New Book · Coming April 13, 2027
Rethinking
midlife.
Seize Your Next Chapter with Energy and Purpose
A research-informed, deeply human guide for women who feel restless, depleted, or unsure what comes next—and want to reconnect with their identity, energy, relationships, and purpose.
“The research is unambiguous: Midlife is not a decline—it’s a launch pad. Donna Baumann’s Rethinking Midlife does what great science-backed books do: It dismantles the cultural mythology that a woman’s best chapters are behind her and hands her the evidence and tools to write better ones.”
— Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP, author, Creating Your Best Life and Getting Grit
Is This Book for You?
You May Recognize Yourself Here.
“My life looks fine on paper, but I don’t feel like myself.”
“I’m exhausted, and a good night’s sleep doesn’t seem to touch it.”
“The roles that used to define me are changing, and I want to feel more connected.”
“There’s something I keep circling—and never letting myself reach for.”
“I catch myself wondering: is this it?”
You do not need to be in crisis to know something needs to change. Rethinking Midlife helps you understand what is happening beneath the surface and begin creating a next chapter that fits who you are now.
What You’ll Take Away
Not a Prescription for Reinvention.
A guide to finding your own way forward.
By the end of the book, you will have a clearer way to:
Understand What Feels Off
Identify the emotional, relational, physical, and existential changes shaping this season of life.
Reconnect with Who You Are Now
Separate your identity from the roles, expectations, and definitions that may no longer fit.
Protect and Restore Your Energy
Recognize what replenishes you, what depletes you, and what your exhaustion may be trying to tell you.
Move Toward What Matters
Translate reflection into practical, honest steps toward greater meaning, vitality, and direction.
Inside the Book
The CARPE Model
Rethinking Midlife is organized in two parts. The first helps you dream and design your next chapter. The second equips you to live it.
Part I · Inner Transformation
C
Chapter 1
Courage
Move toward change without waiting to feel ready.
A
Chapter 2
Authenticity
Rediscover who you are beyond the roles you have played.
R
Chapter 3
Relationships
Examine the connections that support, shape, and sometimes constrain you.
P
Chapter 4
Purpose
Clarify what feels meaningful in this season of life.
E
Part II · The Energy Foundation
Chapter 5
Energy
Understand vitality as physical, emotional, and existential.
Chapter 6
Hormones
Understand the biological changes that may influence your well-being.
Chapter 7
Headspace
Build greater awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and perspective.
Chapter 8
Stress
Recognize the pressures you are carrying and respond more intentionally.
Chapter 9
Habits
Create realistic foundations for greater energy, clarity, and resilience.
Chapter 10
Applying Habits
Put it into practice across the four energy pillars: eating, moving, sleeping, and unwinding.
A Look Inside
“One morning I woke up, and something felt . . . off. Not in a dramatic way. Nothing had fallen apart, and from the outside, my life looked solid. But on some level, I knew something had shifted.”
— from the Introduction, Midlife Reimagined
Every chapter pairs honest storytelling with research and practices you can actually use—from the Courage Audit to your Energy Road Map.
Why I Wrote This Book
I Didn’t Write Rethinking Midlife Because I Had It All Figured Out.
I wrote it because I woke up one morning at fifty and couldn’t shake the feeling that my life no longer quite fit. After two decades in the early internet industry—PSINet, Netscape—I’d built a life that looked solid from the outside. It was exhilarating, until it wasn’t. And when I looked around for answers, the culture’s message was that my most interesting years were behind me. Honestly? That made me angry—because the midlife women I knew were becoming more of who they were meant to be, not less. So I went looking for real answers: I earned a Master of Applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, studying under the field’s founders, including Dr. Martin Seligman, at the birthplace of Positive Psychology, and spent years learning what it really takes to create a meaningful, energized next chapter. This book is what I found—the research, my own story, and the stories of women walking the same road.
Praise for Rethinking Midlife
“The research is unambiguous: Midlife is not a decline—it’s a launchpad. Donna Baumann’s Rethinking Midlife does what great science-backed books do: It dismantles the cultural mythology that a woman’s best chapters are behind her and hands her the evidence and tools to write better ones. If you coach, lead, or mentor women in midlife, this book belongs in your tool kit.”
CAROLINE ADAMS MILLER, MAPP,
author, Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide and Getting Grit: The Evidence-Based Approach to Cultivating Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose
“Midlife women, perhaps you’ve noticed that the cultural prescriptions we’ve been encouraged to accept are bland, dispiriting, and wrong. For those interested in pursuing a more gratifying future, Rethinking Midlife offers a clear path forward. With wisdom, compassion, and a rock-solid foundation in science, Donna Baumann helps women see midlife not as a passive winding-down but rather as a potentially exhilarating pivot point. This is an intelligent, practical, and encouraging guide for any woman ready to author her own next chapters with more agency, vitality, and joy.”
PILAR GERASIMO,
author, The Healthy Deviant: A Rule Breaker’s Guide to Being Healthy in an Unhealthy World
“Bravery isn’t a trait; it’s a skill. As someone who has dedicated her career to the science of bravery, I know that the hardest part for many women isn’t the doing; it’s knowing what matters enough to be brave about. Donna Baumann’s Rethinking Midlife meets women exactly where they are and gently helps them reconnect with what is most important to them. The result? Women who are excited about their next chapter and ready to move forward. A perfect complement for anyone ready to put bravery into action.”
JILL SCHULMAN, USMC, MAPP,
author, The Bravery Effect: A Parable Teaching the Science of Conquering Fear, Achieving More, and Living Life to the Fullest
Coming April 13, 2027
Ready to Rethink What Comes Next?
Pre-order now and get:
- Follow Your Sparks: your clues to the question, “What’s next?”
- A seat at my live virtual launch session (60 minutes)
- First access to the Rethinking Midlife Workshop, coming in 2027
Also available in eBook and audiobook.
Ready to Go Deeper?
The book gives you the CARPE model and the practices to begin on your own. The workshop helps you live them alongside others. The Rethinking Midlife Workshop, an online workshop built on the CARPE model, is coming in 2027: eight weeks, live online, with me and a community of like-minded women. Preorder the book, and you’ll get first access.
For Readers
The Rethinking Midlife Companion Workbook
The reflection prompts and practices from every chapter—the Courage Audit, the Social Audit, and more—ready to work through at your own pace. It’s free for readers. You’ll find the link inside the book.
Leading a book club, or thinking about starting one? A Book Group Guide with discussion prompts and a meeting plan is on its way.
Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
Who is this book for?
Women in midlife who feel restless, depleted, or unsure what comes next—and want a research-backed way forward, not another pep talk.
When does the book come out?
Coming Tuesday, April 13, 2027, in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook. Preorder now and you’ll get Follow Your Sparks, a seat at Donna’s live virtual launch session, and first access to the Rethinking Midlife Workshop.
Is the book research-based?
Yes. Donna holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under the field’s founders, including Dr. Martin Seligman. Every chapter pairs that research with real stories and practices you can actually use.
Does it include exercises?
Yes—each chapter ends with a hands-on practice, from the Courage Audit to your Energy Road Map. Readers also get the free Companion Workbook, with every exercise in one place.
Book clubs or women’s groups?
Absolutely. A Book Group Guide is in development—waitlist above.
Bulk or event copies?
Yes—reach out for event, retreat, and workshop pricing. (As Caroline Adams Miller put it: “If you coach, lead, or mentor women in midlife, this book belongs in your tool kit.”) Reach out on the Contact page.