7 Podcasts to boost your productivity

The humble podcast, with the added convenience of being able to listen as you commute, cook or walk the neighbour’s dog, is quickly becoming the biggest piece of the self-improvement puzzle.

There’s no shortage of podcasts out there to help us become more productive employees, savvier entrepreneurs and increasingly tuned-in individuals. Here’s a roundup of some of our favourites:

The Tim Ferriss Show

Tim Ferriss is the so-called Oprah of Audio. Best-selling author of The Four Hour Workweek, Ferriss’ weekly-ish podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, in which he deconstructs the tactics used by a range of world-leading pro guests—from Sophia Amoruso to Jamie Foxx—across fields such as investment, sports, business and art to extract tools and routines you can use to boost your own productivity.

We recommend What I’d Add to The 4-Hour Work Week for 2015 (And Much More), a compilation of 3 episodes (20 min. each) in which Tim answers his listeners most popular questions and discusses proven strategies on how to avoid decision fatigue. Ready for more? Check out Naval Ravikant on Happiness Hacks and the 5 Chimps Theory (1:02 min.).

Extreme Productivity

This one does exactly what it says on the tin. Seeing people overworked and overwhelmed, New York Times bestselling author Kevin Kruse sought to uncover the secrets behind achieving productivity while also feeling a sense of peace and balance. Each 15-minute show is based on insights gained from his interviews with over 200 highly successful people including billionaires, Olympic athletes, Silicon-valley entrepreneurs and even straight-A students.

One episode that’s sure to stick with you is Kevin Harrington’s #1 Productivity Tip (13 min.) where you’ll discover how the number 1440 could immediately change your daily habits.

Home Work

Home Work is an increasingly popular resource for those working from home, whether freelancer or telecommuter, aimed to help boost productivity outside the structure of the office. Host Dave Caolo shares weekly advice on how to make the most of your work week through effective communication and time management strategies.

Our favourites include Home Work Lessons (17 min.) which covers a not-so-typical list of lessons learned after seven years of working from home, or if you struggle to find the right personal task management tool, To-do App Essential Features (35 min.) gives a useful breakdown of how to narrow down the search.

Quick and Dirty Tips

Each week, Get it Done Guy Steve Robbins gives inventive productivity and organization tips to help us work smarter, not harder. Are you buried in email? Stever will tell you how to dig your way out. Is technology holding you captive? Stever will help you evaluate your devices and only use the ones that actually help you get stuff done.

This podcast is exactly what the title suggests: quick and actionable advice to make you a more effective human being. It covers a wide range of topics from How to Get More Out of Conferences (8 min.) to How to Apologize using the Five Apology Languages (6 min.) and everything in between.

Smart People Podcast

Smart People Podcast is, in the words of hosts Chris Stemp and Jon Rojas “simply a place to hear cool stuff from even cooler people.” They reach out to leading professionals in various industries to pick their oversized brains and pass that information along to listeners.

This series delivers fascinating conversations on just about anything, and it’s a pleasure to listen in. In the latest episode, How Pride Can Help You Achieve Your Goals (50 min.) with Dr. Jessica Tracy we’re taught how pride is essential for helping us become our best, brightest selves. Extraordinary Productivity (45 min.) with author Kory Kogan might be of particular interest to all of you trying to find ways to get the most out of every day.

TED Radio Hour

The TED Radio Hour is a bite-sized journey through fascinating ideas. It’s not all about productivity, but it’s all thoroughly thought-provoking: astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, new ways to think and create. Based on talks from the world-renowned TED stage, each show has a common theme – such as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts, or inexplicable connections.

There are plenty of great episodes to pick from, two absolute favorites. The Next Greatest Generation? (50 min.) will have you pondering whether millennials may actually be onto something when it comes to redefining work and success in today’s society.

The Action Catalyst

Bestselling author and leading expert on self-discipline Rory Vaden knows a thing or two about habits for success. His podcast also features other renowned experts including psychologists, entrepreneurs and even his 100-year old grandmother to share insights and inspiration to help you take action, learn how to increase your self-discipline and make better use of your time to help you achieve your goals in life and business.

We suggest you check out “Marcia Wieder: Dreams, Purpose and Vision” to find out why Rory considers his grandma’s perspective on the world simply amazing.