Podcast Summary

Podcast: My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani
Episode: Revisit: Turning Fear Into Focus with Christina Koch
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Reshma Saujani (A)
Guest: Christina Koch (B) – NASA Astronaut
Producer: Lemonada Media

Main Theme

In this inspiring and candid conversation, Reshma Saujani interviews NASA astronaut Christina Koch about ambition, midlife fulfillment, overcoming fear, and the importance of relationships. Koch, who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and will soon attempt to become the first woman to orbit the Moon, shares insights on thriving in midlife, turning fear into focus, and intentionally prioritizing personal connections—even from space. Both women reflect on sustaining ambition, embracing humility, and redefining success as they grow older.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Midlife Perspectives and Ambition

[05:24–07:09]

• Reshma opens with the classic midlife question: is it a peak, or do you miss your youth?
• Christina: “Life gets better every year... as long as there was something I could think of that year that I did that I’m proud of, I would never be sad about getting a year older.” (05:40)
• Christina sees midlife positively, emphasizing job satisfaction, hobbies, and her relationships.
• Both discuss how age intersects with ambition; for Reshma, age once felt like “crushing up against the dream.”

2. Life Is Long: Redefining the Pace of Success

[07:09–12:35]

• Christina never had one defining moment of wanting to be an astronaut—it was an ever-growing dream.
• Her mantra: “Life is long,” opposed to society’s “life is short.”
  • Christina: “A year, I’m going to turn 26 somewhere, and it might as well be at the South Pole...” (10:37)
• She quit her job at NASA to live at the South Pole for a year, surprising peers.
• Christina suggests fulfillment comes from “find[ing] the thing you can do the slowest and still be happy and fulfilled...”
• Host draws parallels to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s “bloom where you’re planted” philosophy.

3. Navigating Ambition and Acceptance

[12:35–14:11]

• Both reflect on the discipline and acceptance required to balance striving for achievements without rushing.
• Christina: “If you were meant to become [an astronaut], then those [other] things will actually turn you into the person that can become that.” (12:35)

4. Representation and Records in Space

[13:57–17:47]

• Christina set records for length of spaceflight and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.
• She credits systemic change and team effort rather than individual achievement:
  • “We now live in a world where those things can happen... the people setting our direction have decided that they’re worth doing.” (14:11)
• On meeting young girls:
  • Recounts emotional encounters, including one where a young girl looked up at her in awe while she was in her spacesuit.
    • Christina: “I just smiled back at her and I remember thinking like, you can do this.” (17:18)

5. Turning Fear Into Focus

[22:52–25:07]

• Describes her first spacewalk—her heart raced not at launch, but seeing the black void outside the airlock.
  • Christina: “I try to channel [fear] into focus.” (23:51)
• Technique: She prepares by thinking through the worst-case scenario and her first two steps in response.
  • “Just spending that nervous energy on something that will benefit me rather than detract from what I’m doing.” (24:19)

6. Celebrating Achievements Mindfully

[26:15–27:37]

• After her spacewalk, celebration was both communal (dinner with the crew) and personal (connecting with her husband).
• Christina reflects on how women often under-celebrate their accomplishments.

7. Everyday Life on the Space Station

[27:41–29:22]

• Life in space is busy and routine-driven—exercise, cleaning, maintaining connections with loved ones.
• Christina called Reshma from the space station while reading her book “Brave, Not Perfect” for a NASA initiative.

8. Returning from a Major Mission—Confronting the 'Now What?'

[29:30–32:23]

• Christina admits post-mission malaise:
  • “The real challenge is to find that self-worth on your own and to not let your accomplishments define that.” (31:29)
• Both discuss workaholism, and how as they age, professional success brings less thrill—prompting a search for fulfillment elsewhere.

9. Finding Purpose Beyond Achievements

[33:12–34:24]

• Christina has found new meaning through helping others, mentoring, and service.

10. Upcoming Artemis 2 Mission, Age, and Training in Perimenopause

[35:19–38:26]

• Christina will soon become the first woman to orbit the Moon (Artemis 2, scheduled no later than April 2027).
• She’s adapted her training for perimenopause—less endurance running, more heavy lifting and interval training.
• Adjusts health trends (like intermittent fasting) to fit her changing body.

