Episode 226: Colonel Chris Hadfield: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth

.In this episode, we speak to renowned Canadian figure Colonel Chris Hadfield. For those who don’t know, Chris is a heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and pilot, and has received many awards, such as the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Colonel Hadfield became a worldwide sensation with his video of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” which was viewed by over 75 million people. He aims to make space more accessible and continues to share the wonders of outer space and science with as many people as possible. Besides his phenomenal professional background, he is also known for his music which he writes and plays on earth and in space! He is also the author of several books, namely An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, You Are Here, and a children’s book, The Darkest Dark. Although Colonel Hadfield has a very different background from previous guests, his 35-year career has afforded him many lessons that apply to life, which he shares in our conversation with him. We learn the importance of goals and why reaching your goals should not define your happiness. Hear ways to overcome fear when facing uncertainty, the value of competence, and why enjoying the road to success is more important than success itself. Find out why sweating the small is essential to success, whether Colonel Hadfield suffers from imposter syndrome, and where true happiness comes from. Tune in and discover the secret to success and happiness in this one-of-a-kind conversation with special guest, Colonel Chris Hadfield!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What motivated Commander Hadfield to take pictures onboard the International Space Station. (0:04:10)
• He briefly explains the amount of effort that went into taking pictures for his book You Are Here. (0:05:14)
• What lessons Commander Hadfield learned as an astronaut that he applies to life. (0:06:34)
• How to keep motivated to achieve your goals with the knowledge that you probably won’t achieve them. (0:08:41)
• Why his goal was becoming an astronaut and not to be an astronaut. (0:11:05)
• Whether there is a time to reconsider or quit a goal that you have set for yourself. (0:12:46)
• The best way to prepare for situations with uncertain outcomes. (0:14:51)
• How to prepare for situations that you cannot prepare or practice for. (0:18:18)
• Ways to mitigate fear when dealing with risk and uncertainty. (0:20:55)
• Learn if building competence is different for different people. (0:23:48)
• Hear the benefits of negative thinking and sweating the small stuff. (0:25:33)
• Commander Hadfield explains how to prepare for novel situations. (0:29:07)
• He shares where he thinks life satisfaction comes from. (0:31:49)
• Find out if Commander Hadfield ever suffers from imposter syndrome. (0:34:14)
• What life lessons he hopes to impart to his grandchildren. (0:36:09)
• How Commander Hadfield defines success in his life. (0:38:04)
• We highlight the main takeaways from our conversation with Commander Hadfield. (0:41:14)