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How do I listen to podcasts? The beginners guide

The beginner’s guide to podcasts
How do you use a podcast?
What is a podcast?
I have created one of the top podcasts on iTunes about NLP, but I know from the questions I’ve been asked that many people are not quite sure what to do with podcasts or why they should listen to them.
This is my very brief ‘idiots guide’ introduction to podcasts. I’ve written it in, what I hope is layman’s language, but please send any comments so I can improve it if needed.

What is a podcast?
Podcasts are a bit like radio or TV shows that you can listen to any time you want.  One of the main differences is that you can only get hold of them by using something that connects to the Internet-  such as a computer or smart phone.  The other main difference is that anyone can create a pod cast which means that some of them are fantastic and some not so good.
Many celebrities, newspapers and TV channels have their own podcasts so you can catch up with what’s been going on at your leisure.
They are a great source of information, learning and new ideas,  because you can listen to them when you want, unlike TV show or radio show,  you can carry them around with you cause them and restart them at any point. They’re also ideal to listen to whilst travelling or doing household chores,  because once you have them on your iPod, smart phone or computer they’re always available.

How do you use a podcast?
Firstly you need to make sure you’ve got the right equipment,  and nowadays most people do.
 You will need
 a computer
 and a Internet connection

If you want to listen to it on the move or away from your computer, you may also want to use a iPod-  that’s one of those products that allows you to listen to  downloaded music-  or a smart phone,  like an iPhone for example.

 Follow these steps which walk you through the process of getting your first podcast
1) Make sure you have installed itunes onto your computer. It’s free and already on most computers- search in your programs or applications to check. If you need to get a copy of itunes click here
2) Now click on this link to visit iTunes.  You can do this on your smart phone or your computer.
3)  A new window should have popped up showing my smiling face that looks something like this



3) Click on subscribe, just beneath the picture. Now itunes will download all the episodes to your computer. You can listen to them itunes.
4) If you want to listen to them on your ipod or smart phone you will need to tell itunes to move them to there. Plug the ipod or smart phone in to the computer. Go to your ‘sync’ setting and click sync podcasts and then click ‘apply’ in the bottom corner.
5) Now you should be able to listen to them on you ipod or smartphone ( new changes in iphone software may mean you need to also download the podcast app from the app store- again its free)

I hope this helps, do ask any questions in the box below
Phil

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Stretch your mind…

Stretch your mind…
Have you ever thought:
What would happen if we changed the way you see the world? 
What are the rules we live by? 
How do we make decisions?

NLP is, to some extent, the study of looking at these and other fascinating questions.

Notice what happens when you take a few minutes today to think how you currently feel about the following ideas – technically called NLP presuppositions- it could just be the mental stretching you need to start seeing things in a new way heading in a different direction.

The intriguing thing about NLP presuppositions is they are not rules; they’re not even considered to be true. The point of them instead is to ask us to imagine ‘if this was true, if we started from this point of view, then what would the world be like’. 

Let’s try on the first one

What if you began from the perspective that people already have all the resources they need?

This is the idea that we already have on board everything we could ever need to achieve the results and changes we wish for in our lives; all we need to do is access those talents. It doesn’t mean to say we have all the information we need, we may need to learn new things – but it does suggest that we have the ability to grasp those new ideas. It’s also the opposite of the idea that we are not up to challenge, or we are less good than other people or somebody else needs to do it for us. 
If we spent some time today seeing ourselves as being complete seeing others as being capable and resourceful, then how would that change what we saw in the world, and ourselves, today?

And here is another one of the 11 NLP presuppositions. 
What if you took on the idea that there is no such thing as failure only feedback?
You know how when people say,’I am going to give you some feedback’ they often mean I’m going to tell you where you were wrong and complain. This presupposition reclaims the word ‘feedback’, reminding us it means just getting information about how things went. Feedback is the data that we need to assess when things went according to plan or not and to work out what we need to do to make sure it works even better next time. 

But as humans we hate the idea of being wrong, we avoid it at all cost- yet as not achieving what you wish for is a natural part of anyone’s road to success, so we need to have a better relationship with unexpected outcomes. 
What if, when things didn’t go right, or as planned, instead of becoming upset we really did see it as information? What would that be like? How would that free us to try more things out? How would it help us to sift through people’s disappointment or complaints for the useful information that would help us do even better next time?
Send me a message and let me know how to this has been useful for you today.
If interested to know more then please check out my 10 minute Essential NLP podcasts in iTunes.
Phil