I'm going to be honest with you, there was a time when I thought podcasts were the most boring thing on the planet. It was nothing against podcasters; I simply could not understand the benefits of listening to them, or warrant spending my spare time on them.
As we are often so short of time, finding moments to dedicate towards our own self-improvement is hard. That's when incorporating podcasts into my commute started to make more sense, as 32% of UK commuters spend 15-29 minutes travelling to work, with a further 22% spending 30-59 minutes daily.
But hear me out! If I convince you of anything by the end of this post, it will be to listen to at least ten minutes of one of the below podcasts. Yes, that's correct- I am advocating for you to listen to a podcast, after saying I once hated them..
So rather than mumble on any longer, here are the amazing podcast episodes that made me question my mindset:
The Daily Stoic Tie your well-being to this | You are the project Apple Music / Spotify I have been a long-term listener of this podcast, simply due to the way Ryan Holiday takes stoic teachings and brings them to life with real world examples. In this episode, he highlights how we should all aspire to treat our self-improvement like a job, and to make yourself the project.
"If you need a pair of $100 headphones to function better at your job, it isn't about not deserving them, but rather that my job requires me to have these headphones". - Ryan Holiday
It's easy to overlook your own self-improvement related tasks by opting for short-term 'feel good' activities - after all, there's always tomorrow. This episode changed the way I think about personal growth, seeing it as owing a duty to myself to enhance my prospects in life.
If you were going to listen to any of these podcasts, I would recommend this one. Holiday does a perfect job of sharing philosophical teachings, motivational stories and gentle anecdotes to help you become an improved version of yourself.
Building a Second Brain Myth: Building a second brain means tediously overhauling and restructuring my entire digital life Apple Music / Spotify In short, a 'second brain' is exactly how it sounds; creating a management system for all of the ideas, important conversations, lessons or learnings that your physical brain may struggle to remember. Tiago Forte has built on the concept of a second brain by developing resources, a training course, and a book. Within each podcast episode, Tiago teaches the steps towards implementing this self-improvement strategy to 'remember less, but become smarter'.
Discover your peak state by delegating low level tasks to your 'second brain' - Discussed on this episode
I would recommend listening to a plethora of BASB episodes to fully grasp the concept. But this episode alone highlights the importance of recording everything of importance that you cannot afford to forget. Delegate to yourself.
I have a relatively small 'second brain', as I've only implemented this for the past year, but here's how I utilise this idea:
💡 Using OneNote to record ideas from books or articles.
💡 Using iPhone notes to highlight key thoughts.
💡 Using voice memos (or any voice recorder) to dictate on the move.
Think Fast, Talk Smart What is normal? How culture affects communication styles
I recommend this episode, and podcast, for anyone working within a workplace, or team, that heavily relies on communication (so essentially, I recommend this podcast to everyone). Matt Abrahams interviews industry professionals with vast experiences in their profession, sharing wisdom applicable to everyday life. Michelle Gelfand (a cross-cultural psychologist) is featured in this episode, and talks about the concept of tight and loose cultures across the world. Without knowing it, we all have these inherent cultural norms affecting us all, and understanding them helps us to adjust our behaviours, or even adopt different norms.
An important topic that Michelle highlights was the use of the 'threat dictionary' as a key tool for identifying the type of language we use in spoken or written conversations. By raising awareness of these threat words, the likelihood of using these words in the wrong context is decreased. I think it is important we understand ourselves. We unknowingly let society, friends or family imprint their ideals, understanding and philosophy onto us. Whilst this isn't always bad, it should be our duty to comprehend the way we think and why we think that way. This podcast episode is a great way to start the journey of dissecting our cultures and language.
The Koe Cast My 5-Minute Reading Habit For Maximum Ideas & Intelligence
I have become addicted to these podcast episodes by Dan Koe. These easily consumable episodes provide actionable advice to achieve more out of your time and opportunities.
With reading, it's easy to get caught up with trying to get through each book as quickly as possible. This podcast episode is a powerful tool, as it reframes the listeners understanding of reading with purpose.
Despite knowing how to read, we may not really know how to meaningfully read.
As someone that consumes non-fiction (self-help/productivity) books, it is difficult to consume the maximal amount of knowledge each time I read. That's where Koe indicates that the best time to stop reading is when something meaningful is found.
With each reading session, consideration should be given to the impact on your wider life, and to continually redirect concentration to the themes of the book. If that means it takes you six months to finish a book, so be it- at least you'll see the full benefit.
Conclusions Combining the concepts from different podcast episodes can help achieve maximum learning, especially if combining short bursts of reading with the storage power of the second brain.
Coming from someone that could not previously see the benefit of listening to podcasts, I have come to understand the influence they can have in building good habits and boosting motivation.
The podcasts you listen to don't have to be quite so literal, as you may see the benefits of listening to interviews, roundtable discussions, or news podcasts. I'm conscious that podcasts aren't for everyone, so if you find yourself falling asleep on your commute, maybe it's best to stop.. I'm interested to know what podcasts you listen to? Leave a comment below with your favourites and I'll take a look.
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