Is setting a goal in your 40s and 50s a legitimate path to self-improvement, or just another unpaid project we don’t have the bandwidth to manage? In this episode, Julie and Jenny dive into the data to find out why health and wellness have officially replaced the corporate ladder—and why your calendar might be a better bestie than a "SMART" goal.

Tune in to hear about:

• The Corporate Cringe: Why mandated work goals feel like a "check the box" activity that makes our shoulders tense.
• The 70% Club: Most midlifers are setting goals, but a third of us only do it when a birthday or New Year’s forces our hand.
• Goal Blockers: We talk about "Quitters Day," and the reality of losing motivation
• Pivoting vs. Failing: Is it failure if you just stop caring? (Spoiler: We think it’s actually kind of courageous)
• Atomic Tweaks: Why we’re obsessed with Atomic Habits and how to trick yourself into success by doing the bare minimum.

Chapters
00:00: Welcome and Weekly Midlife Moments
04:54: Exploring the Nature of Goals
09:16: Insights from Poll Data on Goal Setting
10:37: The Balance Between Goals and Being Present
13:21: Common Blockers in Achieving Goals
17:34: Strategies for Effective Goal Setting
19:46: Rethinking Our Relationship with Goals

Follow us on Instagram @therealmidlifeconfidential to get access to our latest poll drops and episodes, watch this episode on YouTube, and visit us at www.midlifeconfidential.com.

Hosts Julie and Jenny explore the concept of fun, particularly in midlife. They share personal anecdotes about their recent experiences, including Julie's mishap during a restorative yoga class and Jenny's nostalgic discovery of an old iPod while organizing tech junk drawers.

The conversation transitions into a deeper discussion about how fun can vary from person to person, emphasizing that what constitutes fun can change with age and life circumstances. They highlight the importance of scheduling fun and the challenges that come with balancing responsibilities and leisure time, especially for parents in midlife. They also touch on the societal pressures of comparing one's fun experiences to others, the concept of toxic positivity and a reminder that life is actually quite ordinary, and encouraged listeners to redefine what fun means for them individually.
#midlife #fun #comparisontrap #secondact #podcast #podcastclips #podcastforwomen

Chapters
00:00: Introduction to Fun in Midlife and Midlife Moments
03:13: Defining Fun: What It Means to Us
03:27: Low Key vs. Big Fun
06:05: Poll Insights: How Our Listeners Engage with Fun
08:11: The Comparison Trap and Fun Deprivation
10:17: Redefining Fun: Micro Moments and Low-Key Enjoyment
13:11: Listener Responses: What Fun Means to You
16:12: Conclusion and Encouragement to Explore Fun

In this mini episode Julie and Jenny play a rapid fire game of "Would You Rather" to tap into the concept of fun in midlife. They explore individual perspectives and preferences around what "fun" means. A full episode on the topic of fun, including data from our anonymous poll, is coming soon!

Is it just us, or is making a new friend in your 40s harder than finding a pair of jeans that fits both your waist and your ego? In this episode, Julie and Jenny dive into the results of our anonymous community poll to find out why midlife friendships feel like a full-time job. We’re exposing the truth about who we’re letting into our inner circles—and why your husband seems to be making besties at the car wash while you're struggling to sync a coffee date.

• [00:31] Midlife Moments: Jenny’s exploding toiletry bag and Julie’s "genius" (but potentially disappointing) family Christmas gift.
• [04:20] The Data Breakdown: Why 50% of women have only made one or two close friends in the last five years, while 100% of the men polled claim to be making new besties left and right.
• [06:52] The "Kid Connection": How our children’s social lives dictate our own, and the phases of making friends on the sidelines of soccer fields.
• [08:19] The Friendship Breakup: Why intentionally "editing" your social circle is more common than you think.
• [13:52] The Pro Tip: Why you should be careful about getting too close to your kids' friends' parents.
• [17:15] The 7-Year Rule: The fascinating research that says we replace half of our close social network every seven years.

• The Fire Blanket: Julie’s favorite new practical safety gift.
• The Dutch Sociology Study: On the 7-year cycle of replacing social networks.

• Take our NEW Survey: Are you actually having fun, or just managing a to-do list? Spill it here: www.midlifeconfidential.com/poll
• Follow us on Instagram: @MidlifeConfidential
• Subscribe: Catch us on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of Midlife Confidential, hosts Jenny and Julie explore the complexities of friendships in midlife, particularly focusing on the dynamics of male-female friendships within committed relationships. They engage in a fun game of "Cool or Not Cool' to discuss various scenarios that challenge the boundaries of trust and friendship. The conversation delves into the nuances of gender dynamics, the role of trust in relationships, and the importance of communication in navigating friendships.

Takeaways

• Friendships in midlife can be complex and nuanced.

• Gender dynamics play a significant role in friendships.

• Trust and communication are essential in navigating friendships.

• It's important to consider the context of friendships.

• Platonic friendships can exist, but they require boundaries.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Midlife Confidential Podcast

• 01:01 Navigating Friendships in Midlife

• 02:58 Cool or Not Cool: Gender Dynamics in Friendships

• 05:58 Exploring Trust and Boundaries in Relationships

• 09:08 The Role of Gender in Friendships

• 12:07 Work Relationships and Platonic Friendships

• 14:58 Conclusion and Listener Engagement

Midlife is complicated. Getting the answers shouldn't be. Our new podcast trailer is live, and we're filling you in on how we're going to get answers to all of those burning questions you have about your peers. Ger ready for us to pull back the curtain on sex, money, and secrets every middle-aged person wants to know about.

We're looking deep into the mirror and exposing the truth: What are midlifers really doing to fight gravity and what’s on their wish list? From secret injectables to pricey potions, we dish on all the "maintenance" your peers are getting done. No shame, just the cold, hard, (and hopefully smooth) data.

Listen for a sneak peek into some of the midlife topics we plan to dig into this season. In this episode we share our current favorite topics that our listeners have asked about, and we can't wait to gather the data and share the results with you.

It's our first deep dive episode and we're digging into the data that you all provided in our recent poll. In this episode you'll learn about how much sex midlifers are really having, and perhaps even more interesting, how often we think our peers are getting it on.