I admit I’m a bit late to the podcast party. I knew they existed and may have even clicked on the odd segment or two from NPR for later listening (and promptly forgot about them), but I’ve been mostly oblivious to the world of podcasting. That’s all changed now and I listen to multiple podcasts every single day. They entertain, educate, and inspire.
I blame, I mean give credit to, my sister Leslie. We were chatting about an author we both liked when she mentioned listening to her podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. I had read several of Gretchen Rubin’s books but was not aware of her podcast. I gave it a shot and was hooked. I began binge listening until I caught up and was forced to wait a whole week for the next one. Then I began searching for podcasts on topics I’m interested in, such as personal development, health, and of course, minimalism.
Before I knew it, my podcast list grew to include The Minimalists Podcast, Optimal Living Daily and its spinoffs, Zen Commuter, and many more. There are podcasts that function as audio books and some about TV shows. I found a few about current events like The Daily and others about a variety of topics like Freakonomics. Hey, maybe I could work on foreign languages! Of course, when searching one topic, other recommended podcasts pop up, so I continue to add more. Gretchen Rubin’s sister and co-host, Elizabeth Craft, began her own podcast with her writing partner, Happier in Hollywood, so of course I subscribed. Oh wait, there’s another one! My list quickly grew to 50+ podcasts and as you might guess, I only have time for a fraction of them. Alas! I have since simplified my list, but not without creating a podcast link list for future listening.
For those of you new to the podcast world, podcasts can be categorized into several categories. Some are primarily interview-based, for example, Live Happy Now, Break the Twitch, and 10% Happier with Dan Harris. Others tend to be conversations between the co-podcasters, such as Happier with Gretchen Rubin (Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth) and The Minimalists Podcast (best friends Ryan and Joshua). Some are solo acts, often based on blogs or other original content from the podcaster, like Zen Commuter. Justin Malik reads other people’s blogs “so you don’t have to.” He selects blogs about minimalism, Zen, health, personal development for Optimal Living Daily aka OLD and on personal finance for Optimal Finance Daily. Some podcasts combine all of these formats.
Many podcasts are close to an hour long, good for commuting, but there are some shorter ones of 10-15 minutes (see OLD or the Quick and Dirty Tips series like The Nutrition Diva or Tech Talker), which work better when you’ve got just a bit of time between activities. So how am I fitting in as many podcasts as possible? I’ve begun listening during my morning routine, while cleaning house, and when doing tasks that don’t require my full attention. I’m a reluctant exerciser, so I’ve paired my walks with listening to longer podcasts. I’ve been walking regularly ever since. When I’m driving, I mostly listen to podcasts instead of music. Yes, I’ve become a podcast fanatic. So there you have it, my quick and personal introduction to podcasts. There are thousands of podcasts out there on all kinds of topics, just waiting for you to hit their “subscribe” button and give them a listen. What are you waiting for?!
RESOURCES
For a list of podcasts and other resources, go to this page: Resources
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