Top 5 Podcasts for Self Development

I always try to make the best use of my time. Time is so precious, and we only get so many hours a day. As a life coach, I’m constantly helping my clients uplevel their lives, meaning that I have to constantly improve and nourish my own well-being, mindset, and personal development.

A while ago, I began listening to podcasts on the Stitcher App on a daily basis. I love how the app allowed me to create playlists and I can save episodes in advance and download them to listen on the go. Listening to podcasts while exercising, cooking, cleaning, doing repeating tasks etc, have made me feel so much more productive since I am getting things done while also gaining new knowledge at the same time.

Whenever I feel uninspired or depressed, listening to podcasts is also one the ways that made me feel much better and become motivated again. Here are more ways on how to take care of yourself when you’re depressed.

Today I want to dive into the personal development category. Below I am sharing 5 of my favorite podcasts on self growth and personal development that will inspire you to be better.

TOP 5 PODCASTS FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

1.OPTIMAL LIVING DAILY

I can honestly say this is my top podcast to listen to about self development. Justin Malik, the creator/narrator of the show, chooses one article every day from a different blog or book and reads them to us, so we can take a break from using our eyes. Each episode is only 10 minute long, covering topics relating to personal development, minimalism, productivity, growth etc. It serves as a quick reminder for me and has become a habit for me to tune in daily. Some of these episodes are so useful that I even went back online to find the actual article to read more about it. Best of all, Justin has such a soothing voice.

Some of my favorite episodes:

• Episode 786: The Whirlwind Tour of Getting Things Done 

• Episode 638: Help! My Mind Goes Blank When I Talk to People

• Episode 662: 10 Meaningful Lessons from The Story of the Mexican Fisherman

• Episode 692 & 693: 7 Ways to Stay Strong when Everything Goes Wrong  

2. THE SHEROIC PODCAST

This show is hosted by two female entrepreneurs Lisa Bailyeu and Cassey Ho, covering topics about women empowerment. Lisa is the Co-Founder of Quest Nutrition and President of Impact Theory, and Cassey is the owner and creator of youtube channel Blogilates. There are only 25 episodes but I really enjoyed the content is all 25 episodes. This is a great show to listen to if you want to be inspired by female power, definitely check it out!

My favorite episodes:

• Episode 2: Hate Your Body? Here’s why you shouldn’t 

• Episode 18: How to Finally Get Rid of Your Grudge

• Episode 16: Super-Charge Your Life in 5-4-3-2-1 with Mel Robbins 

3. SCHOOL OF GREATNESS

Every time after listening to one of Lewis Howe’s episode, I always feels motivated to dive into my personal and professional work. Lewis is a former athlete, book author, and motivational speaker. What makes this show very special is all the best  speakers brought onto the show. Lewis is a great interviewer. He has a way of asking questions that can bring out a more personal and vulnerable side of the guests.

Note that most episodes can be quite lengthy at around one hour per episode. However, they all have great content so I would suggest listening to them in parts. I also really enjoyed Lewis’s solo episodes and 5 minute Fridays. You’re missing out if you haven’t listened to this show!

My Favorite episodes:

• Episode 592 Danica Patrick: Mindset, Spirituality, and Living Fully

• Episode 572 Rachel Platten: Never Give Up on Your Dreams

• Episode 341 Elizabeth Gilbert: Creating Big Magic and Staying Grounded

• Five Minute Friday Episode 597 Sekou Andrews: Raise Your Voice

4. HOW I BUILT THIS WITH GUY RAZ: NPR

I recently discovered this podacast and I’m obsessed over it! It’s very inspiring to listen to innovators and entrepreneurs share about their stories and struggles of creating different world-famous brands and companies. If you scroll through the episodes, you will find at least one guest speaker of a brand that you love.

As I listen to all these stories from successful entrepreneurs and CEO’s, I realized all of them have two common traits – determination and hard work.  Not all of these people come from privileged backgrounds, not all of these people are lucky from the start. They have worked their way up slowly, and grabbed the right opportunities whenever they can.

Here are two episodes that have stuck with me:

• Spanx: Sarah Blakely

• Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter

5. HBR IDEACAST

This podcast invites different guests to share about an idea mostly revolving around business and leadership. Some of these guests are famous book authors and entrepreneurs and have great insights to share. Because each topic is more specific, I usually pick and choose the ones with topics that are relevant to me.

Here are some of my favorites:

• Episode 613: Controlling your emotions during negotiation

• Episode 453: Set Habits You’ll Actually Keep with Gretchin Rubin

• Episode 506: Stop Focusing on Your Strengths

Lastly, make sure to also check out my podcast:

DARING LIVING PODCAST

On the podcast I share life coaching lessons, insights, and honest talks about what it means to live a passionate, daring life. We will explore topics such as overcoming your fears, practicing self-compassion, building self-discipline, and creating the ideal life you’ve always wanted. Here are some popular episodes:

• Practicing These 3 Emotions Will Help You Grow

• Unconditional Self Love

• How to Be Consistent

• How to Calm Your Anxiety

• Positive Mindset v.s. Effective Mindset

Listen on Apple Podcast
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Stitcher
Listen on the Blog

Hopefully these podcasts will provide inspiration and give you the motivation to want to be better every day.

Comment below and let me know if you’ve listened to any of these podcasts and found them useful! 🙂

Cheers,

Shir

Shirley Huang is a Certified Life Coach, Podcast Host, and online educator. She provides weekly resources to help people become leaders in their life, while loving themselves and having fun a long the way. Check out her Life Coaching Programs here.