Watch, listen, and learn

What

Look past the cat videos, comments threads and social scrolling that the internet has to offer, and get stuck into the wealth of inspiring talks and lectures that are out there.

We’re not saying there’s no place for cats in your streaming future, but the next time you’re wondering what to watch, pick something worthy of your time and attention.

watch-listen-and-learn

Benefits

For people

Make the most of your commute. Got to take a train or bus to get to work? Why not kick-off your day with a brain-power hour (or half)? A simple daily habit like this won’t just help pass the time, it could transform your commute into the most inspiring - and potentially life changing - part of your day.

TED talks are a maximum of 18 minutes. RSA Animates are as little as half that. School of Life clips start at just one minute! So whether you’ve got time to settle in for a full-length lecture or just a few minutes to spare while you enjoy a coffee, there’s always time to give your noggin a little inspirational boost.

When you have a lot to do in your working day, there’s little time to think about whether you could be doing things differently or better. Giving yourself a timeout to watch and listen to other people talk about how they do things can be a great way to expand your skill set and open your mind to new ideas. With this extra info under your belt, you can work smarter, not harder.

There are really strong links between being a lifelong learner and being a generally happier, healthier and more ‘successful’ person. So next time you choose to spend that spare 18 minutes learning how the world’s longest underwater tunnel was built (instead of scrolling on social media), take a moment to imagine your future self saying thanks.

How

The world (wide web) is your oyster, so get out there and start exploring.

Just like real-life adventures, asking clued-up friends, family and colleagues for recommendations is a great place to start. You could also look at 'recommended' or 'you may also like' lists, or search the websites of your favourite publications or well-regarded academic institutions. Their events pages can be a good place to look – many, including the likes of the London School of Economics and The Guardian, record and publish their live events.

Ready to go? Here are a few more places you might like to start:

  • The Do Lectures: inspirational talks from passionate, creative people, mostly filmed in a shed in Wales.
  • TED Talks: ideas worth spreading, on all sorts of topics from people around the world.
  • Lynda: video courses on specific topics, from learning to use new software to business skills (subscription required).
  • Ten great podcast series on change-making and climate change, compiled by the team at MakeTomorrow.
  • The RSA: podcasts from some of the world's leading thinkers, on topics from education to politics.