A love note to big hair


The theme song of my high school prom was Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me."

Will you recognize me?

Call my name or walk on by

But really, there’s a lot about the 1980s I’d be happy to forget.

It's one of my favorite parts of getting older -- looking at the past and seeing how wrong it was. It’s a way that 54 year old me reaches out to 15 year old me and reassures her, It wasn’t you.

⮕ The 1980s were wrong that I needed a perm (seriously, that happened)

⮕ The 1980s were wrong about the Cabbage Soup Diet

⮕ The 1980s were wrong about shoulder pads (except on David Byrne)

And don't get me started about the politics of the decade.

Seeing this makes me want to carefully choose what wisdom I trust and to look inside for my own knowing.

We can learn from others without giving up our authority.

Because we get to decide what is right and wrong for us.

So I will recognize you, 1980s, and I will walk on by, with love for what you taught me.

But there was one trend from the 1980s that I’m good with.

Big hair.

My people were embracing big hair well before the ‘80s and I’m still here for it. As k.d. lang says, "The higher the hair, the closer to God."

This week, look for opportunities to embrace your own knowing, your own authority. Who knows better than you what you should do? Literally no one. ❤️


A lot of the swaps of the '80s and '90s didn't work out for us, like puffy sleeves for fitted sleeves and fat-free cookies for full-fat cookies. But in this week's episode, I share a master swap that truly changes everything. No exaggeration.

Episode #43: The swap that changes everything

Ep #43

This episode focuses on one swap that makes so many things easier. Seriously.

This is for you if

  • You’re ever down on yourself (hello, humans!)
  • If you’ve been trying to start a habit and just can’t seem to make progress on it
  • Or if you’ve been trying to end a habit and find that you keep doing it

This is for you if you’ve ever asked, Why can’t I change? Or, Why is change so hard?

And honestly, I could go on. This swap will help you be better at the things you want to do – whether you want to be better at work, as a parent, as a partner. It is basically a core update for the Operating System of YOU.

Take 15 minutes to listen, and then practice this swap every day. I promise it will make your life better.

Have a great weekend!

Love, Rachel

P.S. Speaking of big hair, I made my first reel -- a 60 second video on Instagram. It was both terrifying and not a big deal. It's about how my hair ties into this week's podcast. You can see it here, and while you're there, come follow me.

P.P.S. To celebrate my first year of Making Midlife Magic, I've opened one slot to work with me for an entire year. A year is such a luxurious amount of time! We tend to over-estimate how much we can accomplish in a day and under-estimate how much we can accomplish in a year.

Who do you want to be in one year? It's all possible. If this makes your heart sing, go to coachingwithrachel.com/oneyear for more information or drop me a note at rachel@coachingwithrachel.

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Rachel Baum

I'm a life coach, college professor, and former president of the Overthinkers Club. Also, I host the Making Midlife Magic podcast. I love helping middle aged people dream again and create lives they love. Sign up to get inspiring mind shifts sent right to your email box. I don't over-send, and you can unsubscribe any time.

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