The end of 2017 marked one of the first times I have truly sat myself down at the end of a year and reflected on everything that changed in my life over the course of the preceding 12 months. I usually stroll into the new year with the same “start fresh!” attitude as most, but this year I decided to pause and really think: What happened this past year? What did I do well? What could I have put more time or effort into and how can I change that? Upon reflecting on my year and setting some fresh goals to work towards in the coming semester, I realized that there were a number of recent positive outcomes and events rooted in small changes I made in 2017. Many of these changes or habits have had a profound impact on my overall happiness, success and ability to remain present – an overlooked area of weakness for many of us. I have compiled a list of 17 Positive Additions to my Life from 2017 in the hopes that some of these changes might become positive additions to your life as well! I tried to explain each one comprehensively and why they have had a positive impact on me. I will avoid posting them all at once to prevent an information overwhelm and instead provide more bite-sized posts which can (hopefully) be read and internalized more easily. Now, for the first addition: PODCASTS
If you take ONE THING away from this list, please let it be this:
start listening to podcasts
For those of you who have never listened to a podcast before, pull the search bar down on the home screen of your phone right now and type in the word “podcast”. See that? You have the app on your phone already and you might have not even known about it! All you have to do now is look up a podcast channel or episode you want (I will recommend a few later in this post), and press play on any episode for FREE. If you don’t have the app on your phone, pretty much every podcast is available for free online (or on Spotify if you prefer it to iTunes – I use Spotify for music, and iTunes for podcasts). One of my friends sent me a podcast in January of 2017 called “Simply Happy” (click here to listen in the podcast app or in iTunes on your computer), which contained a compilation of snippits from TED talks revolving around happiness and interviews with those who gave the talks. This episode was extremely engaging and easy to listen to, and ever since then I have been absolutely hooked.
I have probably listened to upwards of 250 podcasts this year and you know what the craziest part of that is? I did not make time for it. Everyone tells me they have no time to listen to podcasts, but it’s not like you sit down with a cup of tea and stare at the wall for an hour while you listen to a podcast, you can literally do it at any time you do not need 100% of your brain power to complete the task you are doing. Also, the length of podcast episodes can range anywhere from 5 minutes to 3 hours so it really just depends what you’re listening to, and you can break it up so you’re not listening to all of it at once! I often put on a 10 minute podcast while I walk to class, and feel refreshed and stimulated by the time I get there instead of mindlessly walking and missing an opportunity to learn something or laugh at two comedians go back and forth in a witty conversation that puts me in a good mood. After listening to a few episodes, it became natural to hit play on a podcast when I had some free(er) time. I became extremely interested in what I was listening to and ended up slowly swapping any time I spent mindlessly listening to music (or listening to nothing) for podcasts, except when I was studying or at the gym. We spend SO much time walking, cooking, sitting in our rooms, cleaning something, getting ready for bed, whatever it may be! We all do these minutia tasks which do not require much brain power, creating the perfect opportunity to stimulate our minds and learn something new for free. PUTTING ON A PODCAST IS LIKE GIVING WATER TO A DEHYDRATED MIND.
