I Spent 340 Days in Space! Here's What I Learned About Life: Astronaut Scott Kelly episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 4, 2026 · 1H 3M

I Spent 340 Days in Space! Here's What I Learned About Life: Astronaut Scott Kelly

from Hack Your Happiness · host Small Bits of Happiness

Today, you’re going to learn what it really takes to become the person you want to be.In this episode, we sit down with astronaut, engineer, author, and former commander of the International Space Station, Scott Kelly.But this conversation isn’t really about space.It’s about resilience.It’s about overcoming the identities that hold you back.And it’s about learning how to stay calm, focused, and hopeful when life gets hard.Because Scott Kelly wasn’t always the person you see today.He struggled in school. He doubted himself. He felt stuck. Then one book changed the trajectory of his life and set him on a path that would eventually take him 250 miles above Earth and keep him in space for 340 days.In this conversation, Scott shares what it’s really like to live and work in one of the most extreme environments imaginable, what happens to your mind and body when you’re isolated from everyone you love, and the lessons he learned that all of us can apply right here on Earth.You’ll learn:- How to stop defining yourself by who you’ve been in the past- Why perseverance matters more than talent- Hacks to stay calm and focused during stressful situations- The powerful mindset astronauts use when things go wrong- What spending nearly a year in space taught Scott about happiness, purpose, and resilience- The surprising physical effects of living in space for months at a timeIf you’ve ever doubted yourself, felt stuck, struggled with failure, or wondered whether you’re capable of more than you think, this episode will change the way you see yourself.Because as Scott’s story proves, the person you become is not determined by where you start.It’s determined by what you choose to do next.Explore our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop The 'I Swear It's Easy' Cookbook⁠⁠⁠Follow Scott on InstagramFollow Pickles on InstagramReady to Hack Your Happiness some more? Listen to our interview with astronaut Ellen Ochoa. We know you'll love it: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠listen + watch now!⁠⁠(00:00) Why This Episode Matters For You(02:34) From Struggling Student to Astronaut(05:58) Stop Locking Yourself Into Identities(08:33) Scott On Going to Space 4 Times(11:02) The GREATEST Space Challenge That Scott Faced(13:58) Hacks For Managing Stress and Pressure(17:48) Failure Is An Option(19:57) Guess What...(21:01) Inside Scott's Mindset(27:24) The Space Symptoms Nobody Talks About(33:58) Confinement vs Commitment(35:51) What It's Really Like to Go to Space(41:04) Living In Your Workplace - How Scott Found Downtime + Breaks(43:56) Storytime: Scott's Gorilla Prank(47:17) Who Are You Sending This To?(47:58) Try This Astronaut Practice In Your Life(51:03) A Lesson From Scott's Books(53:06) Scott's View On AI(56:13) Rapid Fire(1:02:18) Find Scott Here(1:03:12) Space Experiences, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and Building Resilience

Today, you’re going to learn what it really takes to become the person you want to be.In this episode, we sit down with astronaut, engineer, author, and former commander of the International Space Station, Scott Kelly.But this conversation isn’t really about space.It’s about resilience.It’s about overcoming the identities that hold you back.And it’s about learning how to stay calm, focused, and hopeful when life gets hard.Because Scott Kelly wasn’t always the person you see today.He struggled in school. He doubted himself. He felt stuck. Then one book changed the trajectory of his life and set him on a path that would eventually take him 250 miles above Earth and keep him in space for 340 days.In this conversation, Scott shares what it’s really like to live and work in one of the most extreme environments imaginable, what happens to your mind and body when you’re isolated from everyone you love, and the lessons he learned that all of us can apply right here on Earth.You’ll learn:- How to stop defining yourself by who you’ve been in the past- Why perseverance matters more than talent- Hacks to stay calm and focused during stressful situations- The powerful mindset astronauts use when things go wrong- What spending nearly a year in space taught Scott about happiness, purpose, and resilience- The surprising physical effects of living in space for months at a timeIf you’ve ever doubted yourself, felt stuck, struggled with failure, or wondered whether you’re capable of more than you think, this episode will change the way you see yourself.Because as Scott’s story proves, the person you become is not determined by where you start.It’s determined by what you choose to do next.Explore our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop The 'I Swear It's Easy' Cookbook⁠⁠⁠Follow Scott on InstagramFollow Pickles on InstagramReady to Hack Your Happiness some more? Listen to our interview with astronaut Ellen Ochoa. We know you'll love it: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠listen + watch now!⁠⁠(00:00) Why This Episode Matters For You(02:34) From Struggling Student to Astronaut(05:58) Stop Locking Yourself Into Identities(08:33) Scott On Going to Space 4 Times(11:02) The GREATEST Space Challenge That Scott Faced(13:58) Hacks For Managing Stress and Pressure(17:48) Failure Is An Option(19:57) Guess What...(21:01) Inside Scott's Mindset(27:24) The Space Symptoms Nobody Talks About(33:58) Confinement vs Commitment(35:51) What It's Really Like to Go to Space(41:04) Living In Your Workplace - How Scott Found Downtime + Breaks(43:56) Storytime: Scott's Gorilla Prank(47:17) Who Are You Sending This To?(47:58) Try This Astronaut Practice In Your Life(51:03) A Lesson From Scott's Books(53:06) Scott's View On AI(56:13) Rapid Fire(1:02:18) Find Scott Here(1:03:12) Space Experiences, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and Building Resilience

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I Spent 340 Days in Space! Here's What I Learned About Life: Astronaut Scott Kelly

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This episode was published on June 4, 2026.

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Today, you’re going to learn what it really takes to become the person you want to be.In this episode, we sit down with astronaut, engineer, author, and former commander of the International Space Station, Scott Kelly.But this conversation isn’t...

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