EPISODE 46: MIDLIFE CRISIS- IS IT ONLY A MYTH? MIDDLESCENCE WITH BARBARA WAXMAN

EPISODE SUMMARY

As women enter midlife, we are bombarded with the narrative of things “ending” or “slowing down”. People in adolescence seem to constantly be learning and growing, and yet, when we become women over 40 or women over 50, our journey of self-discovery is expected to stop. Barbara Waxman saw these stereotypes and sought to prove them wrong, and through her determination, she created the term “middlescence”. Middlescence, applying to men and women between 45 and 65, is a period of time that encapsulates emotional, physical, social, and economic changes we go through as we get older. However, along with change, it also is meant to show the new chapter that begins in midlife. As midlife women, we have the opportunity to rediscover our passions and build a life more centered on personal goals and aspirations. We sat down with Barbara to talk about all things midlife, and in today’s episode, we discuss how she came up with Middlescence, her coaching, how to get unstuck in the concept of purpose, and the five essential elements.

Barbara Waxman

Barbara Waxman is a woman whose passionate advocacy for aging, wisdom, and thriving in midlife has helped change the narrative on midlife for men and women. Through her work, Barbara has established a new stage of life: Middlescence. By definition, Middlescence applies to those between the ages of 45-65, and captures all of the physical, emotional, and economic changes we go through during midlife. Along with coining “middlescence”, Barbara is also the founder of Odyssey Group Coaching LLC, a program designed to help those going through middlescence seek guidance and thrive both personally and professionally. She is one of the only Gerontologist-coaches in the world, and her coaching has helped hundreds of people in midlife cope with change and take control of their lives. Barbara is also an author of two books that examine aging, including “The Middlescence Manifesto: Igniting the Passion of Midlife” and “How to Love Your Retirement: The Guide to the Best Part of Your Life”.

Middlescence and Barbara’s Coaching

Middlescence
- A transitional period, between the ages of approximately 45 and 65, created by longevity patterns of the 21^st century
- Like adolescence, it is often accompanied by physical, emotional, social, and economic changes
  - Adolescence is a term popularized by psychologist Stanley Hall
Coaching
- The Five Essential Elements
  - Nutrition and Exercise
  - Rest and Restoration
  - Focus and Growth
  - Joy and Passion
  - Time and Effort
- Entrepreneur Turned Inward Coaching Model
  - Developed by Barbara Waxman
  - Based on the understanding of a natural inclination to be excited about creating a new and better future by investing in things (businesses, other people’s success, etc.)
- Two areas of focus in coaching:
  - Executive Coaching
    - Game-changes who lead companies, movements, teams, etc.
    - Gain self-awareness as you increase and expand your leadership capacity, enhance your personal and professional success, and deliver measurable results
    - Understand how to best use your energy in the time available and teach those skills to others
    - Become a better listener and create a positive feed-forward culture to enhance team dynamics
    - Catalyze a blend of aspiration and realism to apply practically strategies that yield sustainable results over time
    - Curate a customized library of cutting-edge resources and tools specific to your needs and that of your organization
  - Life Coaching
    - Middlescents who are at a crossroads and are ready to gain clarity and a plan
    - Gain clarity and wisdom from your life experience in ways that enable you to reset your goals, strategies and sense of what really matters
    - Discover and optimize the Five Essential Elements to get in ‘game shape’ for the life you want to lead
    - Understand your core drivers in ways that simplifies decision-making and makes it easier to get traction
    - Curate a library of innovative resources and tools specific to your goals, what matters most, and your vision of the future
    - Create a customized plan and institute and micro-steps to make it a reality