport when you go to the airport, even when traveling domestically.
- Always look at the medication bottle to confirm it's the right one before taking a tablet.
2. Do One Final "Duh" Walk Around
The aviation version: Pilots do a thorough preflight inspection inside and outside the plane, checking many details. After completing this, a common checklist item is to do one final, complete walk around the exterior of the aircraft. This helps catch anything obvious that was missed, like the plane still being tied down or a fuel cap left off.
The everyday principle: When you've been focused on details, do one final check of the whole picture to see what you may have missed.
Everyday examples:
- Do a final walk around your house before you leave for vacation.
- Do a final look over your hotel room before you check out.
- Do a final check before submitting a project, perhaps after letting it breathe overnight to allow any forgotten items to come to mind.
3. Use Memory Aids to Better Remember Procedures
The aviation version: Pilots use memory aids to remember procedures, especially those that need to be done quickly and in order, as in emergencies. For example, ABCDE helps pilots remember what to do if they lose their engine:
- A – Airspeed: Adjust the plane to the speed that will produce the longest glide without engine power.
- B – Best place to land: Identify the safest landing site.
- C – Checklist: Follow the emergency checklist.
- D – Declare: Notify Air Traffic Control of the emergency.
- E – Execute: Carry out the landing plan.
Pilots often "chair fly" these steps, rehearsing the motor patterns and mental steps so the responses become automatic.
The everyday principle: Use memory aids to prevent forgetting steps and help standardize teaching, learning, and teamwork.
Everyday examples: Create an acronym for any routine where the order matters and the procedure needs to be recalled or communicated/taught. Funny ones tend to be remembered and adopted. Create one within your family as a starting point.
4. Use Positive Exchange of Controls
The aviation version: Many aircraft have two sets of controls. The plane can be operated from the left or right seat, but clarity about who is flying is critical. Pilots use a formal, three-part exchange: one says, "You have the controls," the other replies, "I have the controls," and the first confirms, "You have the controls." It might sound redundant, but it prevents confusion.
The everyday principle: In shared responsibilities, never assume who's "flying." Confirm out loud when someone else is taking over a task or decision. Clear handoffs prevent dropped balls, double work, and misunderstandings. You may not do a three-way exchange, but the person taking over should at least confirm they've accepted the responsibility.
Everyday examples:
- Who is supervising children.
- Who is bringing certain items.
- Who is doing required checks.
5. Get Everyone on the Same Page With Agreed Reference Points
The aviation version: When pilots talk about altitude, they don't use the ground as their reference because terrain constantly changes. Two pilots saying they're "2,000 feet above the ground" are unlikely to be at the same height. Altitude above Mean Sea Level (MSL) is used as the standard reference instead, even when flying nowhere near the sea.
In a similar vein, times are always given in UTC, which is world standard time based on Greenwich, England.
The everyday principle: Misunderstandings happen when people use different baselines without realizing it. Things run more smoothly when everyone agrees on the same reference point before measuring, planning, or judging anything.
Everyday examples:
- Adopt a common standard for what a clean kitchen is (e.g., no dishes in the sink, counters wiped down, cupboard doors closed).
- Agree that "end of the week" means Friday at 5 p.m.
- Use a company-wide style guide for internal business documentation.
Borrow Strategies From Different Fields to Improve Your Own Procedures
When we want to improve our own processes and thinking, a great place to look is at different fields or industries. We can then borrow some of their best procedures. The aviation industry knows that pilots need structures to maintain self-discipline. As you've seen here, aviation is a great field to borrow processes from because of its emphasis on safety and teamwork.
There are many other fields we can learn from too. For example, check out these prior articles about the benefits of thinking like a mathematician for better problem-solving and reducing overthinking.
If this article benefited you, I'd love to hear how. You can email [email protected].