15 Best Motivational Podcasts Worth Listening To

Sometimes, we all feel stuck in one place and have no energy to move forward. This could just be procrastination or a symptom of falling into a productivity trap. Lack of motivation is a common problem that many people face every day.

We know this firsthand, so we want to share an effective way to get a powerful motivation boost with you. It’s about listening to podcasts created to inspire people to make positive changes. Check out our list of the 15 best motivational podcasts and choose one that will give you the push you need to realize your most ambitious plans and dreams.

What you will find in this article:

1. The Tim Ferriss Show

Number of episodes: 718
Average episode length: 100–150 minutes
Frequency: 1–2 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube

Tim Ferriss is an American entrepreneur and best-selling author known for his series of motivational books on workflow optimization. He became popular for his self-help book “The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich”, a bestseller according to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Its main idea is to work the required minimum time while getting the maximum result.

Ferriss’s business podcast was the first to reach 100 million downloads (now, 900 million) and has been named the best Apple podcast for three years in a row. Many famous people were the guests of the show, including Neil Gaiman, Mark Zuckerberg, Elizabeth Gilbert, Matthew McConaughey, and others. Each episode offers useful tips and tools like time management techniques, morning routines, and book lists to help you develop yourself and improve different areas of your life.

2. Hidden Brain

Number of episodes: 504
Average episode length: 50 min
Frequency: 1–2 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music

“The Hidden Brain” podcast reveals “the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, biases that shape our choices, and the triggers that impact our relationships.” It is written and hosted by Shankar Vedantam, an American journalist and author known for his commitment to scientific accuracy. However, the topics and the way they are presented are easy to understand.

Vedantam speaks with psychologists, philosophers, and researchers on issues that will resonate with everyone, discussing how to believe in yourself, make the most of your mistakes, not become a victim of perfectionism, and complain effectively. If you are interested in learning more about the patterns and secrets of your behavior, be sure to check out the Hidden Brain podcast.

3. How to Fail

Number of episodes: 215
Average episode length: 60 min
Frequency: weekly
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts

“How to Fail” is a podcast by English writer, journalist, and TV presenter Elizabeth Day, and its main topic is failure. Hosted since 2018, it features weekly interviews with famous people who share what they have learned from failure. The podcast invites writers, actors, artists, musicians, and more. The guests include Gloria Steinem, Marina Abramovic, Stanley Tucci, Margaret Atwood, Andrew Scott, and many other prominent people from various fields.

This podcast will help you develop a positive and constructive attitude towards failures and see them as opportunities for improvement. So, if you have also failed, maybe the stories of “How to Fail” will motivate you to keep going.

4. The Minimalists Podcast

Number of episodes: 227
Average episode length: 40–50 min
Frequency: weekly
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube

“The Minimalists” are Joshua Fields Milburn, Ryan Nicodemus, and T. K. Coleman, the American creators of a podcast that promotes a minimalist lifestyle. Milburn and Nicodemus had flourishing corporate careers and could afford literally everything they ever dreamed of, but it didn’t bring them happiness. In 2009, they began their journey to minimalism, which is about owning fewer things and leading a more mindful life.

Since then, Milburn and Nicodemus have launched a website with minimalist practices, written several books, made a feature film bought by Netflix, and created a podcast. Today, The Minimalists is one of the world’s most popular podcasts with over 130 million downloads. Its authors’ mission is to help listeners get rid of excess and live a meaningful life.

5. How I Built This with Guy Raz

Number of episodes: 592
Average episode length: 40–70 min
Frequency: 2 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music

The “How I Built This” podcast was created in 2016 by journalist Guy Raz. His guests are “innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists” who share stories of how they developed themselves and launched successful products. For example, the author talked to Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mark Krieger, Joe Gebbia (Airbnb), Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia), Richard Branson, Sandy Lerner (Cisco), and many other famous business people.

This podcast will be of particular interest to those who are building their own brand or dreaming of it. The stories of the podcast guests will inspire you to be persistent in achieving your goals, as most of them faced many obstacles and setbacks before succeeding.

6. Optimal Living Daily

Number of episodes: 2018
Average episode length: 10 min
Frequency: daily
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

“Optimal Living Daily” is a podcast that offers a daily dose of inspiration and advice on personal development, productivity, and improving other areas of life. Before launching the podcast, its creators spent three years building mobile applications, but they always wanted to convert their passion for self-development into a separate project. The authors doubted they could offer unique content, so they decided to collate it from the blogs of the most influential people.

Each episode is carefully crafted to not only narrate useful information, but also inspire positive changes. It won’t take you long to listen to, since each episode usually lasts about 10 minutes. But even in such a short time, you can get a lot of insights.

7. The School of Greatness

Number of episodes: 1630
Average episode length: 60 min
Frequency: 4–5 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube

Lewis Howes is a New York Times bestselling author, famous speaker, and entrepreneur. His “The School of Greatness” is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with over 500 million downloads. So, what is the secret of its success? Howes posts inspirational interviews with renowned leaders in business, science, entertainment, literature, and sports to inspire listeners to reach their full potential.

According to the author, he used to collect stories of successful people by contacting them on LinkedIn. These interviews gave him a powerful impetus for development and later transformed into a podcast. Now, Howes shares these stories with millions of his listeners to change their lives for the better. Here, you will find advice on financial literacy, career development, relationship building, as well as physical and mental health.

