Liftoff is in three… two… one…

And from that point, you’re off to your future. No matter what your situation or your age, when you start something new, there’s a kind of catapult that you feel, like a rock from a slingshot or like being propelled into a whole different world. And as in the new book “Ready for Launch” by astronaut Scott Kelly, that goes for your someday success, too.

If you had known Scott Kelly when he was a kid, you might’ve been surprised at what became of him. Though he was “fearless,” by his own admission, Kelly was a lousy student in school because he “couldn’t pay attention in class” and didn’t focus on anything a teacher said to him. Even when he started college and promised himself that he’d do better, his mind wandered in the classroom. It wasn’t until he was 18 and stopped by a bookstore “for gum or something” that he found his calling on the check-out counter: the book The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe gave him direction that he’d never had before.

In his life and career, he says he’s learned a thing or two that can translate into success for others. The first is that “Change is scary…” but mastering it and learning to risk again is the only way to move forward. On that note, don’t fear failure; remember that it’s “only when you’re willing to risk failure are you aiming high enough.”

Don’t get “too comfortable when things aren’t perfect,” he says, and don’t stop making “small adjustments” on the path to success. Look for unusual places to learn how to be a leader, and seize them – but remember that there are different “styles” of leadership, and you’ll want to employ them all with empathy. Meetings are nice, but crowdsourcing your decision “could be deadly.” Diversify your teams and learn how to tap into the experiences and viewpoints of everyone in the room. Own your mistakes. Insist that facts matter.

Plan on doing the impossible.

At first glance, “Ready for Launch” doesn’t look like enough.

It’s a skinny book, and small in surface area; there are a lot of pictures inside here, and short-short chapters that can probably be read in just a few minutes. In a way, it reads more like the transcript for a graduation speech or a board meeting: succinct, spare in words, and loaded with advice that’s useful, if not quite commonsensical.

But a glance isn’t going to tell you (here’s that word again) enough. You’ll be glad when you dig a little deeper because what makes these pages work is that author Scott Kelly uses his own stories to illuminate his advice and, because his early life wasn’t like you might surmise it to be, the tales become more impactful.

The size of “Ready for Launch” makes it handy to slip in a jacket pocket or purse, so you can browse the chapters as needed, and learn. When you need over-the-moon advice, this book is the one.

“Ready for Launch: An Astronaut’s lessons for Success on Earth” by Scott Kelly
c.2022, Crown
$17.99
119 pages