While many of us may have dreamed of becoming astronauts when we were younger, only a select few people have the skills and determination necessary to make it a reality. Here today to share her story is Eleonore Poli, an analog astronaut, Ph.D. student, Founder of CHASM and Climate Clock Project, Career Astronaut candidate, and the first guest in our new miniseries with AdvancingX, which aims to inspire the next generation of Career Astronauts. In this episode, Eleonore shares how she applies science in her day-to-day life to keep herself productive and fulfilled. Dedicated to reshaping the world for the better, she aims to prepare for the future of space exploration while also using her knowledge to improve life on Earth. Join us as we take a deep dive into productivity, workflows, morning and evening routines, nutrition, supplementation, and sports performance, and how Eleonore manages to do all this while living a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life. She also offers her perspective on burnout (and how to prevent it), what it means to be mission-oriented in a sustainable way, and much more. Eleonore’s unique knowledge, experience, and perspective are enough to take us above and beyond the stratosphere, so be sure to strap yourself in for an out-of-this-world conversation!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing AdvancingX and their Career Astronaut program. [00:50]
- The varied skills and competencies that you need to become an astronaut. [11:11]
- Whether Eleonore considers herself a specialist or a specialized generalist. [13:36]
- A typical day in her life (and why you should make time to ”change your horizon”). [20:09]
- Strategies that Eleonore uses to stay on top of her busy schedule. [24:39]
- Finding a balance between headbanging and cramming for exams! [31:54]
- How Eleonore knows that she’s starting to burn out and how she prevents it. [32:58]
- The value of introducing a little bit of danger to your life! [38:40]
- Ways to “microdose” the effects of danger, such as heat and cold exposure. [40:24]
- What Ironman taught Eleonore about the importance of planning and procedure. [43:55]
- The role of visualization in reducing decision fatigue in Eleonore’s life. [46:37]
- Insight into Eleonore’s approach toward her diet and nutrition. [54:16]
- How recording your good ideas wherever you are can increase your productivity. [57:02]
- Activities that might increase your chance of having good ideas in the first place. [1:01:08]
- Eleonore’s advice for getting the most out of life: discipline yourself, get excited! [1:11:13]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Conference on Human Analogue Space Missions (CHASM)