Why Listen to a Productivity Podcast?
Because just like your mom who used to absently nod her head and say “uh huh” while you told her a 10 minute story about what happened at school, sometimes it’s nice to not pause what you’re doing so you can listen to some (somewhat useful?) audio content.
If you’re struggling to be productive and keep up with all of your to-do items you probably don’t have time to sit and read. With a podcast, you can get the advice and motivation you need while you accomplish other tasks like exercising or commuting.
There’s a ton of shows out there you can listen to to help you be more productive. Here is a list of 10 that we think are a great place to start. Most of these podcasts are available on Apple, Spotify, or any other podcast platform you might be on.
*Bonus tip: Make sure to apply what you hear. It’s not productive if you listen to podcasts all day but don’t change your life accordingly! One of the best ways you can apply the productivity principles you learn is by using a solid productivity app. We recommend our own Todo Cloud to help you prioritize and keep track of everything you need to do. The app is free, easy to use and learn, and is frequently touted as one of the best ways to get more productivity out of your day!
1. The Productivity Show
The Productivity Show is a top notch podcast done by Thanh Pham’s company Asian Efficiency. The main focus of the show is getting more done in less time and is the main focus of Asian efficiency. They also know that there is no perfect formula to being more productive that works for everyone. They provide universal principles and a wide range of tips to help you figure out what works for you, no matter what kind of task list you might be battling. The show is hosted by Thanh Pham and Brooks Duncan. They have an occasional guest but most episodes are condensed tips.
Episodes range from 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Time and Attention
Time and Attention is a great podcast for listeners who like shorter episodes focused on a single productivity or time management principle. The host Chris Bailey shares insight on what really has the potential to make you more productive and what is just smoke. (There’s a lot of smoke out there, afterall.) He has done productivity experiments to know what would happen if you used your smartphone for only an hour a day, if you only drank water, if you woke up at 5:30 AM every morning, and other fascinating exercises.
Most episodes are between 20 and 30 minutes long.
3. Beyond the To Do List
Beyond the To Do List is a collection of interviews between Erik Fisher and his productivity expert guests. Here you’ll find amazing conversations where these experts share their own experiences with the principles they teach. You’ll get in depth and practical advice on a different aspect of productivity in every episode. Erik’s end goal is to help his listeners live a well balanced, fulfilling and meaningful life. Kind of a unique and neat focus for this kind of podcast.
Episodes are about 40 minutes.
4. Order of Man
Order of Man is a fantastic men’s podcast hosted by Ryan Michler. Ryan does interviews with highly successful and influential men every monday. Some of his notable guests have been Terry Crews, Dave Ramsey, Matthew McConaughey, Jocko Willink and other high caliber men. His content often includes tips and frameworks to help you be more productive. Each week he has additional episodes on wednesdays and fridays where he takes audience questions and gives advice on topics like careers, family, fitness, and personal development.
Monday and Wednesday episodes are about an hour while Friday episodes are 15 to 25 minutes.
5. The 5 AM Miracle Podcast
The 5 AM Miracle Podcast is another quick to the point podcast that focuses on practical productivity advice. The 5 AM Miracle podcast has been a #1 in Apple Podcasts Self-Help and Business Categories and has been recognized in other publications. Jeff Sander’s the host picks one principle to focus on for each episode and talks about tactics to apply to your own life.
Episodes lately have been about 15 to 30 minutes long, but many of his older interview episodes are closer to 40 minutes.
6. Hurry Slowly
Jocelyn Glei has great advice on how to take control of your life especially when using the internet. Her podcast Hurry Slowly tackles the mental health aspect of productivity. Encouraging her listener’s to be productive by slowing down and finding a calm mind. She’s made it her mission to help people dictate how they spend their time and not let online distractions get in the way.
Episodes are longer at 50 minutes to over an hour.
7. Nick Huber
Nick Huber is an incredibly underrated podcaster for owners of service businesses. He has two podcasts The Nick Huber Show about real estate investing and The Sweaty Startup about small service business. If you’re looking for more tips around the business side of productivity, he gives great actionable advice on starting and growing a small business. Nick bases his advice on principles he learned starting a small student storage company to running a multi million dollar self storage real estate business. He still manages to include great day to day advice to help you build your own career every week.
Episodes are short, running from 7 to 20 minutes.
8. Back to Work
Back to Work is an entertaining talk show hosted by Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin. This show is a little different. Its episodes are longer and they don’t just throw out tips. The hosts are hilarious and entertain their audience with stories and jokes about different productivity podcasts. If you’re looking for a podcast with a more entertaining vibe, but that you can still learn from, check these guys out.
Episodes run from an hour to an hour and a half.
9. The Productive Woman
The Productive Woman is hosted by Laura McClellan, a successful lawyer, mother, wife, and productivity enthusiast. She hosts great guests once a month, who she has authentic conversations with about how they deal with the things that are important to them. It’s not just a pitch for someone’s book or other concepts, it’s real conversations that get to the heart of what’s important in life. This is a solid podcast where you’ll learn how to manage mental health, career, family, and all the other things you need to have a productive life. Highly applicable to women who, like her, are juggling several life responsibilities!
Episodes are typically 30 to 40 minutes long.
10. Focus on This
Focus on This is the Business and Productivity podcast put out by Michael Hyatt’s coaching company. The team puts out consistent high quality content for their listeners and you’ll be able to get something out of it no matter where you work. They teach you how to filter the unnecessary parts of work out of your life so that you can focus on the things that matter. A big part of this podcast is helping you to get necessary work done without sacrificing your home life. Topics include productivity, entrepreneurship, and team leadership.
Episodes are typically 20 to 30 minutes long and release on mondays.
We hope you find immense value listening to these podcasts here! In your quest to become more productive we recommend you use all the resources available to you. Our app Todo Cloud can help you to be more productive, organize your team, and accomplish more of the things that matter every day.
Any great productivity podcasts out there that we missed? Please leave us a comment!
