Jeremy C Kester

My list of unplayed podcasts is growing long. Too long. Long enough that it is not only a distraction, but also a chore.

There are a lot of them I listen to simply when working. Spreadsheets and data analysis work are very good for listening to episodes as I can listen just enough and pay attention to the work still. If I get stuck on a problem in the data where I need a little extra focus, I can pause and continue.

Even so, my list has kept growing, even as I listen to a couple of hours a day. Double speed (2x) helps blaze through most. There are some that I have trouble with at that speed, so I slow it down, but in most cases, I can listen at that rate.

As I was thinking about it, a question popped into my head. What am I listening to them for? Primarily, this question was aimed at the numerous writing podcasts I follow. Podcasts such as Six-Figure Authors, Start With This, and The Self Publishing Show. Start With This is the shortest of the three, with average episodes only lasting 30 or so minutes. And then that is primarily on craft, unlike the other two. Six-Figure Authors and The Self Publishing Show are both mainly about the business end. Quite frankly, I am not ready.

During the questioning, I had to admit to myself that at least at this juncture, my author level remains somewhere between novice and amateur (closer to novice really). What good is listening to these shows doing me? I’ve pretended for too long that the listening is for learning, and that might be true. But I need to gain the lessons and the experience for where I am at. And listening to these shows has only made me feel that there is a larger chasm between me and where I want to be. That needs to stop.

They can be bookmarked for later. Or I can stay subscribed and simple keep skipping the episodes so that I don’t need to hear it. It’s not that these shows aren’t good, they just aren’t good for me right now. About time I am honest with myself about it.