Why I Love Audiobooks

‘Long Walk To Freedom’ is Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. It’s over 24 hours long (I don’t know what that converts to in pages) and it’s taking me a couple of days to listen all the way through.

As I mentioned, I love audiobooks.

When I leave my apartment in the morning to grab some Thai-style breakfast, I get to listen to the story of this man’s life.

If I need to trek to the other side of town, it’s a perfect opportunity to pop in the earbuds.

When I go to the gym, my mind gets exercise at the same time as my body.

Without even needing to delegate time for learning, I get to learn.

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You can pay for audiobooks through a service like Audible or you can torrent them and listen for free.

I currently pay for mine, partially because I don’t want to torrent malware onto my computer and partially because I feel that the price is irrelevant compared to the value I get from listening.

Think about what an (audio)book is…

Just about all of the smartest, most successful, and most influential men and women of all time have placed what they thought were the most valuable thoughts of their lives into a document that you can purchase for about $10.

Over the past week I have been listening to the recollections of Nelson Mandela… I paid about $15 for the privilege. This man overthrew apartheid and I get him in my ears all day long.

I’ve also listened to the autobiographies of Andrew Carnegie, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, and many more. Talk about stellar role models.

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When I was in sales, I listened to the best books on this subject on every commute and most days at lunch. The techniques I learned were responsible for me closing over $18,000 in my first two months.

Two of the authors I listened to most were Jeffrey Gitomer and Brian Tracy, two world renowned ‘sales’ coaches. If you want to do an in-person training session with one of them, you’ll need to spend thousands of dollars. (And most likely take a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina!)

Thankfully, these two gentlemen wrote down their best ideas into… books. (Which later got transferred into audiobook form!)

During my two months in sales, the books of these two men (as well as many others) were a source of both inspiration and tactics. They kept me pushing ahead, experimenting, and improving.

After just two months, I got the results I was looking for. With zero prior experience in sales I closed more money than I had ever personally owned in my life. I still keep this list of closed deals on my desktop as a motivational memory.

If I hadn’t had the words of these men influencing my actions every single day… I don’t know how I could have possibly fared so well.

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Do you have some time in your day where you don’t need your full mental attention?

Do you have a long commute?

Do you have a half-ass ‘campus job’ that involves sitting behind a desk for 8 hours just in case someone needs your help?

Do you go to the gym?

BUY a F*****g Audiobook.

Or torrent one, or borrow your friend’s iPod.

Just do it. Buying the first one can lead to buying the second which will (maybe) lead to a life full of learning.

I’ve opened up my small Audible library to a group of friends. There’s a lot of great books in there (maybe one too many related to sales for their interests) and all they’ve gotta do is hit ‘play’ and passively let the knowledge flow through their cerebrums.

Get something good flowing through your ears. Do it now. Buy… An… Audiobook!