The Martian is one of the best stories I have read in recent times. And there’s much to love about the protagonist from the book - Mark Watney. He is self-effacing guy with a good sense of humor stuck on Mars. Although Mark Watney is a fictional character from the book, there are lots of interesting things to learn from the character

Before executing your final plan, test out your plan in smaller increments Understand the fundamental principles behind any technology deeply so that you can easily connect the dots Don’t be afraid to hack stuff and not follow procedures when in a crisis or an unprecedented situation Always be alert and notice small subtle changes in familiar things Setup milestones when on a longer mission Be positive and have a good sense of humor Log your results and hypothesis