I spontaneously made the decision the other day to start listening to Podcasts instead of music. I’ve been frustrated with iTunes Match lately (first world problem complaint to the MAX), and have been listening to the same music on Spotify for a long time. It was time to switch it up.
I opened up iTunes and started perusing through the categories – Health, Technology, Culture…I wasn’t sure what I wanted to listen to. I went with the safest bet I could think of – Ted Talks and Freakonomics.
Ted Talks are great because they’re quick, and Freakonomics is great because it’s interesting and completely outside of anything I think about on a daily basis. Usually I spend my day thinking about Social Media, Digital Marketing, or running, but these Podcasts make me think about taking risks, parking, and the value of religion. If nothing else, listening to these Podcasts make me feel a little more productive – making my brain work a little bit.
For the first time, I listened to a Podcast while I went on a run instead of my music. I queued up “A Better Way to Eat” from Freakonomics because I knew it would get me through my 4 mile run. It talked about food and science vs. food for taste. Interesting, for sure, but I wouldn’t recommend thinking about food while running. Bad combo.
Listening to a Podcast on my run got me thinking, forced me to listen to it (and REALLY listen to it, not just hear it), and made my run go by faster. It doesn’t get me pumped up the same way Black Skinhead by Kanye does, but it was a nice change for me.
In an attempt to read more, I checked out my first-ever “book on tape,” which I now realize is a phrase that most people technically don’t understand anymore, and is also inaccurate. I grabbed Divergent, because it is a movie that I want to see, and also a book I want to read before I see the movie. I am still continuing to trudge through one of my Birthday Resolutions and finish the entire Harry Potter series before I turn 24, but now I can read two books at once. One at night before bed, and the other in the car on the way to and from work. Nearly 500 pages condensed into 11 hours of audio. Pretty awesome.
Recommendations for Podcasts or well performed books on tape are welcomed! 🙂