10 Lessons Learned from Being an Audible Junkie

11 years, 644 titles, and 17 badges later I learned how to use audiobooks for personal development. Hands-free and ears wide open, you can soak in new knowledge faster than you could ever imagine.

Whenever I see an unfamiliar topic or term, I look for the Audible version of the book produced by an expert. This helps me download the author into my mind much like sticking a USB drive into my head. While each book’s author has its purpose for why they produced their book, I choose how much of it I will put into practice starting with the audiobook first.

I’ve learned these ten lessons using Audible as a primary education tool.

Listen for entertainment or implementation

You can tell how serious you are about a book based on how active you are when listening. Are there other things you are doing at the same time? Do you conduct Google searches to search for unfamiliar terms, actively take notes, and visit recommended links during its narration? If not, you are probably listening to the audiobook for entertainment much like watching a movie on Netflix. Although there may be some educational benefits when listening for entertainment, the tangible benefits come from what you specifically do with the new information.

Speed up the audiobook 2X

A feature inside the Audible app helps you speed up or slow down the narration. Authors are trained to slow down the narration to appeal to more audiences. The trick I’ve learned is that you can train your brain to listen to faster narration. The more often you listen to a faster pace, the easier it becomes to digest faster-paced narration in the future. It’s only in the case when I’m actively taking notes that I will maintain the 1X speed.

Download the accompanying PDF

After you purchase and download the audiobook, check the table of contents for the accompanying PDF. This PDF is the author’s supplement to the audio version that helps you navigate to recommended links, watch videos, and complete fill-in-the-blank exercises.

Take notes while listening

This might seem like a no-brainer but it’s easier said than done because the audiobook version allows you to multitask. Don’t fall into this trap if you are serious about implementing new ideas from the book. Grab a pen and paper or your mobile phone to summarize the keywords and actionable steps as you listen. If you miss a key concept, click the pause or rewind feature to help you get back on track.

Press the rewind when you lose focus

To the right of the play/pause button, you can tap the 10-second rewind button to repeat what you might have missed. Tap it as many times as needed. If you get completely lost, restart the chapter.

Make Alexa your friend

There is an integration with Audible so that your favorite voice assistant Alexa can play each one of your audiobooks. You can tell Alexa to play Audible to start reading your last book, start reading a specific chapter, or pause to take a quick break.

Find reliable headphones

Headphone selection is a personal choice. You may be going for a run or working from your desk. Some headphones have a cord. Others do not. You may need to switch from reading a book to answering a phone call. Either way, this tip encourages you to prepare for your next listen by choosing the right features when selecting the right headphones.

Use the Wishlist

When your membership credits run out, there may be books you want to save for the next time credits are deposited into your account. It’s easy to forget a recommended book if you don’t write it down. Next time instead of buying it, save it to your wishlist. The wishlist feature also comes in handy if you tend to buy books on impulse. Give yourself a 24-hour window to buy audiobooks. This will help you from using credits on books you won’t listen to later.

Listen to audiobooks in your car

Most cars now allow you to connect your phone using a cable or Bluetooth. Those long drives or trafficked areas won’t seem so long anymore when you listen to an audiobook instead of commercials on the radio.

Download before you hit the road

After you make an audiobook purchase, don’t forget to download the audiobook to your device when you have WiFi. I can’t tell you how many times when I am ready to listen to an audiobook I just purchased but the airplane WiFi isn’t working.

What are your tips?

Leave a comment to share some lessons you have learned when listening to audiobooks. Or if you have produced your own audiobook, what did you learn in the process?