Why I Stopped Listening To Podcasts
And how I started enjoying the moment
Information is everywhere. It has never been easy to learn about anything you want. However, that easiness can also put a lot of pressure on me.
I started a gaming company in 2012, and for a long time, I was obsessed with learning. I could not waste any of my time. I later found out that I could do activities while listening to podcasts or audiobooks.
The most popular tip that I saw was to use the time of commuting, working out, or washing the dishes to listen to a podcast or an audiobook. I could be learning something while doing some other activity.
That sounded awesome!
I was about to become a master of productivity. Or at least I thought that was going to happen.
Multitasking
I first tried listening to audiobooks, but I didn’t like the experience. I prefer to read a book than listening to it. I decided to give it a try on listening to podcasts.
I started heavily listening to them at my gym time. I work out six times per week at lunchtime (between 11 AM to 1 PM). I like to take a big break so I can come back to work revitalized. I already tried working out other times, and that is the time that better works for me.
As I am to spend about one hour at the gym, I decided to use this time to also listen to podcasts. I was the founder and CEO of a gaming company, and I had the job to make it grow. What better use of my time could I make while working out, right?
I did that for a while, and it was very nice. I listened to a lot of useful stuff, and I usually come back to work full of ideas or even with solutions for a problem that I’ve been thinking about. What’s the problem with that then?
I have a cousin that also likes to go to the gym like me. I once told him that I was listening to podcasts while I was working out, and he said something that shocked me: he preferred to listen to music so he could focus better at the training.
At first, I thought he was lazy to not enjoy gym time with something clever playing in his ears. But then later I realized that I’ve been not working out properly anymore. I was so concerned about paying attention to the podcast that I wasn’t doing the exercises correctly.
There is a difference between people who go to the gym and people who really work out. If I want to work out well, I have to pay attention to how I do the exercises. I need to pay all your attention to how I squeeze my muscles.
If I don’t do that, I will be wasting my time at the gym, either if I want to gain muscle or lose weight.
Information is good, right?
I gained 30 pounds during this period that I’ve been listening to podcasts while working out. I wasn’t training properly, and I was discounting my feelings by eating a lot. I was going through a lot at my company and I faced burnout.
I started therapy, and after a few months, I learned that I was demanding too much for myself. I could not waste any time. That’s why I tried to consume information any time I could. However, that wasn’t making me feel good.
I had 30 pounds to lose and decided to do fasted-cardio for about 30 minutes as soon as I wake up. I decided that I would use this moment to listen to a podcast as I was just walking.
After a few days of doing that, I noticed that I couldn’t pay attention to the information that I was listening from the podcast. My body takes some time to wake up fully, and I couldn’t get most of the information I was listening to.
I felt guilty at first for not thoroughly enjoying the podcast, but then I remember something that I have read on Tools of Titans from Tim Ferriss. Most of the people that he interviewed had a moment of mindfulness or meditation during their morning routine.
I already tried to meditate, but that didn’t work for me. As I was doing the fasted-cardio close to parks full of trees from where I live, I decided to try on mindfulness.
As I walk in the morning, not listening to any podcast, I can concentrate on my own thoughts. I can enjoy the beautiful trees full of leaves and different architectures of the neighborhood without any guilty.
I usually carry a smile on my face as I can now fully enjoy the moment. As I go back to my home, I’m ready to rock for the rest of the day.
Life is happening now
It took me a year to lose the 30 pounds I gained while listening to many hours of information. During all those months, I worked out listening to music that motivated me to keep working out. I like to listen to heavier songs so I can concentrate better and put some anger on the weights.
I don’t need to demand too much of myself. There is time to learn and enjoy my day if I plan correctly. I consume information through other mediums now, and the podcast doesn’t work for me. It may work for you, though.
I work from home for more than seven years, so I don’t have a commute to make. If I had to commute, I would probably try to listen to podcasts.
I don’t travel too much by plane, but when I do, I use this moment to listen to some podcasts. I also take my Kindle with me so I can read during the flight. If I notice that I’m too tired to get the information, I put some songs to play — no guilty with that anymore.
Life is happening now. I better enjoy my days the best way I can and not be feeling guilty for not consuming enough information or not being productive. We all have good and bad days.
