Popular personal development episodes from our flagship podcast, Optimal Living Daily.
We’ve compiled a list of the episodes with the most downloads per month over the past year.
Check out our list from previous years: 2018 | 2019
There’s also a top episodes list from the advice column podcast in our network.
Personal Development Episodes: Minimalism, Happiness, and More
2020 was an extremely harrowing year.
I was just reading this post by Michael Mehlberg (whose episode you can find in the list below) on how to destress during a time of massive anxiety.
Did you know that as of July 9th, 2020 there were 153,000 more deaths than normal that were not covid related across 28 countries? It’s a likely reflection of the underlying stress that causes a multitude of other physical and emotional issues.
While self-growth is always something to aspire towards, self-care is something to prioritize during tough times, too.
Personal Development Episodes to Improve Your Mindset
If you don’t sleep well at night, is it because you’re reading about negative news in the one to two hours before your bedtime?
Think about how your mental state could be much better if you chose to do different activities during that time, whether it's listening to one of the episodes below or trying something like Calm App to get into a more relaxed state.
If you’re checking out these episodes for the first time, keep in mind a positive mindset.
A small step to make a positive change in your life is much better than spending lots of time and energy on anxiety or depression for feeling like you could have done better in the past.
Ready to Optimize Your Life?
Here's our list of personal development episodes with the most downloads per month in 2020.
1. Michael Mehlberg on Planning Today for Tomorrow
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
JAN 2020: In this episode on how to create a plan today to maximize tomorrow, Mehlberg begins by sharing how Benjamin Franklin designed his day with a simple daily schedule. Let us know if this simple tip helps you become more organized and productive.
I have a bunch of journals for different purposes. Writing down your goals or to-do lists always helps, especially when you’re short on time or have too many things going on at the same time. It helps you to focus, get down to business, and single-task.
2. Andrew James on Pursuing a Balanced Life
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
FEB 2020: Essayist Andrew James discusses the pursuit of a balanced life. He also helps you tap into your creative side, which might not be in the traditionally artistic sense in the form of drawings or paintings. Listen to this episode to think about the connections you’ve created with others, or solutions you’ve found to pressing problems in your life. James also shares how to to use this natural aptitude for creativity to live with more meaning.
3. TK Coleman on Continuous Improvement
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
MAR 2020: TK Coleman is an entrepreneurial education director. This is a good episode to check out if you always feel held back by obstacles in your life. Coleman’s discussion on options and perspective might help you see things differently and make the most of what you have in front of you.
4. Allison Carmen on Building a Positive Mindset
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
APR 2020: Can you choose how you feel? Is it really due to fear of the future or because you’re not getting what you want right now? Carmen asks us to pause and think about the cause of a negative outlook. Building a positive mindset is like building any other habit. It takes time and effort, but the reward of a healthier mindset is well worth working towards.
5. Randi Kay on Being Optimistic During Dark Times
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
MAY 2020: Who among us hasn’t gotten angry or tired from something we saw online? Kay shares some simple tips on what you can do to stay optimistic during times when there seems to be nothing but negativity and darkness. One tip is using social media wisely, and Kay shares her experience on why social media isn’t the place to make a real difference most of the time. She also covers some ground on how to go about self-healing with tough experiences.
6. Courtney Carver on How Less is More
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
JUNE 2020: Ever wondered about the saying, “less is more?” Carver’s vision embodies this saying with her Be More With Less website. In this episode, she shares a solid range of tips with examples of how doing less will help you to actually do more and accomplish more.
7. Marc Chernoff on Self-Talk
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
JULY 2020: How you communicate with others is important, but how you communicate with yourself is just as vital. How you talk to yourself has an impact on your outlook on life. Chernoff gives an overview of six effective topics you can use as you evaluate your self-talk, so that you’re more aware of the thoughts and beliefs you are repeating to yourself the next time you engage in it.
8. Chris Lovett on Imposter Syndrome
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
AUG 2020: Do you ever feel like you’re not good enough or that your own thoughts are characterized by self-sabotage? Lovett shares a number of ways that you can put aside these negative thoughts. Listen to his advice if you find yourself constantly feeling depressed and demoralized because you compare yourself to others (especially if you feel like “giving up” because you think you’ll never be as accomplished as the people you’re comparing yourself against).
9. Melani Schweder on Self-Acceptance and Self-Love
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
SEPT 2020: Blocking out negative or painful emotions may work in the short-term. However, it isn’t the same thing as true healing. Schweder explains how you don’t heal through denying pain, and that the healing process only occurs when you go through the painful feelings. This is a wonderful episode to listen to if you want to hear more about what it’s like to have a personal space for yourself that’s a judgment and shame-free zone where you can explore both your good and bad memories.
10. Joshua Fields Millburn on Effort
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
OCT 2020: You may know what your natural skills and aptitudes are, but you still have to put in effort to make the most of them. Millburn explains how to make drudgery more fun, so that you increase the quality of your output once something becomes second nature to you.
11. David Cain on Minimalist Growth
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
NOV 2020: If you're a worrywart, you may rationalize that you HAVE to worry about anything that's important lest you get complacent about it. Cain talks about how he's narrowed down his daily life to a few key areas in which he's keen to advance in, which frees him up to worry less about other areas for the time being. This minimalist approach is similar to tangible minimalism when it comes to decluttering your material belongings.
Notes:
- You can check out our Ultimate Guide to Minimalism if you'd like to get started on decluttering.
12. Kat Medina on Experiencing Life
Read the original post or listen to the episode above.
DEC 2020: As Medina says, “2020 has been a year full of disappointments, problems, and unexpected setbacks.” Nobody could have predicted what we'd have to endure. Instead of focusing on the worst of the year, Medina encourages us to let it spark something deeper within us. We can't control events, but we can control how we react to them and she shares how that helps us to live a fuller life.
Personal Development Episodes: OLD Podcast Workbook
If you've enjoyed these episodes, you might want to check out our newly launched workbook which has prompts for you to improve your life in multiple areas.
The hardcopy is available in the U.S. for now, and a digital copy should be available sometime this year for international customers (it’s a much more economical option due to astronomical international mailing rates).
Editor's Note: We have six shows in our podcast network to optimize your life in multiple areas (health, personal finance, and more).
To learn more, visit our “start here” page or click on each logo below to learn more about each show!
