Tony Ferrar: Recent Episodes
Tony Ferrar
Living and learning on purpose. Professor, husband, dad. Tired of seeing students stressed, and trying to do something about it. Snap/Insta/Tweet @TheTonyFerrar
Do you ever find yourself playing comparison games?
I had an experience a few weeks ago while rock climbing. I’d just succeeded in climbing the most technically difficult climb of my life after spending over a month working on it. I’d go practice the climb, the head to the gym to train the specific fitness I’d need. After working and working, I finally got it! Just then, a group of climbers showed up and used that route as an “easy warmup” before heading to harder climbs.
My bruised ego started playing games immediately: “If I had as much time as these folks to climb, this would be easy for me too.” To be clear, I have no idea how much time they spend climbing. “Wow, they’re so much better than I am, I’ll never be impressive.”
Not too long ago, I’d have spent days agonizing over this experience, playing comparison games and, ultimately, wishing I was someone else.
In this week’s post, I unpack this experience and share three key mindset shifts that helped me free myself from ego-driven comparison games. These thoughts will help you
- Catch your ego early so you don’t go down a spiral of negative thinking
- Embrace your own circumstance as a key part of your identity
- Grow towards your ideals without self-criticism
If you are your biggest critic, then I wrote this post for you! The attitude adjustments I share helped me develop a personal mantra that has caused my personal and professional growth to skyrocket:
“If you’re the best in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
If your ego is holding you back from being your best self, listen to this podcast episode and give yourself a chance to eliminate that energy drain from your life!
Today I’d like to share an insecurity I’ve had that came to a tipping point yesterday - and how I discovered that I was worrying unnecessarily. I’m busy balancing huge commitments and I am sure you are too. What do you do when you get behind, or miss a deadline? When balancing commitments looks like working a flexible schedule, it can appear as though you’re just not working. I worry about that false perception whenever someone wishes I got something done for them sooner.
This episode delves into a recent experience I had with falling behind, and how I caught back up without ruining everyone's perception of my balanced lifestyle.
“I want to be a millionaire.” “I want to get all A’s this semester,” “I want to lose ten pounds.” We love to set goals for ourselves, dreaming of what life would be like if we just accomplished that next thing. I’m a “big goal” kind of person – things that seem out of reach motivate me to push forward and achieve, and I don’t mind working towards something for a long time.
The problem is that most of our goals aren’t any good. In fact they may even be sabotaging our lives...
“What do you want to do with your life?” I think this (or some version of it) might be the most often-asked question that college students get. Whether you’re meeting a new peer, sitting around the table at a family event, or in a job interview, the world seems to be very interested in what you plan to do with yourself. If you've ever struggled to answer this question, then we made this episode just for you!
Resumes: how do I summarize who I am and the value I bring on the front of a piece of paper? There’s so much more to me. This post shares 3 extremely practical hacks to improve your resume. Read more at https://www.tonyferrar.com/2019/02/19/three-essential-resume-hacks/
Big news! Justin paid off $50,000 in debt! That's credit cards, cars, furniture, jewelry, and.... student loans! Join us as we celebrate and hear first-hand how his family pulled this off!
You can do this!
Congrats Justin!
-- The Intentional Academy is here to help college students and young professionals squeeze every drop of value out of their education. You can live an amazing life through the power of intentional learning. We’re teaching you how to manage your time, get control of your money, and launch your dream career.
For more information, visit us on the web: https://www.intentionalacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/IntentionalAcademy
If you need help related to college, time management, career building, or even personal finance, leave a voice message here and we'll answer it!
On this special episode of The Intentional Academy Live Podcast Justin, Nicole, and I discuss tips and mindset for the career fair.
Key topics: Picking the right person to talk to at career fair Moving beyond your GPA The actual qualifications you need to get the job Gender equity in the job hunt How to introduce yourself Finding your best fit
Reach us on Twitter: @JustinThomasVT @TheNicoleFerrar @TheTonyFerrar
-- The Intentional Academy is here to help college students and young professionals squeeze every drop of value out of their education. You can live an amazing life through the power of intentional learning. We’re teaching you how to manage your time, get control of your money, and launch your dream career.