Curiosity is the antidote to boredom. Start putting on podcasts when you feel bored, and it will improve your mood and elevate your state of mind. Podcasts are the best form of free knowledge I have come across and they are so easy to obtain. You get to learn passively! All you have to do is pop in your earphones, press play and half an hour later you actually know what Bitcoin is, learned about the ground-breaking CRISPR technology allowing the editing of genes, understand how America’s federal budget system works, or feel like you are best friends with the founder of Patagonia or Spanx. I am not exaggerating, I have been able to acquire more random (but valuable!) knowledge in the last year of my life than in the decade before this, purely by partnering any tasks I did not intensely require my brain for with podcast listening. Even if you only get through one podcast a week, that is 52 more at the end of this year than if you didn’t start! Podcasts are such a game-changer and provide you with numerous engaging conversation topics you would otherwise be completely unaware of. This past summer, I was in the middle of a conversation with an executive at a company, and we got to talking about the confusing nature of cryptocurrencies (before Bitcoin was the hottest topic in the news, as it is now). Fortunately, I had stumbled upon a great podcast episode about that exact topic a few days prior, and recommended he listened to the episode, produced by Tim Ferriss, one of my all-time favourite podcast-ers (word?). A few days later, he asked if I had any other recommendations, and three months after our initial conversation, he emailed me to let me know he is now completely hooked on all of Tim Ferriss’ podcasts! (They are addictive). This experience is something that would never have happened if I had not put on a podcast which quite honestly did not interest me much when I initially pressed play. Only after I listened to the episode did I realize how fascinating this topic I knew so little about truly was, which has been the case for me with so many other podcast episodes as well. Regardless of what you are into, there really is a podcast channel out there for everyone; whether you like sports, murder mystery stories, want to learn Spanish, are interested in how major companies were built from the ground up, are fascinated by the human mind, love listening to interviews with successful or hilarious people or miss learning about history! One of the greatest benefits to podcast listening is sharing episodes with friends who you think would enjoy them as well, ultimately creating a future conversation topic for the next time you see each other. Almost everyone I know who has gotten into podcasts this year is shocked by how much they like them and how easy they are to listen to.
i have listed a few favourites below
You can click on the titles or images to listen in the podcast app or on your computer. 1. Airbnb – How I built This – one of the podcasts that got me hooked on podcasts (42 mins)
One of my favourite podcast channels of all time, How I Built This, consists of conversation-style interviews with the founders of major companies and organizations, where they share the story of how they built their organizations from their inception to where they are now. These podcasts are extremely engaging and addictive. I have listened to all of the episodes and eagerly await the new ones they release weekly. I definitely recommend giving this channel a listen, especially this Airbnb episode. Their story is incredible and highlights the importance of relentless perseverance and how doing something completely controversial can change an entire industry.
Disruptive Leadership – TED Radio Hour (53 mins) An excellent compilation of unique perspectives on leadership and some really interesting examples of how leadership can take different forms both locally and globally. I also discovered one of my favourite Ted Talks of all time through this podcast episode, called Everyday Leadership (the talk is only 6 minutes and very much worth watching).
- The Big Man Can’t Shoot – Revisionist History (37 mins) Malcolm Gladwell is truly skilled at producing engaging and carefully crafted content which ties into his point seamlessly. In this podcast, he discusses how one of the best NBA players of all time, Wilt Chamberlain, went from changing his free-throw form and improving his shot to deferring back to his less successful but more accepted form due to the human tendency to conform.
Adam Robinson: The Power of the (Unconscious) Mind – Tribe of Mentors (32 mins) Tribe of Mentors consists of short-form podcast episodes – usually sub 30 minutes – which outline short life advice from the best in the world (pretty awesome that we can get it for free!). In this episode, Tim Ferriss interviews Adam Robinson, an impressive guy who was a chess master, published the only SAT prep book to ever become a New York Times best-seller and is a leader in the field of artificial intelligence. I really enjoyed the advice he gave in this podcast, and particularly gravitated to his response to the question: “What advice would you give to a college student about to enter the real world?” All of the episodes on this channel provide fresh perspectives and unique approaches to life, work and maintaining a balance.
The Everest Effect – The Outside Podcast (34 mins) A true story following a team of Everest climbers faced with the decision of whether to save a climber who had been left behind by his climbing group after being reported dead the night before, or finish their once-in-a-lifetime journey which they had invested years of their lives into. The conclusion they came to is explored in detail, as well as the science behind how we make decisions in high risk situations and cope with these choices afterward.
Try them out! Aim to finish three episodes by the end of the month and see what you think. PS- If you want any other recommendations, I have an endless supply so please do not hesitate to reach out and ask! You can email me (izzy@stickwithiz.com) or comment and I will send you something that is more up your alley. ENJOY AND GO PRESS PLAY!