find a new podcast

you spend hours every week doing things that require your hands but not your brain. commuting, cooking, cleaning, exercising, walking the dog. that's dead time. or it could be the most productive part of your day.

the audio advantage

podcasts are the closest thing we have to downloading knowledge directly into your brain while you do other things. no screen required. no dedicated time block needed. you just press play and let someone smarter than you talk while you fold laundry.

but most people listen to the same three podcasts on repeat or scroll through trending lists and grab whatever has the flashiest title. that's the equivalent of eating fast food when there's a five-star restaurant next door.

how to find podcasts worth your time

the goal is to find shows that expand your consciousness, not just fill silence. here's how to filter:

• look for long-form interviews: short episodes rarely go deep enough to change your thinking. shows like the joe rogan experience, lex fridman, or tim ferriss give guests three hours to actually say something meaningful
• pick topics outside your expertise: if you already know about fitness, listen to a podcast about economics. if you understand business, try one about philosophy or neuroscience. growth lives at the edges of your knowledge
• follow guests, not shows: when you hear someone fascinating on one podcast, search for them on others. you'll build a web of interesting thinkers across multiple platforms

the compounding effect

one hour of quality podcast per day is 365 hours per year. that's roughly 15 full days of education you didn't have to carve out of your schedule. over a decade, you've passively absorbed thousands of hours of insight from some of the smartest people alive.

you can't tell me you don't have time to learn. you have the time. you're just spending it in silence or listening to the same playlist for the hundredth time.

start this week

find one new podcast that covers a topic you know nothing about. listen to one episode during your next commute or workout. if it doesn't grab you, try another. the right podcast will make you look forward to mundane tasks.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.