I Unsubscribed from a Podcast
I have been listening to podcasts for a very long time. I remember as far back as 2005 at least – it could be longer, I can’t really say for sure. But over that time I’ve gone through a series of different listening phases:
- Just Getting Started: Subscribed to a just a few podcasts
- Can’t Get Enough: Subscribed to a LOT of podcasts, and listen through them within a few days
- I Have Too Many: Just on the verge of not being able to listen to all the shows I want; this phase sees the start of unsubscribing
- I Don’t Have Time: Mass unsubscribing, keeping to a core group of shows I’m loyal to
- No Really, I Have No Time: Culling the list even further, unsubscribing from even the longest-running shows I’ve subscribed to
And that’s the phase I’m in now, number five. The fun (and slightly insidious) thing about number five is that it deceptively opens up MORE time to listen to podcasts, so the possibility of “podcast creep” comes up (that’s phase 6, I’m certain). What is podcast creep? Most definitely, a term I made up just now; but more specifically, it can only come about when you’ve unsubscribed from almost all of your podcasts and you start adding one or two here and there. All of a sudden, you’re teetering back to phase 3 or 4.
I’m in a good place right now, I think. I just unsubscribed from a podcast I’ve been listening to for a long time: Mission Log. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fantastic podcast. They’re watching through every Star Trek series in order. They started with the original series and are currently running through Deep Space Nine. But during my time in Phase 4, I let the episodes pile up. They’re an hour apiece, and I prioritized listening to time-relevant shows (sports, news, etc.) instead. Once I was firmly entrenched in Phase 5, I decided that it was not worth the stress of not being able to keep up with the show anymore. So I dropped it.
It’s not the only show I dropped – there have been many others. But this is the one that I feel the most. I love Star Trek, and it was fun listening to them discuss the episodes and the morals presented in them. I’m going to miss them talking about some great episodes of Deep Space Nine, but it’s not a show I assign priority to anymore. That’s when you know it’s time to cut your losses.
It’s a liberating experience, and I’m not even joking. Now when someone recommends an episode for me to listen to, I can feel free to sample it because I’m not trying to push through a backlog of other episodes. I don’t have to say “No, sorry, I don’t have time to listen to that”. Because now I do!
I highly suggest doing a self-audit and find out which Phase you find yourself in. If you’re still in phases 1 or 2 – stop subscribing now! Be selective with the shows you add to your repertoire. Don’t fall into the trap I did.
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