The 29 Best Motivational Podcasts So You Can Kinda Get Your Life Together
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No matter what you're going through in life, there's bound to be a podcast for it. Whether you're navigating a big career transition, trying to live a healthier lifestyle, quitting alcohol, taking a new step in your relationship, or simply looking for some spiritual inspiration, there's a podcast out there to keep you motivated. And if you think that motivational podcasts are all a bunch of bro-y guys with big egos talking about how successful they are, think again. Some of these podcasts feature people talking about difficult things, like job loss, grief, and mental health challenges, and how they're getting through them. Others tackle topics like career ambitions and success and the steps you can take to get there. But if this sounds like *a lot*, don't worry—many of these podcasts are actually funny, too. Even if you just need a lil motivation boost to do simple things like organize your house or go for a jog, there are podcasts specifically for that, too.
These motivational podcasts can help you think about your goals in an approachable way. I mean, no one said you had to actually change everything all at once! You can start small, with little changes to your personal habits that ultimately make a difference in your mental health, career, finances, love life, or whatever else. There are a ton of motivational podcasts out there, so I've gone ahead and rounded up 28 of the most inspiring podcasts to get you started on your goals (hello, New Years' resolutions!).
Too Smart for This with Alexis Barber
In Too Smart for This, Alexis Barber tackles everything from self-empowerment to influencer culture, personal finance, navigating the corporate world as a Black woman, and so much more. She interviews influencers, business owners, and creators about how they've overcome various challenges and built a life they're proud of. Listening to this one is like having an inspiring chat with your coolest, most ambitious friend.
TED Talks Daily
So, unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen at least a few TED Talks in your time. The TED Talks Daily podcast is basically the same thing but in podcast form. Important questions about the world, our communities, and ourselves are explored by some of the smartest writers, scientists, artists, and thinkers. It'll motivate you to start working on your passion projects, whatever they may be.
Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin is the author of The Happiness Project, and in this podcast, she shares some of her practical advice about happiness and how to maintain good habits that can help anyone feel happier.
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Researcher and author Brené Brown dives into what it means to be human and to form connections. She has conversations with activists, writers, psychologists, artists, celebrities, and other people doing interesting things with their lives and careers. She also answers questions from listeners and shares some of her own research. It'll definitely motivate you to seek out deeper connections in your own life.
Redefining Ambition
Each episode of Redefining Ambition highlights a female leader and dives into both her career path and her personal journey. They talk about everything from the things that inspire them to the sacrifices they've made to get ahead in their career to what their future plans are. It's the perfect listen for someone looking to amp up or redefine their career goals.
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
Many motivational podcasts feature interviews where successful people are talking about their success. And that's great, but there's also value in hearing successful people talk about their failures. Each week on How to Fail, Elizabeth Day interviews guests like Gloria Steinem, Glennon Doyle, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and other interesting people about what their failures taught them. It's a good reminder to stay motivated even when you get knocked down.
Good Life Project
This podcast explores what it means to lead a "good life" in terms of relationships, work, love, purpose, meaning, and more. It also examines how things like race, privilege, and class impact our ideas about what it looks like to have a good life. Listening to this will give you the motivation to think about what a "good life" looks like to you and how you can start building it.
Side Hustle Pro with Nicaila Matthews Okome
If you've got a passion project and need that extra push to turn it into a profitable, maybe even full-time business, look no further. Side Hustle Pro highlights Black women entrepreneurs who have scaled their businesses from side hustles into profitable businesses. You'll pick up valuable advice, and maybe even get motivated to take the plunge yourself.
Food Psych
While there are many health and fitness podcasts out there, this one stands out for its unconventional approach. Host Christy Harrison focuses on body liberation, intuitive eating, fat acceptance, and recovery from disordered eating, among other topics. Rather than play into diet culture, she and her guests (including activists, writers, psychologists, and others) call it out, and it's super interesting. It'll motivate you to actually think about what it means to be healthy and how you can engage in truly healthy behaviors, not restriction.
More Money
If you feel overwhelmed by the topic of personal finance, you're definitely not alone, and you should listen to this podcast. Host Jessica Moorhouse talks to experts, celebrities, and entrepreneurs about personal finance topics in an approachable way. The show covers everything from investing to credit cards to saving for your wedding and more.
The Glow Up Podcast
The Glow Up Podcast, hosted by Casey Carter and Naomi Raven, dives into entrepreneurship, art, relationships, and what it means to be successful. You'll definitely feel inspired to glow up after listening to this.
Switch, Pivot, or Quit
If you're at a career crossroads and wondering what to do next, this podcast is for you. Ahyiana Angel shares stories of women who have navigated career transitions and discusses practical tips for helping you make decisions about your own career path.
Ali on the Run
Each week, host Ali Feller talks with inspiring people like professional runners, doctors, fitness instructors, and entrepreneurs. While many of the conversations revolve around running, Ali and her guests also talk about overcoming challenges, navigating relationships, and life in general. If you need motivation to get yourself out there for a run or even a walk (it's hard sometimes!), give this podcast a listen.
The One You Feed
If you've been feeling like you're in a funk and you need something to get you back on track, this podcast might be helpful. It focuses on big life topics like anxiety, depression, addiction, recovery and more. Host Eric Zimmer and his guests focus on how people can overcome some of life's challenges and create good habits using mindfulness practices.
Stuff Mom Never Told You
This podcast is sure to inspire your inner activist. It's all about what it means to be a woman and feminist in today's world, and episodes cover everything from domestic labor to colorism to the impact social media has on teenage girls.
How's Work? with Esther Perel
I would actually trust psychotherapist/New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel with my life. If you've already binged Where Should We Begin?, then let me introduce you to How's Work?, a podcast where Perel examines workplace relationships through therapy sessions with colleagues. These conversations can help inspire you to improve your workplace communication skills and advocate for yourself when it comes to your career.
The Michelle Obama Podcast
This podcast is all about relationships. Former First Lady Michelle Obama has conversations with friends, family members, experts, and celebrities about their careers, marriages, children and more. She shared on Instagram, "I hope that our conversations—whether about being married, being a parent, being a citizen, or just being—inspired you to reach out to the people in your life and share how you feel."
How I Built This with Guy Raz
Get ready for a big dose of career inspiration. Host Guy Raz talks to creators about how they built their companies or movements from the idea stage into something real. Some of the people he's interviewed over the years include Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe, Ben & Jerry cofounders Ben Cohen And Jerry Greenfield, and Spanx founder Sarah Blakely.
Black Girl in Om
Hosts Lauren Ash and Deun Ivory bring together words of affirmation, guided meditations, and interviews with wellness experts and activists in this podcast created by and for Black women. Listening to it will make you feel renewed and inspired to really focus on yourself.
Beyond the To-Do List
If you feel generally overwhelmed by life (I'm right there with ya), this is worth a listen. Host Erik Fisher talks to productivity experts about tips and tricks for managing your personal and professional life. But more importantly, this podcast also explores the real goals of productivity and whether being "productive" is helping you live a meaningful life.
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