11. Anxiety, Aging, and Values

[38:26–41:14]

• Both discuss increased anxiety and awareness of mortality with age.
• Christina emphasizes grounding in her “whole self” and values to manage anxiety—her top goal on her last mission:
  • “My number one goal in my year in space was to have a better marriage when I got home.” (40:13)
• She prioritized her relationship with her husband, ensuring their connection stayed strong through intentional and equitable communication.

12. Balancing Ego, Humility, and Receiving Recognition

[42:04–44:02]

• Both share the difficulty of accepting praise while still cultivating humility.
• Christina explains her approach: “It wasn’t about dimming my own light for the world. It was actually about making it brighter by having my whole self be able to approach the situations I was in.” (43:01)
• She’s still considering her next personal goal for her upcoming mission.

13. Redefining Success and ‘Third Acts’

[44:30–46:50]

• Concern about defining self-worth by ever-bigger accomplishments versus finding meaning according to one’s own values.
• Openness to a future “third act” that may not look impressive on paper but will feel fulfilling.

14. Would She Have Done It Differently?

[46:50–48:15]

• Christina: “I’ve never been someone to say I would do something differently because I feel like at every crossroads... I can’t imagine changing anything, maybe except to be kinder to myself and to have figured out the whole value [of] relationships a little earlier.” (47:03)

15. Reciprocal Admiration & Final Reflections

[48:15–49:24]

• Reshma praises Christina’s humility and generosity; Christina returns the compliment.
• Both express gratitude and inspiration drawn from each other’s work and approach to life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Christina on Aging and Fulfillment:
  “As long as there was something I could think of that year that I did that I’m proud of, I would never be sad about getting a year older.” (05:40)
• On Embracing Experience:
  "Life is long... That has really helped me to savor the moment and to not feel like I need to rush towards anything, even a dream." (10:35)
• On Representation:
  "I do this all the time. When I meet little girls, look them in the eye and say with my eyes, you can do this, you can do what I’m doing, or whatever you want to do." (16:33)
• On Fear:
  “I try to channel [fear] into focus... I think about the training that I’ve had and I think about what’s the worst thing that could happen right now and what are the first two things I would do.” (23:51)
• On Post-Mission Malaise:
  “The real challenge is to find that self-worth on your own and to not let your accomplishments define that.” (31:29)
• On Seeking Purpose:
  “That satisfaction, not necessarily from almost a dopamine rush of achievement, but something more enduring... helping others, mentoring.” (33:12)
• On Prioritizing Relationships:
  “My number one goal in my year in space was to have a better marriage when I got home.” (40:13)
• On Humility:
  “It [low ego] wasn’t about dimming my own light for the world. It was actually about making it brighter by having my whole self be able to approach the situations I was in.” (43:01)
• On Regrets:
  “I can't imagine changing anything, maybe, except to be kinder to myself and to have figured out the whole value relationships a little earlier.” (47:03)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [05:24] - Midlife attitude and reframing aging
• [10:35] - “Life is long” philosophy; leaving NASA to winter in Antarctica
• [14:11] - Breaking records and representation in space
• [16:33] - Powerful moment with a young girl after a spacewalk
• [22:52] - First time stepping into the vacuum of space
• [23:51] - Turning fear into practical focus techniques
• [27:41] - Calling Reshma from the International Space Station
• [29:47] - Returning home: post-mission malaise and redefining self-worth
• [35:19] - Artemis 2 mission, age, and adapting training for perimenopause
• [40:13] - Prioritizing marriage as her biggest goal in space
• [43:01] - Embracing humility without dimming one’s light
• [46:58] - Would she do anything differently?

Tone and Style

The conversation is honest, warm, thoughtful, and deeply personal—with both participants sharing vulnerabilities as well as triumphs. Christina Koch’s humility, self-reflection, and authentic drive for connection distinguish her story, while Reshma brings empathy, humor, and pointed questions rooted in her own search for fulfillment in midlife.

For Listeners

Those who haven’t tuned in will walk away with profound motivation and new frameworks for thinking about ambition, success, and meaningful living in midlife. The episode offers rare insights into the psychological side of high achievement, the unique pressures and joys of midlife, and practical wisdom about sustaining relationships and self-worth—whether you’re reaching for the stars or redefining your life’s purpose here on Earth.