Interested in taking back your time, improving your habits, and boosting your productivity? Listening to the right podcast or audiobook can change how you work and live, with hosts and authors delivering practical tools and advice right to your phone. According to Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2024 study, over 100 million Americans listen to a podcast each week (via Forbes). Your time is valuable, but listening to content while working from home, commuting, or exercising is a great way to make the most of your day and learn something new.
Discover some of the most popular podcasts and audiobooks that will shift your mindset, inspire new ideas, and help you stay focused on achieving your goals.
Podcasts
Beyond the To-Do List: Host Erik Fisher speaks with productivity experts to share practical productivity strategies for their personal and professional lives. As he and his guests explore a variety of relatable topics, he educates listeners on how productivity can lead to living a meaningful life.
The Productivity Show: From the team at Asian Efficiency, this podcast teaches you how to quickly knock out your to-do list, set achievable goals, and automate repetitive tasks—all to ultimately boost your free time. Add this to your list if you’re looking for actionable steps that can transform how you structure your day.
The 5 AM Miracle: Hosted by Jeff Sanders, this energetic podcast focuses on how to dominate your day before breakfast. This means plenty of advice on managing early mornings, incorporating healthy habits, and enhancing daily performance.
How I Built This: Interviewing the world’s best-known entrepreneurs, Guy Raz opens the door for listeners to learn how iconic brands were built. With founders revealing the challenges and opportunities they faced throughout their journeys, this podcast is a true master class on innovation, creativity, and leadership.
Audiobooks
Atomic Habits: This bestseller is all about making tiny changes that lead to remarkable results, with author James Clear sharing approachable tips for replacing bad habits with good ones. By incorporating learnings from biology, psychology, and neuroscience, he helps reshape how you view progress and success.
Getting Things Done: From bestselling author David Allen, this book provides readers with the foundation for business and personal productivity. If you want to upgrade your task and project management systems, consider this your blueprint.
Feel Good Productivity: In this book, Dr. Ali Abdaal reveals what he considers an easier and happier path to success. He shares how understanding the science of feel-good productivity can help you overcome procrastination, prevent burnout, and achieve lasting fulfillment.
The 4-Hour Workweek: Redefining what productivity can look like, Timothy Ferriss shows readers how to live more and work less. Actionable strategies for automation and delegation are paired with practical tips and case studies from readers, providing a comprehensive guide to productivity from a variety of perspectives.
Now, it’s time to consider a few tips for getting the most out of your listening time:
- Connect to your fiber internet for uninterrupted streaming and downloads
- Try listening during your dead time—think commutes, workouts and chores
- Set listening goals or make notes to remember your favorite takeaways
- Use apps like Audible or Spotify with playback speed control and bookmark capabilities
Small changes, like what you listen to, can make a big difference in how you approach everyday life. Challenge yourself by trying out a new podcast or audiobook this week. You may be surprised how inspiring just 30 minutes of discussion can motivate you to make impactful, lasting changes.