Making Midlife Magic

Rachel Baum
  • 5.0 (26)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Mindset shifts & practical tips for living a fabulous life in your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, & beyond. I'm a college professor turned life coach. When I turned 50, I worried that my creative years were behind me. I was bored at my long-time job, and realized I needed to take control of my future. This is the podcast I wish I had. I make it for you, so you don't waste another day of your precious life. [Music: Oleksandr Stepanov, penguinmusic - Bright Energetic Electronica, Pixabay; Podcast art: Zoey Nahmmacher-Baum]

  1. 1D AGO

    Listen Again: Feeling Free

    It's Passover and I'm elbow deep in matzah ball soup preparation, so I'm re-airing an episode connected to the themes of the holiday -- Episode 99, Feeling Free. We so often want to feel free -- light, unburdened, at ease. Yet often we feel burdened by responsibilities and constrained by the choices we've made. At these times, we often dream of a future time when things will be better -- we'll be retired, on vacation, our kids will be grown, and so on. Focusing on that fantasy keeps us from seeing ways we can feel freer, right now. That's the topic of this week's episode. The original ending of the podcast celebrates the second anniversary of Making Midlife Magic and I got to update it, because my pod is now four years old! A beautiful toddler. Thank you for being such an important part of my journey. How to Connect With Me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a free one-hour midlife magic consultation call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to discover what you most want for the next chapter of your life and how coaching can help ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Coffee is my love language ❤️ Contact me at rachel@coachingwithrachel.com

    24 min

  2. MAR 27

    Ep #180: The Magic of "And Also -- "

    What if I told you that two simple words could completely change the way your brain works? If Saturday Night Live ever did a skit about me, these two words would be my signature phrase. And honestly? I'd be fine with that. The words are: and also. That's it. Simple — and also :), incredibly powerful. In this episode, I share why "and also" works so well as a mindset tool, and I walk you through the specific situations where it can make the biggest difference. It all started with a recent experience of my own and how "and also" moved me past my disappointment. Here's what you'll hear in this episode: 🎯 Why your brain resists nuance — and why that resistance keeps you stuck 🎯 The "and also" shift — how two words direct your brain to keep looking instead of ending the story I also share specific times when this took will be especially helpful. "And also" isn't about talking yourself out of your feelings -- it's about embracing the fullness of our human experiences. It's about refusing to let one feeling be the whole story. You can be disappointed and also know you're strong. You can be hurt and also love someone. You can feel stuck and also know you're capable of more. Take a listen and let me know what you think. ************************************************* Connect with me * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a no-cost one-hour coaching call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to discover what you most want and how coaching can help you achieve it * Email me at rachel@coachingwithrachel.com

    14 min

  3. MAR 20

    Ep #179: Do You Trust Yourself?

    Most of us think about trust in terms of other people — and right now, trust in institutions and leaders feels shaky for a lot of us. But what if the most important trust we can build is with ourselves? In this episode, I explore a question that has the power to change everything: How can I build greater trust with myself today? I share how reframing a simple self-care planning ritual around this question completely shifts its power — and why that shift matters. We talk about the two primary ways we build (or break) trust with ourselves: through our words (how we talk to ourselves) and our actions (whether we follow through on what we say we'll do). Building trust with yourself doesn't require perfection. Just like in any good relationship, trust is often built in the repair — in the moment we notice we've been unkind to ourselves and choose to come back with compassion. I also get into something I see all the time in coaching: the person making ambitious plans and the person who has to live with them are often out of alignment. When we make promises to ourselves that we're not fully on board with, we're setting ourselves up to break trust with ourself. This episode is practical, simple, and profound all at the same time -- and it might shift something for you. In this episode: Why self-trust is the foundation of real confidence and lower stressHow to make plans you'll actually keep — by checking in with all of youA simple daily question that can you can use as a North StarWant to share this episode with someone who could use it? I'd love that. And if you haven't yet, please subscribe to Making Midlife Magic and leave a review — it means a lot. Check out coachingwithrachel.com to learn more about my world.

    17 min

  4. MAR 13

    Ep #178: No Thank You, Brain

    Have you ever had a negative thought and felt like it was an emergency? Like something had gone terribly wrong — especially if you've done a lot of self-development work and feel like you should know better by now? I've certainly been there. In this episode, I'm answering the question several listeners sent me after last week's episode on Eileen Gu and Olympic thinking: Okay, but how do I actually make my head a good place to be? Here's where I start: with normalization. Negative thinking isn't a sign that something is broken. It's just what human brains do — they're trying to keep us safe. The moment we stop treating every unwanted thought like a crisis is the moment we start having some power over them. From there, I walk you through the framework I actually use myself — including how I stopped talking trash about my body after literal decades, not through years of painstaking work, but by making a decision. I use the metaphor of being a vegetarian: just because someone offers you something doesn't mean you have to put it on your plate. Your brain is going to keep offering you thoughts. You get to decide which ones you accept. I also talk about: Why giving yourself permission to keep your negative thoughts can paradoxically loosen their gripWhat to do when thoughts are really sticky — and why curiosity and compassion work better than willpowerThe ironic moment that happened after I recorded this episode (my brain is very on-brand)The goal isn't a mind that never generates negative thoughts. The goal is a mind that feels safe — even when it doesn't feel good. www.coachingwithrachel.com

