Most motivational podcasts: Listen and get your life together
If you’re not listening to podcasts on your commute, at the gym, or as your cleaning the house, then you’re missing a trick. Although you can get self-improvement advice from literally anywhere these days, podcasts have become a go-to source for inspiration from experts who have been there, done that, and got the proverbial t-shirt.
Now, I don’t claim to have experienced the pinnacle of all human achievement, but I’ve compiled what are, in my opinion, the top podcasts to help with self-improvement (without the bullshit pseudo-science that can easily be associated with that term). The following podcasts have made me evaluate certain aspects of my life, have made me thankful, and have linked me to ideas, stories, and even apps that I love. So, start up your podcast app, hit search, and let's get started.
The Tim Ferriss Show
Self-proclaimed ‘human Guinea pig’, investment tycoon, and entrepreneurial advisor, Tim Ferriss has dedicated his life to helping others reach the pinnacle of their abilities. It’s clear that Tim really has his shit together— he meditates for twenty minutes first thing in the morning, writes huge books about improving every aspect of life (including the Four Hour Body, and The Four Hour Work Week) and on his podcast, he stockpiles knowledge from some of the peak performers in their respective industries. Some of his guests include stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Robbins, and Jamie Foxx, as Tim dissects their routines, their history, and gets to the root of what allows them to flourish.
Key episodes:
#214: How to Design a Life — Debbie Millman If you’re in the branding and design world you may already know Debbie Millman, and if you’re not, then you’ve definitely encountered her work. Although she is a design mogul, this episode is really for everybody, and includes a brilliant ‘ten-year plan’ to design a remarkable life.
#166: How Creatives Should Negotiate — Ramit Sethi Don’t be fooled by the title — even if you’re an accountant, you will find value in Sethi’s workshop on negotiating, particular if you’re looking for ways to save money.
#37: Tony Robbins on Morning Routines, Peak Performance, and Mastering Money Probably most well-known for those inspirational infomercials (where his audiences are kind of nuts), Tony Robbins is the real fuckin’ deal when it comes to inspiring others. In this podcast, he covers topics like diet, routine, and how he inspires change in others.
The Joe Rogan Experience
When he’s not commentating at UFC events, doing stand-up comedy, or contacting our alien overlords while tripping on DMT, Joe Rogan hosts a damn good podcast. In an effort to expand his ape mind as well as ours as frequently as possible, Joe invites a medley of guests onto his podcast from the worlds of astrophysics, archaeology, MMA, entertainment, physical and mental health, self-mastery, and much more. So slam down your Alpha Brain supplement, get your kettlebells out, jump into a sensory deprivation tank and check out The Joe Rogan Experience. It’ll open up your mind maaaaaan.
Key episodes:
#712: Wim Hof Known as ‘The Iceman’, Wim Hof has climbed Everest in his underwear, ran a marathon in the desert without water, and has a scientifically-approved method to fight disease. How? Through the act of breathing.
#672: Dr Rhonda Patrick It’s become a running joke that listeners need a notepad any time Rhonda Patrick opens her mouth. Patrick is filled with useful tips on ageing gracefully and improving your wellbeing through diet and supplementation to become our stronger, healthier selves.
#405: Steven Pressfield & Aubrey Marcus Joe sits down with Aubrey Marcus, founder of supplement provider Onnit, and Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art, a book that inspires a fight against ‘resistance’ — a force that we encounter every day which stops us achieving our goals.
Freakonomics
After writing a Times bestseller of the same title exploring the ‘hidden side of everything,’ economist Steven D. Levitt and author Stephen J. Dubbed took their book to podcast-form. In Freakonomics, we get some truly off-beat stories and topics, including explorations of whether a war on sugar is justified (IMO, yes), what your brain looks like on podcasts, and why your life is so hard. However, it’s the ‘self-improvement month’ podcasts that, if you’re just looking for what I promised you in the title of this article, you should listen to.
Key episodes:
How to Be More Productive This podcast dissects the question with The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg, and Laszlo Bock — the vice president of people operations at Google.
How to Become Great at Just About Anything This episode tests the science of expertise, including the 10,000 hours theory, and explores the psychology behind ‘deliberate practice’.
How to Get More Grit in Your Life When I think of grit, I think of all those footballers that grew up in the slums and are now earning millions. But how much grit do you have, and can it be taught?
How I Built This from NPR
If you’re an entrepreneur in the making or simply interested in the origin stories behind some of the world’s top brands, then How I Built This from NPR should be a go-to podcast. Each episode takes you from the first time the founders met, the challenges they faced, and the wisdom they now have after coming through the other side having created some of the world’s biggest ideas.
Key episodes:
Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger Now a social media powerhouse, the two founders of Instagram explore the issues they had scaling their company, and the lightbulb moment that made Instagram a huge hit.
Airbnb: Joe Gebbia It’s quite something when you’ve created a company that makes living in other people’s homes ‘normal’. Joe Gebbia goes through the growing pains of Airbnb, including awkward meetings with investors, and how they funded the project through presidential election themed cereal (seriously).
Virgin: Richard Branson Perhaps the world’s most well-known innovator, this podcast explores how Richard Branson turned a record store into a bank, media company, airline, and much more. It also covers the value of throwing yourself into the deep end, and failure — which Richard has experienced many times.
Hidden Brain from NPR
A mix of scientific exploration and storytelling, Hidden Brain uncovers just that — the habits, intricacies and behaviours triggered by our unconscious minds. Some of these stories can lead you to various books, people, and ideas that can help you self-improve.
Key episodes:
Episode 56: Getting Unstuck If you’re feeling trapped in your current life, then this one is for you. Take a look at some of the techniques behind designing your life and understanding how much room you have to manoeuvre.
Episode 53: Embrace the Chaos For those looking to manage obsessive behaviours, this one on one interview is all about how messiness can help you adapt to life’s imperfections and strengthen your resolve.
Episode 65: Tunnel Vision This episode is all about scarcity — and understanding how what we lack can ‘trap us’ and blur the bigger picture.
The Minimalists
My spare room used to look like it should be on one of those Channel 4 programs about hoarders, but I’ve been putting into practise some of the advice from The Minimalists. My challenge is to throw something away every day, and ask myself, do I really need all this stuff? The answer is almost always no, and do I miss any of it? Do I hell. In this podcast, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus talk about combatting the many demands of modern living, and how your life can mean more with less.
Key episodes:
#67: Happiness An episode on finding happiness, making others happy, and setting your expectations and standards.
#71: Media An episode on tackling our addiction to media consumption. It also turned me onto ‘Moment’ an app that tracks your daily phone activity and can yield some terrifying results!
#68: Overwhelm An episode on handling those moments where you feel like too goddamn much is going on your life. Includes useful advice for those looking to declutter.
Got any other podcasts to help me get my shit together? Drop me a response with some of your favourites below, and happy listening!
Your face when you realise the sheer amount of knowledge you can stream straight to your earholes.
