5 Podcasts I Recommend

When you make a big shift in your life, like moving on from playing video games it’s important to take steps to improve your overall perspective.

As I’ve shared in the past, reading books is one of best and easiest ways (Read: 5 Books You Must Read) to do just that, and today I want to share with you another easy and accessible way, using podcasts.

Here are the five podcasts I recommend for you to listen to that will help you live a more meaningful life:

The thing I love about podcasts is that they are:

1. Free.
2. Accessible. (They work on both your mobile device and on a desktop.)
3. Audio-based. (So you can listen to them on the go while you’re commuting, at the gym or even while eating lunch.)

And there are thousands of different ones to choose from and virtually any topic you can imagine. I tend to focus on ones that revolve around personal development and business, because those are the topics I’m interested in, but whatever your interests are, there’s likely a podcast dedicated to them.

So here are the five podcasts I recommend for you, including an episode to check out for each:

1. The Tim Ferriss Show

On this podcast Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Work Week, 4-Hour Chef and 4-Hour Body interviews a wide-range of guests (movie directors, startup founders, comedians, authors, etc, etc) about what they do that allows them to achieve the level of excellence they do. From the habits they have to the book they read, each episode is different and I always leave with something I can apply to my own life.

Episode I recommend: Brené Brown on Vulnerability and Home Run TED Talks

2. Waking Up with Sam Harris

Sam Harris is one of my favorite thinkers. If I could only listen to one person speak with the rest of my life, he would likely be that person. His podcast focuses on topics of philosophy, spirituality (without religion), politics, meditation and much more. The thing I love about Sam Harris is that the way he approaches these problems help me understand more about the dynamics at play within each of them, and that helps me form my own thinking about a topic.

Episode I recommend: Shouldering the Burden of History, a conversation with Dan Carlin.

3. The Art of Charm

One of the top rated and longest running podcasts, Jordan Harbinger has been interviewing guests on personal development, dating and business before many others got into the game. With over 600+ episodes Jordan tends to be a more “in your face” interviewer who likes to cut through the bullshit.

Episode I recommend: The one with my, obviously! Addicted to Video Games (Episode #274) – Bonus: Cole Hatter (Episode #416)

4. Hardcore History

Regardless of how interested you are in history (I wasn’t really), Dan Carlin’s approach to each series will keep you engaged and teach you a lot about our world, where it’s come from and where it’s likely to go in the future. I love this podcast because it helps to expand my thinking in a way that reading personal development books simply cannot.

Episode I recommend: The Wrath of Khans series. Mindblowing.

5. Smart Passive Income

If you’re reading this you have enough technology in front of you that your opportunities are literally infinite. This is an opportunity you have that is unique to our present day and in my opinion, it’s worth leveraging in every way you can.

One way to do this is to pursue business opportunities, even if they are small revenue streams on the side. Especially with you going through so many changes right now, it’s a great time to try new things and explore the opportunities you may have through an online business. If you’re interested in this at all, take some of the free time you’re spending on mindless browsing and invest it into the Smart Passive Income podcast with Pat Flynn.

Episode I recommend: How Nathan Chan Built a 6-Figure Digital Magazine and the Marketing Strategies We Can All Use

So there you have it, the five podcasts you can check out that will help you live a more meaningful life. As I said before, throw some of these on your phone and listen to them while you commute to work or school, at the gym or while you’re eating lunch. I personally listen on 2x speed and always take notes!

I hope that helps, and if it does I’d love to hear which podcast you’re going to start with in the comments below.

P.S. If you are still playing games but you want to quit right now, check out Respawn.