Ever get the feeling of being entangled?
You’re enjoying yourself walking on campus or sitting at the cafe on your computer listening to music. You are listening to this music while either thinking about your day or doing something that might be studying or checking your Facebook.
What are you listening to?
Sure, I know I could be telling you to simply listen to upbeat, techno, or classical music to be productive while studying, but I’m not. Listening to this music will enhance your productivity in terms of focusing on and accomplishing what you are studying or doing.
Being productive though in what you want to do with your overall life is a challenge. Ever heard of audiobooks and/or podcasts?
Multi-Learning Instead of Multi-Tasking
Audiobooks and podcasts are forms of media that allow you to increase your multi-tasking. I’m talking about multi-tasking in the sense of multi-learning. I know and I do listen to music which enhances my productivity, but not my learning.
Music surely does wonders. There are so many moods and emotions that it pleases. One thing that it does not do though is teach us anything besides what we are focusing on or learning at the moment. I do know that music keeps are mind on what we are focusing on, but what if I told you that you could keep your mind focused on what you are learning and also learn something new.
This is when podcasts and audiobooks come in.
They are like someone reading a piece of information that you can find interesting or useful to what you want to learn about and they relate it to you.
Your Mind is on a Thrill Ride
Ever been on a thrill ride at an amusement park?
You get hit right away with so much in an instant that continues on and on, right? That will be the exact feeling you get when you start listening to an audiobook or podcast. The key is to pick a topic of interest to you just like with everything and I will assure that you will begin learning more with you mind be much more productive.
That’s it. Your mind will be more productive.
A Productive Mind
We have the ability to control our minds and much we push our learning.
Audiobooks and podcasts will push this learning and make our minds more productive. Think about the following thoughts:
- I wonder how to do ______ while I’m reviewing over my class lecture notes.
- I know that if I were to do ______ I could do ______ while reading a required book in the library.
- I’m going to see if ______ is really for me or if _______ is what I want to be doing or need to start doing all while writing a short essay.
The point I’m making here is that while we are studying or doing required assignment in college, there are always other things on our minds. Whether that be what you want to do with your major, more information about what you’re learning, or another interest you are curious about listening to an audiobook or podcast can keep that side of the mind busy while you spend time focusing on what is in front of you.
An Alternative
If you are not satisfied on trying out audiobooks or podcasts and seeing them improving your productivity. Then at least you will notice that they do free up your hands and allow for you to do other things like go for a walk, eat lunch, or take notes on what you want to learn. Imagine doing all of these with a book or some sort of actual reading material. Productivity just increased.
A video below points out this alternative.
It’s your choice.
Your Next Step
Give them a try. Podcasts can be found while searching through iTunes and audiobooks can be found the same way or through Amazon.com or Audible.com.
The LifeNotion: Learning is something we continually practice everyday. We can increase this and be more efficient by exploring audiobooks or podcasts.
by Derek Jensen
Derek is a 21-year-old college student that strives for inspiring others through his online presence. He is striving to inspire so many others and giving them the ability to inspire others as well. You will also find him talking about his passion with advertising and many other ideas and doing design work and consulting. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
Derek has published 37 inspirational posts for us.
This post has 4 responses
I thought for sure she was going to drop ketchup on the ipod. lol
I used to listen to audio books in the car. Things like Edgar Allan Poe. Cool stuff. I highly recommend them.
I will have to check into those. After I listened to Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It audiobook I am surely going to listen to more audiobooks.
And I guess the one downfall is that you could spill on technology verses just a book.
great advice for any college student!
I recently discovered the awesomeness of podcasts & audiobooks too. I finished the 4 Hr Workweek in about 2 weeks just from listening to it while walking to classes; that time really adds up.
A trick is just to have 1 earphone in when walking sometimes – that way you can listen and still be aware of what’s going on around you.
Appreciate your comment and I’m getting into audiobooks more and more. And that trick you do offer is certainly a good one for I do find myself doing that most of the time. But, I keep both in to totally focus on what I need to be listening to or doing.