I’m a baby boomer, and I’m hooked on podcasts. But I have first-hand knowledge that other people of all ages and backgrounds don’t really know what all the fuss is about. So I’d like to share my thoughts.
Before the pandemic, I spent a LOT of time in the car. I love listening to music, and tried audiobooks (not for me), but wondered if I was missing a chance for something more. About 10 years ago, one of my grown children told me about a podcast he liked, and I said “tell me more”. Turns out I didn’t care for that particular podcast, but when asking some friends if they listened to them, got some ideas, including “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know”.
I listened to 2 or 3 episodes of TMSIDK, and that was all she wrote. But I still had to do a bit of work;
- I had to figure out the specifics of listening (connecting my cell to the car’s Bluetooth, picking a podcast app), and …
- choosing podcasts to listen to (which is a lot like deciding what to watch on TV, only with lots more choices)
For the first, I asked my kids (I often wonder when the direction of advice-giving and receiving changed in my life).
For the second, I asked my friends, coworkers, customers, suppliers, and anyone who would stand still long enough.
An addict was born.
So (finally …) I’m getting to “Why should I care?”. Here are the top five (5) reasons;
- Old dogs can (really!) learn new tricks; I’ve learned so much, including things I’ve used professionally and personally, plus things I’ll never use but are soooo interesting
- I needed the exercise. Not that kind of exercise, but mental exercise. Brain elasticity is a thing, and my elastic was wearing out. Podcast listening has helped.
- Professional enrichment. I’ve read hundreds of business and self-help books, but that reading time almost never gave me a decent ROTU (return on time used). But audio learning (at least for work and personal improvement stuff) is far more effective when I listen rather than read.
- No more lampshades. I’ve learned so many cool things that I can be the life of the party without … you know.
- IT’S FUN! Almost without exception, after I listen to a podcast episode, I’m happier and nicer. The reasons why largely escape me, but my wife will tell you that “who cares about the reasons!”.
As I’m writing this (Jan 2021) I haven’t been driving much (another COVID side effect), so my easy listening opportunities changed dramatically. Sometime around March – April 2020 I was going through serious withdrawal. I had to create new habits. Let me tell you something; if I went through the trouble of creating new habits, that tells a heck of a lot about how important this was to me. I started scheduling a couple 30 – 45 minute walks in my day where I could get away from my desk (and get outside in the real world) and also feed my addiction. It’s been GREAT!
Stay tuned to this blog page in the future, and I’ll be sharing some of my favorite shows, and also reviewing some specific episodes I think that YOU might find really interesting. Do you have a favorite podcast you’d like to share?
