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An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth
8-08-2018
Chris Hadfield’s “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” is an entertaining book regardless of whether you have dreams of blasting off into space. As the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station, Hadfield has a truly unique perspective on life. Therefore, this book is a travelogue, how-to manual, and self-help book rolled into one. He reveals what it takes to “think like an astronaut”—how to neutralize fear, stay focused, and succeed. Much of his advice is counterintuitive and all of it is shared in a humble, down-to-earth, pragmatic manner. Even though Hadfield has risen to the very top of one of the most extreme and competitive careers available, he embraces the idea of “climbing back down the ladder.” When astronauts returns from space, NASA’s practice is to immediately assign them middle-of-the-pack support positions to assist future missions. They are not lauded as heroes. They are simply people who did a good job as part of their job and now it’s time to get back to work helping others do equally well or better. The anecdotes shared nudge us to try to do a “good job” in everything we do.
Hadfield starts off with the importance of attitude. In space, “attitude” refers to which direction your vehicle is pointing relative to the Sun, Earth, and other spacecraft. Attitude is constantly monitored and adjusted. Hadfield knew becoming an astronaut was a long shot (to date, only 14 Canadians have earned the designation of astronaut), yet he also knew the only way to have even the slightest chance was to keep making steady progress in the right direction. So he committed himself to learning everything he could, bulking up his qualifications, and increasing his opportunities. Attitude determines direction and it’s completely within your own control.
Imminent death is part of every space mission, so it makes sense that astronauts are trained to prioritize threats and methodically address them. The adage “No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse” serves to temper panic. Hadfield says, “Fear comes from not knowing what to expect and not feeling you have any control over what’s about to happen. When you feel helpless, you’re far more afraid than you would be if you knew the facts. If you’re not sure what to be alarmed about, everything is alarming.” The antidote to fear is knowledge. Astronauts spend years running through simulations, not only ones that practice how to do things correctly, but also what to do when things go wrong. By developing “negative thinking” Hadfield was able to calmly “work the problem,” even when the problem was errant cleaning fluid blinding his eyes as he dangled off the International Space Station trying to bolt the Canadarm2 into place. Part of being prepared is knowing the “boldface”—the actions that are critical for survival. Sadly, for pilots and astronauts “boldface is written in blood” because they often come as part of accident investigations where steps should have been taken to avoid fatalities, but weren’t. Every job has “boldface essentials” that must be honoured, even in the midst of chaos. Do you know and follow yours?
In line with his counterintuitive advice, Hadfield suggests “aim to be a zero.” He explains, “Over the years, I realized that in any new situation you will almost certainly be viewed in one of three ways. As a minus one: actively harmful, someone who creates problems. Or as a zero: your impact is neutral and doesn't tip the balance one way or the other. Or you’ll be seen as a plus one: someone who actively adds value. Everyone wants to be a plus one, of course. But proclaiming your plus-oneness at the onset almost guarantees you’ll be perceived as a minus one, regardless of the skills you bring to the table or how you actually perform. If you enter a new environment intent on exploding out of the gate, you risk wreaking havoc instead.” Want to succeed? Fulfill your duties to the best of your ability without causing trouble for anyone else—simple.
“An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” makes for great summer reading. It’s a peek into a world most of us will never see firsthand, while also giving advice in order to make the world that we all share a bit better.
More information about Chris Hadfield can be found on his website https://chrishadfield.ca/ Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhanani@yahoo.ca
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