8. The Art of Charm

Number of episodes: 873
Average episode length: 60 min
Frequency: weekly
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts

In the Art of Charm podcast, AJ and Johnny implement their 11-year-experience of coaching clients from around the world. In weekly episodes, they share their own stories and best practices to improve communication skills, build valuable connections, and develop self-confidence.

The podcast creators aim to not only help listeners succeed in work, relationships, and life, but also explore human behavior and its motivations. Here are some examples of the podcast’s topics: how to revive a career after burnout, how to overcome the fear of other people’s opinions, and how to make friends as an adult.

9. Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Number of episodes: 977
Average episode length: from several minutes to 40 minutes
Frequency: 2–3 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

Writer Gretchen Rubin has an insatiable curiosity about human nature. And this curiosity inspired her to write several bestselling books, including “The Happiness Project” translated into 30 languages, “Better Than Before”, and “Happier at Home”. The author also launched a podcast named “Happier” with over 220 million downloads. Gretchen co-hosts it with her sister, Hollywood screenwriter and producer Elizabeth Craft.
Each episode is full of practical insights about happiness and good habits, encouraging reflection and positive change. Here you will find life hacks for improving performance, mindfulness practices, tips for creating a productive routine and building relationships, and a lot of other valuable information.

10. We Can Do Hard Things

Number of episodes: 284
Average episode length: 60 min
Frequency: 2 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music

This podcast’s creators point out that we all constantly deal with complicated problems like personal relationships, family, work, health problems, fighting for rights, and many other issues. To help their listeners, Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle speak openly about sex, gender, parenting, anxiety, addiction, justice, entertainment, and more.

Many interesting guests including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Natalie Portman, and Reese Witherspoon shared their candid stories on the podcast. According to listeners, “We Can Do Hard Things” makes them think, laugh, and explore themselves. No wonder the show appeared in the top best podcasts multiple times, and its hosts were featured in “The 40(ish) Most Important People in Podcasting in 2023.”

11. The Science of Success

Number of episodes: 387
Average episode length: 50–60 min
Frequency: 1–2 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

“The Science of Success” is about the search for evidence-based approaches to personal growth. According to the podcast team, their mission is to unlock human potential, which can be blocked by a lack of knowledge, prejudice, and biological limitations of the human mind. Listeners are invited to learn from experts and opinion leaders about ways to become the best versions of themselves. The podcast features neuroscientists, psychologists, entrepreneurs, and even FBI negotiators!

Currently, “The Science of Success” has over five million downloads and listeners in over a hundred countries. According to audience feedback, the podcast is rich in insights that can be easily put into practice. So, if you have been looking for the secret to a more fulfilling and happy life, give it a chance.

12. The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

Number of episodes: 1447
Average episode length: 60 min
Frequency: 3 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

The creators of “The Unmistakable Creative” podcast describe it as a source of “timeless practical wisdom for living a meaningful life.” Here, you will find inspirational stories and useful advice from the world’s greatest minds, including writers, creators, psychologists, entrepreneurs, and innovators. The guest list of the podcast includes Seth Godin, Elle Luna, Simon Sinek, and many other interesting personalities.

The podcast’s mission is to help listeners develop good habits that can come in handy in any field. For example, how to succeed under pressure, develop self-awareness for better performance, or start large projects and follow them through to the end.

13. Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

Number of episodes: 889
Average episode length: up to 10 min for meditations and about 60 min for podcast episodes
Frequency: 4 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music

Daniel Harris worked as a journalist and anchor for ABC News, but one day he had an on-air panic attack. This incident motivated Dan to try meditation. His meditation practices resulted in the book “10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works.” Later, he launched a thematic podcast.

To record his episodes, Dan invites eminent meditation teachers, from the Dalai Lama to Western masters, as well as famous scientists and celebrities. However, the podcast is not limited to meditation topics and practices. Its guests discuss relationships, self-confidence, productivity, well-being, and everything that makes our lives fulfilling.

14. Good Life Project

Number of episodes: 913
Average episode length: 60 min
Frequency: 3 episodes per week
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox

The creators of the “Good Life Project” podcast ask themselves: what does it mean to live a good life? Is it about happiness, health, love, wealth, or meaning? These are the questions Jonathan explores each week with prominent representatives of science, medicine, business, and culture, such as Brené Brown, Adam Grant, Elizabeth Gilbert, Mitch Albom, and others.

The podcast is part of a larger project aiming to create a community that will provide inspiration and support. The team strives to help everyone live a more meaningful life and follow their true desires. If you’re looking for proven tools and practices that will change your life for the better, be sure to check out the ‘Good Life Project’.

15. The Mindvalley Show with Vishen

Number of episodes: 477
Average episode length: 30–50 min
Frequency: 2–5 episodes per month
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

This podcast is part of the large Mindvalley ecosystem, which brings together programs focused on personal growth, spiritual development, and education. The company’s founder Vishen Lakhiani is an entrepreneur and motivational speaker from Malaysia. He is also the author of New York Times bestseller “The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed on Your Own Terms,” which lays out a 10-step system for breaking yourself free from socially imposed beliefs.

As for the podcast, it offers the latest life hacks and transformational ideas to help you unlock your full potential. The episodes feature interesting guests who share their secrets for improving various aspects of life, from business and relationships to health and spirituality.

To wrap up

Everyone who has taken the path of self-development knows how difficult it can be. Sometimes, no matter how strong the desire for positive change, it loses out to the unwillingness to make extra efforts and leave your comfort zone. To keep achieving your goals, you need a reliable source of motivation. Make listening to motivational podcasts a healthy habit to take the first step toward personal and professional development.