Wow, the article is describing me... although instead of podcasts I read books (not many, like at most 15-20 per year). But over the years, even if "True learning requires contemplation" (which I agree with), I have found out that I indeed have gained quite a lot of knowledge and nowadays the time I spent reading is paying off (i.e., I'm good enough at a job that pays well that I don't have to spent the official 40h/week, but instead I spent like half of it).
> Mike is so busy preparing for the future that he never steps into it.
This is what scares me because, again, it rings true. But some part of me thinks "You need to prepare yourself for the future! Whatever that future is!", so for me that preparation usually means "get more knowledge and get a better paycheck to have enough money to not depend on a company or government to live decently... or build something for yourself and found your own company". That's my paradox: either I relax a bit in the present and risk my (unknown) future, or I risk my present to allow me to be a bit more relaxed in the (unknown) future. I try to balance it, but it's hard.