School of Midlife

155. SMART Goals Are Ruining Your Personal Life—Here's What to Do Instead


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The way you've been setting personal goals is the very thing holding you back from living your biggest life. It’s time to ditch the SMART framework and finally create goals that align with the woman you’re becoming.

Episode Summary:
In this week’s fiery episode, Laurie dismantles one of the most overused—and misused—tools in personal development: the SMART goal framework. You’ve been told to make your goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. But when it comes to midlife transformation and building your actual BEST LIFE? That framework might be doing more harm than good.

Laurie explains why applying a corporate goal-setting system to your deeply personal hopes, dreams, and desires keeps you stuck in external validation and false deadlines. She dives into why midlife is the exact moment to let go of achievable, "relevant," and time-bound goals—and finally start designing your own definition of success.

You’ll learn:

  • Why throwaway goals feel good—but don’t change your life
  • How focusing on what’s “achievable” shrinks your vision
  • Why setting personal goals based on relevance is total BS
  • The sneaky toxicity of arbitrary deadlines
  • How to shift from performance-driven goals to purpose-driven dreams

She also introduces the BEST LIFE™ framework—a game-changing, trademarked system she uses with all her coaching clients to move from burnout to breakthrough.

If 2026 is the year you finally start living for you, this episode is a must-listen.

Resources Mentioned:

  • Click here to learn more about 1:1 or group coaching
  • Follow Laurie on Instagram: @schoolofmidlife

Take the Conversation Deeper:
Laurie wants to hear from YOU. What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Slide into her DMs on Instagram or click here to send her an email! 📧

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School of MidlifeBy Laurie Reynoldson

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