Pick Me Up Podcasts: A review of motivational podcasts

As I enter my second wave of quarantining, I can’t help but mindlessly click the ‘Next Episode’ button when binging “The Vampire Diaries” or scroll endlessly through Princess Polly’s online site until my strained eyes beg me for a break. After the fifth time of ignoring my mom telling me to do something productive with my time, I decided to dig through my phone and find the app in my “extras” folder that I thought I’d never use — the Podcasts app. I tested out the potential of these podcasts to boost my motivation throughout the day, and my top three favorites were The Mindset Mentor, Everyday is Saturday and The School of Greatness.

“The Mindset Mentor” 5/5 stars

Scrolling through the positive mindset section on the Podcasts app, a mental health related podcast called “The Mindset Mentor” caught my attention with its promising name. Each episode dating back to 2015 was under 25 minutes — making it perfect for someone with a short attention span like me. Reading through the reviews, I couldn’t find a negative comment or rating below five stars. 

With high expectations, I clicked on a random episode and found myself zoned in for an hour worth of episodes listening to host Rob Dial discuss positivity, dealing with failure, how to “beat” fear and healthy habits for success. Dial mentioned in his “7 Keys For Being More Focused” episode that making a to-do list every morning will help set yourself up for a productive day. And that’s exactly what I did.

Testing his theory, I made a list every morning for a week with all my day’s tasks from math homework to laundry and noticed sticking to my list helped me not procrastinate, even if I only checked three of my 10 boxes that day. 

With Dial’s up-beat, encouraging tone, it’s very likely you’ll pick up on a few of his tips for being a more successful person. He ends every episode with the saying, “Make it your mission to make someones day better,” which made me feel a little more positive — considering I’m stuck in quarantine.   

“Everyday is Saturday” 5/5 stars

Looking to pass time while tackling the chaos and clutter of my bathroom, I turned on the podcast “Everyday is Saturday.” After skipping the first 10 seconds because of the loud, annoying intro music, my attention was caught by the energetic host.

The host Sam Crowley is one of those guys you feel like you’ve known without ever meeting him. His authentic stories that feature his kids, previous jobs and college struggles made it feel like he was an approachable guy having a real conversation with me. His high energy voice made me want to keep listening, continually motivating me to organize the mess under my sink.

Crowley explains how he was a college dropout failing to make money when he turned his life around by quitting the corporate business and built himself to become a successful entrepreneur. Sharing stories of his multiple failures to make money and lessons he’s learned on the way, he slips in moments of comedy that gave me a laugh while reorganizing my hair product cabinet. 

The episodes are all under 20 minutes, but I found myself wanting them to be longer, fascinated with Crowley’s animated personality and inspiring stories. If you’re ever looking to strengthen your motivation levels with practical and positive advice, I would definitely recommend hopping on the “Everyday is Saturday” train. 

“The School of Greatness” 4/5 stars

“The School of Greatness” was the perfect thing to entertain me while I tackled my overdue painting project. Intimidated by the hour and a half long episodes, I settled in with my artwork, put in headphones and pressed play.

The podcast features host Lewis Howes, who interviews authors, celebrities, athletes and business owners three times a week. People like Rachel Platten, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Hart and Tom Brady appear on his episodes, and each guest brings a unique perspective about becoming successful while discussing the struggles it took to reach their goals. Listening to Rachel Platten go in-depth about motherhood, mental health and manifestation made the hour and a half go by in what seemed like minutes.

And if you don’t have the time for an hour and a half to listen to a podcast, Howes has “5 Minute Fridays” where he shares quick inspirational tips covering different topics of motivation — helping you get ready for your weekend. I found that these shorter episodes were more my speed because he gets to the point fast while still leaving a lasting impression on my day. 

I would recommend “The School of Greatness” podcast to anyone interested in looking deeper into the raw lives of celebrities and business-minded people and their journey towards success.