There are only 24 hours a day. Yet, when broken down, how many of those hours are actually productive? Take away the time spent sleeping, eating, and getting ready to do things, and you’re left with not much time at all. Time becomes a limited resource to spend on what you actually want to do.
Let me introduce you to the concept of, “NET” time, which stands for, “No Extra Time.” It’s the practice of converting time that’s usually a byproduct of something else into time that’s well spent. Take, for example, the time to do the dishes (a byproduct of cooking or eating) or the time to do the laundry (a byproduct of having clean clothes). And my personal favorite is commuting (a byproduct of getting where you want to go).
Fortunately, NET time is a way to take this time back. About a year ago, I started this practice by committing to using my time in the most fulfilling and efficient way possible. But not only did I want to earn back time in my day, I also wanted to fill it with ways to feed my brain.
That’s when I discovered the genius of self-help podcasts. Of course, I’ve been familiar with plenty of these personal development and spiritual leaders before, but this was the first time I digested their teachings only auditorily. The countless hours spent on the road would now be put to good use.
First on my list is Oprah’s Super Soul. This podcast is a personal collection of Oprah’s interviews to awaken and guide you to become your best self. There are new episodes weekly and average about 40 minutes per episode.
I used to consider myself a bandwagon Oprah fan. I knew she was a talk show host for The Oprah Winfrey Show. I knew she was once the world’s only Black billionaire. I knew she was very open about her past struggles and used what she learned to inspire others. But it wasn’t until I started to listen to her speak and host interviews, that I developed a personal reason to love her.
There truly is something captivating about her show. Oprah is able to create a safe space that simultaneously empowers and validates her guests. Not only does she have an environment of growth and generosity, but she also keeps it fun. The interviews are casual and lighthearted but always go deeper by hitting at the heart of a conversation.
One of my favorite episodes is with Lady Gaga in “Super Soul Special: Lady Gaga: Heal Through Kindness” that originally aired in 2019. Gaga explains her attitude of, “Rebellious kindness,” her inspiration to become an entrepreneur through Haus Laboratories, and shares intimate details about her life. It’s evident that she’s enjoying the interview and is speaking from a place of love and confidence.
Oprah captures quotable and important parts of a response by saying, “Say that again” or, “That’s a tweetable moment.” She slows down the information, gives her audience time to digest, and frames moments into a distilled snapshot. At the same time, she’s elevating the response itself by giving it time to shine. Oprah’s able to tease out the thought process of anyone — celebrities, visionaries, and experts — in a way that resonates with her audience. Large ungraspable concepts suddenly become heartfelt in bite-sized chunks available to beginners and seasoned listeners alike.
If you’d like to dive into more Super Soul episodes, I highly recommend the episodes with Dwyane Johnson, Former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Suzy Amis Cameron. Those were the three that cemented my love of Oprah. Although all three of them are drastically different people, Oprah nonetheless is able to relate, match, and brighten them each on a personal level.
My other favorite podcast is The Tim Ferriss Show. Not only does he have an extremely cool soundbite for an intro, but Tim is a professional when it comes to deconstructing world-class experts and formulating shortcuts for the audience to get to where they want to be. His style is fast paced, to the point, and power-packed.
His interview questions alternate between ones that give the guest room to expand in any direction and targeted ones that pinpoint a specific area. Concrete examples, tools, and techniques are teased out, but the podcast still maintains a casual tone since Tim is an easy person to talk to. Although they run longer averaging around around 1.5 hours for each, every episode leaves me extremely satisfied.
One of my favorite episodes was Hugh Jackman’s episode in “Hugh Jackman on Best Decisions, Daily Routines, The 85% Rule, Favorite Exercises, Mind Training, and Much More” originally released in 2020. Not only is Grant an incredibly humble and down-to-earth person, but Tim was able to pull so many golden nuggets from their time together. After finishing the episode, I walked away with another role model in my life.
If you’d like to give The Tim Ferriss Show a try, a few episodes I recommend are with Elizabeth Gilbert, Tony Robbins, and Marie Kondo. Once again, they were all completely life-changing. Don’t wait. Go use that NET time, try out a new podcast, and find what works for you.
