Only Human – News, Analysis, and Insights from the World of Human Performance

The podcast is re-branding! Over the last few years, we’ve pursued the goal of bridging the gap between who you are today and who you are capable of being by focusing on reducing human error and improving human performance from a mostly philosophical stance. Starting today, we’re centering practical application and real-world scenarios through the lens of the strategies and techniques we’ve been discussing. In this episode, Tony reviews an altercation between on-duty air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Airport, the experiences shared recently by the astronauts who were stranded on the International Space Station for the last nine months, and what both of these stories have to teach us about being Only Human.

Uncertainty is a major feature of the modern world. We have unprecedented access to a connected network of global information that we must constantly parse, analyze, and decipher. This adds a relentless complexity that our brains did not evolve to handle and creates a Petri dish of self-induced stress. In this week’s Only Human with Dr. Tony Kernpodcast, our host uses a personal fishing story to explore the ways that extra information and complexity creates stress even in places where we once felt peace. He also shares ways that uncertainty can be good for us by encouraging flexibility in our thinking and how we approach problems. Finally, he shares his four-step process to survive and thrive in a world of relentless uncertainty. There’s a lot of information available out there—much of it unhelpful—but you don’t want to miss these valuable insights.

Modern technology enables instant global communication, microwave meals, and AI-generated artwork… but conveniences like these also come at a cost. In this episode of Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern, we explore why so many people find it difficult to connect the dots between their individual actions and any sort of meaningful impact, resulting in an epidemic of indifference. Far too often, we only make that connection when our actions or inactions lead to terrible consequences—for our personal lives, for our careers, and occasionally in the form of tragedies like January’s midair collision above Reagan National airport. Tune in to hear Tony’s thoughts on this accident and how the solution to all these problems is something we’ve lost in the Age of Apathy and Convenience: the pursuit of high precision performance.

Human beings possess a dangerous flaw in our inherent desire to confirm our current assumptions and perspectives. This flaw is amplified in the modern world through social media, like-minded friend groups, partisan news, etc. to create echo chambers that reinforce, rather than challenge, our pre-existing beliefs. In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we explore the importance of mental agility—our ability to think flexibly, adapt, and question our own perspectives. This discussion covers both the dangers of a rigid perspective and how keeping an open mind when reviewing personal experience, discerning facts from opinions, and listening to opposing viewpoints keeps our brains healthy and encourages us to develop “strong opinions, loosely held.”

How distracted are we? How much effort is required for us to truly focus on something important? In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, our host discusses the modern distractions that pull focus and inhibit many of our efforts. He provides four critical strategies to counter the impact of disruptions and get back to what’s important, including attention management and acting with intent, along with some tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and the Pomodoro technique. So listen to this episode, then put down your distractions and get some deep work done on your critical projects.

In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we explore the ongoing issue of human error in aviation, a challenge that has persisted throughout history and continues to impact the industry today. Recent tragedies have raised concerns about the safety of aviation, leading to public scrutiny. Tony reflects on the importance of understanding and addressing human error, especially in light of recent events, and considers how this issue will evolve moving forward.

Does your fear of failure have its basis in reality or is it actually a resistance to the unknown? In this week’s episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we explore forging new paths through the wilderness of undiscovered ideas. Almost everyone has experienced looking for a tool, a service, a group, a book, or something else only to find it doesn’t seem to exist. When this happens, most of us simply give up—though a few might take the initiative to build the solutions for ourselves. While this takes courage to begin and tenacity to see through to the end, the results might just lead to the next game-changing invention, best-selling book series, or billion-dollar business venture. There’s only one way to find out.

Today on Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern, our host tackles an issue that we guarantee every single one of our listeners has struggled with in their lives: procrastination. Not only is procrastination a destroyer of dreams, a potential career derailer, and a wet blanket on ambition, it can do physical harm to our bodies as well. Tony breaks down all these issues, several effective countermeasures to break procrastination patterns, and—of course—includes a sprinkling of historical and personal anecdotes. Fight and win the psychological and chemical battle against procrastination with these helpful resources!

It’s not often that we’re able to pull off our plans without a hitch. Life is full of surprises and even the most predictable mission can go sideways with barely a moment’s notice. In this week’s episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kernpodcast, our host discusses the significant differences between having a plan and being prepared. While the former provides a great starting point for our efforts, it is the latter that more often determines our success. Because a plan is a singular and often rigid approach, but preparedness allows us to salvage victory after circumstances render the plan obsolete.

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast! After the tragic collision of an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter this week—the first commercial aviation crash since 2009—Tony and special guest D. Smith discuss repeating safety cycles, the aviation industry, dealing with depression, personal faith, and more. The Executive Director of Safety Management for the Transportation Safety Institute with 40 years of experience in the field of aviation safety, D. has plenty of insights to share on the likely systemic issues that led to this accident, as well as how the industry has responded to big incidents like this in the past. The two also engage in a frank discussion on depression and some methods they’ve learned to function and even grow through difficult periods, including engaging in creative projects and faith/spirituality.