Five podcasts to supercharge your productivity

Designed to inspire, energise and inform, productivity podcasts are a quickfire way to get you in the creative zone. Here are our top choices for 2021

Whatever line of work you’re in, podcasts can be a great way to learn about business trends, gain useful insights from others or just get motivated. Join the listening club: A 2020 study by Convince and Convert showed that more than 100 million people listened to a podcast at least once a month – a figure that’s 37% higher than three years ago.

So, with podcast space prime real estate on every entrepreneur’s smartphone, we’ve chosen five of our favourites to help inspire you for the year ahead.

1. Power Hour

Reclaim the first hour of your day with the Power Hour podcast. Hosted by wellness guru, author and TEDx speaker, Adrienne Herbert, the weekly podcast offers tricks and tips on developing a positive mindset and building the life you love in just one hour a day. Episodes range from 40 minutes to an hour and include interviews with coaches, creatives and entrepreneurs who share their morning routines, daily rituals and the rules they live by. Recent guests include Olympic gold medallist, Dame Kelly Holmes, and beauty and wellness entrepreneur, Liz Earle.

Power Hour

2. Life Kit

For some, setting aside an hour a day to listen to a podcast can feel a little over-ambitious. Life Kit by NPR is an ongoing series of short, sharp podcasts that offer practical information and guidance to help listeners “navigate life’s big and small decisions”. Usually around 15 to 20 minutes long, with episodes released every day or two, Life Kit is easy to fit into your morning routine. Hosted by a different voice each day, the 2021 season kicks off with episodes including Five Steps To Shake The Feeling That You’re An Impostor and Procrastination Is More Than Putting Things Off. Here’s How To Kick the Habit.

Life Kit

3. The Tim Ferriss Show

Named “the Oprah of audio” by Observer, you can’t help but be motivated by Tim Ferriss’ vigour and enthusiasm. Best known for his 2007 book, New York Times bestseller The 4-Hour Work Week, Ferriss launched his podcast in 2014. Offering an in-depth probe into successful peoples’ lives, Tim’s guest list includes some big name players, who come on to talk about their daily routines, and the key tools and tactics they use for productivity and success. Recent guests include, co-founder of Netflix Marc Randolph, billionaire businessman David Rubenstein, and legendary Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps.

The Tim Ferriss Show

4. Start With This

Hosted by the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink, this entertaining podcast is all about being creative, whether you’re writing a book, creating a product or producing a podcast. The shows run between 25 and 45 minutes and explore important creative issues such as being consistent, meeting deadlines and collaborating with others. But what makes this podcast different is at the end of each episode the hosts give their listeners homework, usually something to consume (one episode suggests watching Schitt’s Creek) and something to create, such as a 200-word description of your neighbourhood, as a kind of creative prompt.

Start with this

5. The 5AM Miracle

The phrase ‘the early bird catches the worm’ has never been truer, reckons productivity coach and author of best-selling book The 5AM Miracle, Jeff Sanders. The 30-40 minute podcasts focus on creating morning rituals and good habits in order to ‘dominate the day before breakfast’. Episodes drop every Monday morning and offer practical advice and motivational tips on how to make the absolute most of your day. Now boasting more than nine million downloads, the lively coach calls on guests such as Dr Deepak Chopra and Kent Yoshimura to discuss Nootropics gum and getting a mental edge.

The 5AM Miracle

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