Planning for the worst can prepare a contingency for every scenario. You preempt problems with your own solutions.
That means you can actually relax and enjoy life, knowing you’re ready to act if things go wrong.

Utilise the power of negative thinking

In NASA terminology, your attitude is your orientation relative to two positions. _For example your spaceship relative to the Earth and a satellite. _Losing your attitude could cause you to drift in outer space.
In life, you need to stay on the right path to achieve your goals.

Have an attitude

In any given situation you’re either a ‘plus-one’, a ‘zero’ or a ‘minus-one’.
<ul>
<li>If you're minus-one, you’re a liability and actively cause problems.</li>
<li>If you’re a zero, you’re generally competent and don’t get in the way.</li>
<li>If you’re a plus-one, you’re actively adding value. However, if you walk into a situation trying to prove how great you are, you can go from a plus one to a minus one.</li>
</ul>

Aim for zero

How often do we truly earn the things we want by working for them? How often do we just wish or hope they’d happen?
Be the best that you can be through hard work and preparation.

Be ready

If you need to make a strong criticism, it’s better to pinpoint the problem rather than attack the person. Berating a colleague is counter-productive.
Promoting colleagues’ interests helps you stay competitive.

Criticise the problem

Put groupthink at the core of your teamwork.
You really don’t need to be a superhero to be a valuable member of a team: Empathy and a sense of humour are often more important.
Searching for ways to lighten the mood is never a waste of time, because it encourages expeditionary spirit.

Groupthink

Averting disaster is about learning and understanding all the little things that develop into a bigger issue.
Paying attention to the small details – like physical health symptoms or signs of car trouble – makes you incrementally safer.

Sweat the small stuff

We can’t always control what happens to us in life when big moments come around. We can control how prepared we are.
When high-stakes situations arise, planning for success is key.

Preparation is everything

Good leadership means leading the way, not intimidating people into going along with your plans. Leading through coercion means you’re building your leadership credentials on very weak foundations.
Instead, set an example. People will follow you because they want to, not because they have to.

Good leadership

Chris Hadfield has been to space three times. Yet no matter how hard he worked, it was always someone else’s decision to put him on a mission.
It makes sense to care what people think about you and your performance. So get feedback. Learn from it. Improve.

Do care what others think

Chris Hadfield is an amazing human being. He commanded the International Space Station. He used YouTube to teach us about life in orbit. He used Twitter to give us a new perspective on our planet. He did that viral cover of Bowie's Space Oddity. Then he came home.

Sweat the small stuff

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