SELF IMPROVEMENT
Learning while Driving

James Bacarro, Full-stack Marketer, Dubai
23 June 2017
After getting married, my wife and I moved to Abu Dhabi – 5 minutes away from her office and 102 km away from mine.
My workplace is in Dubai so I drive about 2 hours a day (roundtrip).
While anyone would dread this setup, I am enjoying it so far.
Why? Simply because I have 2 hours of pure opportunity for learning.
Here are 3 things I do to keep sharpening the saw:
# 1: Podcasts
This is one free way to learn from so many experts. Most of these podcasts are downloadable. What I used to do is download the podcasts I like and copy them to a flash drive, then plug it into the car’s usb port.
Now, I mainly use the STITCHER app (for android). It has the option to save your favorite podcasts, and once there’s a new episode, it gets downloaded directly in the app so you can listen even when you’re offline.
Some of my favorites:
The Tropical MBA by Dan Andrews and Ian Schoen
The Smart Passive Income Blog by Pat Flynn
The Tim Ferris Show by Tim Ferris
Sophisticated Marketers Podcast by Jason Miller
The James Altucher Show by James Altucher (This guy is a genius)
This is the PODCASTS app for iOS users.
# 2: Audible
I recently opted to Audible.com monthly subscription for $14.95 a month. It’s actually a very good deal as the subscription comes with 1 free credit every month. That means you get to choose 1 audiobook, regardless of the price – for that monthly fee. So the best thing to do is purchase the more expensive books with your free credit.
My recent credit purchase was Jeff Bezos’ Biography. That’s about 13 hours worth of listening.
What’s more is that you get 30% discount on all your book purchases. When I started buying their audiobooks, I did not go with any subscription but doing the math, a subscription was a no-brainer option.
You can try it for free (30 days). If you think you don’t like it, simply cancel before it renews automatically.
*Hey, I recently figured out setting up Amazon affiliates so some of my links are affiliated 🙂
# 3: Linkedin Learning
Having recently discovered, Linkedin Learning turned out to be a very good online education platform. They’re probably as good as Udemy – if not better.
They also have the mobile app where you can download the videos so you can watch them offline. Connect phone on car’s Bluetooth and I’m good to go!
Well, of course, I can’t be looking at the video presentation while driving so I only have to rely on what the presenters are saying and leave everything to my imagination.
I failed to finish a 40+ hour course within the free 30 days subscription so I had to continue with their $29.99/month plan. That plan is like an all-you-can-study-about-any-topic plan.
Another great feature on the platform is your ability to easily add any finished course to your Linkedin Profile page under Accomplishments > Certifications.
In all honesty, I can’t focus 100% when listening while driving. It gets super boring at times! On many instances, my mind drifts into random thoughts or ideas spark. I just had to push myself to improve a little a day and let the “compound effect” do its magic! Awesome book by the way.. you know > The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.
And lastly, #4 (What? There’s a number four?)
In general, I also try to mimic what the authors or speakers are saying. It’s one way to improve my speaking skills.
“Small daily – seemingly insignificant – improvements and innovations lead to staggering achievements over time.”
— Robin S. Sharma
You might also like:
3 Tips for Photographing your Baby
As Keona (our cutie little baby) ages another month, we put her in the cot along with her spirit-animal/guardian Elee.
This is how we’re doing the monthly baby photo until she turns one.
3 Quick Tips for Sales Reps – from a Marketer
Marketing and Sales departments often work in silos – which means they mind their own business and rarely collaborate. Not so recently, there’s been a drive to remove these barriers..
How to Shoot Video of Your Next Trip Using Your Phone
If you are planning to create a similar video on your next trip to make it more memorable..