For more information, visit us on the web: https://www.intentionalacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/IntentionalAcademy
If you need help related to college, time management, career building, or even personal finance, leave a voice message here and we'll answer it!
Today I interview Antoine, someone who redefines the word "hustle"! He managed to land an incredible job offer after visiting the career fair and now he's here to share how he did it.
If you're wondering about how to work the career fair, how to introduce yourself, what to do to impress recruiters, or how to succeed with any GPA, this discussion will bring light to your life.
And for those of you who think I talk too much, this episode will feel very different ;-) Antoine, thank you, thank you, thank you!
In a world dominated by anonymous online applications, how can you stand out? Does landing a job these days really mean tricking a computer into filtering your resume to the top of the stack? Brian and I explore how forming real relationships with real people continues to be the most important thing you can do to build your career.
Thanks for dropping in, Brian!
-- What is this? As a professor, I find myself in all sorts of discussions about life, and how to live an incredible story. From time to time I'll capture the audio on those and, with permission, share them with you. The conversations are unedited, just clipped for easy navigation and to reduce silence.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!
PS If you need help related to college, time management, career building, or even personal finance, reach out! You can leave a voice message right here on Anchor, and I'll answer your question in a future episode.
The Intentional Academy is here to help college students and young professionals squeeze every drop of value out of their education. You can live an amazing life through the power of intentional learning. We’re teaching you how to manage your time, get control of your money, and launch your dream career.
For more information, visit us on the web: https://www.intentionalacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/IntentionalAcademy
If you need help related to college, time management, career building, or even personal finance, leave a voice message at anchor.fm/thetonyferrar and we'll answer it!
15 Professional Skills: https://www.tonyferrar.com/proskills/
Questions answered in this episode: 1) Is it ok to take a break or a gap year? 2) How do I find a mentor? 3) When is it time to leave a job? 4) Should I go to grad school part-time or full-time?
Just three weeks until classes start! What should you be thinking about as you prepare for the upcoming semester? This episode of the podcast focuses on getting ready - and we've got some great questions from listeners about setting yourself up for a great semester!
1) Is it better to take classes in the morning, afternoon, or evening? 2) Would you adjust your schedule to be in class with your friends? 3) Is it better to overload a semester with classes or take longer to graduate? 4) Should I join a sorority or fraternity for professional networking? 5) How can a student find a mentor? 6) How early should I start looking for an internship?
-- For more information, visit us on the web: https://www.intentionalacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/IntentionalAcademy
If you need help related to college, time management, career building, or even personal finance, leave a voice message here and we'll answer it!
One of the weirdest places to be is "new here." As you enter a new work environment, it can be hard to feel like a part of the team and see how you can contribute. This episode shares key tips to start off on the right foot and get the most out of your work experience.
We answer four great questions from listeners about college finances and student loans: 1) As an undecided freshman, is it best to go to community college and transfer after you decide on a major? 2) Should I go straight to grad school, or work to pay off my student loans first and then go back? 3) I just graduated and I have no idea where to start with my student loans. Help! 4) Should I sacrifice personal happiness to pay off my student loans faster?
-- For more information, visit us on the web: https://www.intentionalacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/IntentionalAcademy
If you need help related to college, time management, career building, or even personal finance, leave a voice message here and we'll answer it!
The only way to grow is to step outside your comfort zone. But the Lizard Brain (aka your amygdala) seeks comfort! Ben and I had a great conversation about overcoming anxiety, confronting uncomfortable situations, and growing as a result.
You can read more about the ideas in this episode here: https://www.tonyferrar.com/2018/06/21/getting-comfortable-with-getting-uncomfortable/
Thanks for dropping in, Ben!
-- What is this? As a professor, I find myself in all sorts of discussions about life, and how to live an incredible story. From time to time I'll capture the audio on those and, with permission, share them with you. The conversations are unedited, just clipped for easy navigation and to reduce silence.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!
PS If you need help related to college, time management, career building, or even personal finance, reach out! You can leave a voice message right here on Anchor, and I'll answer your question in a future episode.