    23 min

  5. MAR 6

    Ep #177: Olympic Thinking

    In this episode, I'm sharing five powerful lessons from freestyle skier Eileen Gu's viral response to a journalist, where she describes approaching her own mind like a scientist. I explore what it means to make your head "a not bad place to be" — including why negative thoughts are more like dust than disasters, and why fighting them often gives them more power. I also dig into neuroplasticity, the connection between our thoughts and our identity, and why controlling (or changing) our thinking is one of the most profound forms of self-determination available to us. And my favorite insight of all: what if you started each day as the person your eight-year-old self would revere? You don't have to be an Olympian to think like one. Mentioned In This Episode Eileen Gu's response to "Do you think before you talk?" How to Connect With Me ⁠I started a Substack!⁠ I'd love it if you'd subscribe (it's free!) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a no-cost one-hour midlife magic consultation ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to discover what you most want for the next chapter of your life ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Coffee is my love language and I'd love a cup -- although if you're local to me, I'll happily buy you a coffee! ❤️ Contact me at rachel@coachingwithrachel.com

    25 min

  6. FEB 27

    Ep #176: 10% Easier

    In this episode I share a mindset shift that I've been exploring: What if taking our foot off the gas can get us where we want to go faster? It sounds counter-intuitive, but I've experienced it. After trying to improve a specific health metric, I discovered that the solution wasn’t more discipline. It was actually adding ease back in that helped me to reach my goal. And that got me wondering, Where else am I making things harder? We often assume that growth requires strain and that doing things the “hard way” makes us more virtuous. But sometimes those beliefs actually hold us back. Whether it’s health, relationship, or personal goals, we may be blocking our own progress by insisting it only counts if it’s hard. This episode invites you to ask: How could I make this 10% easier? This is especially powerful in midlife. By midlife, we know how to push and how to achieve things with effort. Midlife offers the opportunity to explore a new path, one that reminds us that ease, pleasure, and flexibility might not just feel better — they might actually get us better results. Take a listen and let me know what resonates! Connect with me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a free one-hour midlife magic consultation call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to discover what you most want for the second half of your life and how coaching can help Contact me at rachel@coachingwithrachel.com

    16 min

  7. FEB 20

    Listen Again: Let People Be Wrong About You (Ep #27)

    Here's one from a few years ago that we could all use in regular rotation: Let People Be Wrong About You. That's really it, isn't it? People have opinions about us and often we want to argue with them or to tell ourselves we don't care when we really do. There's another option: I just let people be wrong about me. And then there's the corollary: I don't make myself wrong. Enjoy! I'll be back with a new episode next week. It's all ready but the software had some glitches. I'm sure by next week they'll have it all resolved. How to Connect With Me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a free one-hour midlife magic consultation call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to discover what you most want for the next chapter of your life and how coaching can help Contact me at rachel@coachingwithrachel.com

    13 min

  8. FEB 13

    Ep #175: Good Growth

    I recently had a conversation with a coach friend about social media. We're both uncomfortable with it, but here's the thing: for me, that discomfort is something I want to lean into. For her? It just creates anxiety and feels terrible in her body. That conversation got me thinking—how do we know which discomfort to embrace and which to avoid? In This Episode: Why the same challenge can be "good growth" for one person and completely draining for anotherThe trap of thinking discomfort is either always bad or always a learning opportunityA four-question framework I use to decide when to push through and when to let something go guilt-free How to Connect With Me ⁠I started a Substack!⁠ I'd love it if you subscribe (it's free!) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a free one-hour midlife magic consultation call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to discover what you most want for the next chapter of your life and how coaching can help Contact me at rachel@coachingwithrachel.com

    17 min
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5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Mindset shifts & practical tips for living a fabulous life in your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, & beyond. I'm a college professor turned life coach. When I turned 50, I worried that my creative years were behind me. I was bored at my long-time job, and realized I needed to take control of my future. This is the podcast I wish I had. I make it for you, so you don't waste another day of your precious life. [Music: Oleksandr Stepanov, penguinmusic - Bright Energetic Electronica, Pixabay; Podcast art: Zoey Nahmmacher-Baum]

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel Baum
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    188
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rachel Baum
  • Show Website
    Making Midlife Magic