The Steelman Case For Podcasts

I don’t know exactly what spurred this change or why it happened. But, the correlation between listening to podcasts and the improvement of my life has been undeniable.

Now, you could argue correlation vs causation but that seems unproductive given the outcome.

The reason this is so weird for me is because I have been deeply entrenched in listening to music my entire life.

Some of my oldest memories are falling asleep listening to oldies on the radio that sat on my bedside stool as a kid…

Road trips with Shania Twain…

The 4 foot tall CD racks in the basement…

I’m pretty sure one year my Spotify Wrapped told me I listened to music half the time I was awake…

You could convince me to go to any live music event and I used to plan my summers around concerts and music festivals.

All that is to say, I love music.

So why podcasts?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that listening to the wisdom of other people can improve your own life. The key is the format.

Most people don’t have time to sit down and watch a 1 to 3 hour video about life skills, finance, relationships or mental health. But, most people do have 1 to 3 hours of commuting and chores that need to get done every day.

Without much effort you can substitute your regular listening of top 40 hits with a podcast about anything. The passive nature of podcasts allows them to be consumed while doing other tasks (that usually don’t require your full attention).

Want to learn about cooking? There’s a podcast for that.

Want to learn how to start a business? There’s a podcast for that.

Want to learn how to stay in peak physical condition? There’s a podcast for that.

The internet’s “Rule 34” says: If it exists, there is porn of it. I think “Rule 43” can be: If it exists, someone has a podcast about it.

Here’s some life improvements I can directly attribute to listening to podcasts:

• The ability to change my mind when presented with nuanced information

• Less cynicism that seems to be popular among our generation

• Numerous marketing skills and tools that save me time

• Improved relationship and career communication skills

• Confidence speaking to a wide range of topics

• Understanding of the seasonality of life

• Evolutionary biology & psychology tips

• Common-sense finance skills

• Lowered day-to-day stress

• Future parenting strategy

• Simple workout structure

• My investment allocation

• Mental models

This is just a fraction of what I’ve learned in the last 3-4 years of listening. I’m so passionate about this because it’s the highest ROI activity you can do.

It costs you no extra TIME or MONEY, and can lead to unlimited knowledge.