The Martian – What is your MAV?

The Martian by Andy Weir

Re-reading The Martian by Andy Weir! Great book about astronaut Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon in the movie) who is stranded alone on Mars with no way to signal Earth (talk about physical distancing…).

In the book, Mark Watney talks about the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle – the shuttle used to get astronauts off Mars) as the single most important component of the mission: “It’s one of the few systems that can’t be replaced or worked around.”

As I read that line – it got me thinking. We all have “missions” in our life. Work assignments, projects at home, vacation plans, hobbies, family and friends, Netflix…

But what is the single most important component of our missions? What is the one component that if it is not working properly all missions are scrubbed? What is our MAV?

In my opinion, our MAV, our mission critical component, is our health (physical, emotional, and mental).

NASA (and Mark) knew that without the MAV, nothing else matters.

So – there is no shortage of tips from health experts on what you can do during these challenging times to look after your MAV.

Some of my favorites for keeping my MAV mission ready:

• Get some sleep, and then get some more sleep.
• Sweat.
• Listen to your favorite music.
• Pace yourself – even Mark Watney took a day off from time to time.

Find one thing that works for you, and make it happen!

Take care of yourself so we all can take care of each other….C