There is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse!



Retired Colonel Chris Hadfield is one of the most famous astronauts since Neil Armstrong. He was the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station, and is a musician, speaker and book author. In 1995, Hadfield became the first Canadian to walk in space, and the first astronaut to operate the Canadarm. He has flown in 3 missions, built 2 space stations, performed 2 spacewalks, and crewed the Shuttle and Soyuz. He even played a guitar for the world to hear from the Space Station!

In a TED talk, Hadfield shares an astronaut story saying: "there is no problem so bad that you can't make it worse."

He went blind during a spacewalk.

Instead of making the problem worse, how did he deal with the complexity, the sheer pressure, of dealing with dangerous and scary situations? He started preparing long before he went on the spacewalk:

• Have a clear goal

• Face your fears in small increments

• Know the risks

• Understand the unintended consequences

• Practice, practice, practice - both going right and going wrong

I was intrigued by Hadfield's advice to practice with things going wrong. When we practice a speech or try to improve our batting average, we don't think of practicing with things going wrong. Usually we believe that "perfect practice makes perfect." But Hadfield's advice teaches us to practice with the worst-case scenario so that we know what to do when things do go wrong. In spite of not being able to see in space he kept his cool and kept on task.

Hadfield's experiences can be applied back on the earth. Where are you afraid? Adopt the steps he describes to lessen your fears. And then step out into the unknown!

Listen to Colonel Hadfield's entire speech: What I learned from going blind in space