Scott Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut and a veteran of four space flights. He is best known for spending nearly a year on the International Space Station and the second most time in space of any American. He recently wrote a book now available about his space travels called Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery.

Some interesting insights from this episode:

He struggled academically for many years until he read Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff which would finally give him the focus he needed to turn himself around and become a model student.

Despite the odds of success of becoming an astronaut being stacked against him, his attitude was if you don’t even try, then you know for certain that the odds are zero.

Learn how spending a year in space tests your psychological endurance as much as your physical endurance.

When you’re doing a very challenging task, try to focus only on the things you can control and then ignore the rest.

His mother’s passing a rigorous physical exam to become a police officer served as a role model for Scott overcoming his own challenges.

Excellence is the ability to focus 100% of your ability and attention on one thing.

Scott Kelly: Astronaut Extraordinaire