August 11th Coaching Tip: Retirements Are Huge Decisions.
It cracks me up when I hear younger people say, “I know what you mean…” when someone is trying to make up their mind about retiring. Actually, I think to myself, “no, you have no clue; zero clue. You’ve never retired. Maybe your parents or grandparents or an older friend has retired, but you haven’t retired.”
When someone is discussing retiring, listen to them and ask questions. Listen to their story of all the ways in which they made their career journey, or help manage a business, or lead their family. Ask questions about what they loved the most, and what were their regrets that others could learn from. In my coaching work, many discussions are about “when will I retire” and “what will I do with my time after I retire”. We openly discuss what are their plans, what are they going toward, and how will they deal with a potential change in their own feeling about their identity. Some are considering working part-time to stay socially engaged as well as leveraging their decades of experience to continue to help and be valuable to others. Retiring is a huge decision.
August 12th Coaching Tip: Ongoing Commitment.
Yes, I completed the National Senior Games on Aug. 2, 2025. However, I now have a renewed and ongoing commitment to my overall wellness, fitness and strength levels. Of course, I took a few days off and on throughout August, but as the Fall and beautiful weather of September and October creep up, it will be time to renew my ongoing commitment to keep my V02max above 36 by doing regular high intensity interval training as well as improving my basketball shooting accuracy. I’ve been inspired by an 80+ year old gymnast; audiences are amazed at how she still does balance beam routines. She said it is simple: she never stopped doing them. She maintained her ongoing commitment for decades.
August 13th Coaching Tip: Be Honest.
Trying to buy a few things on Facebook Marketplace for the remodeled home that we are working on for a final “move in” date of Aug. 29, 2025. One seller on Marketplace was pleasant and professional, and we treated each other with timeliness and respect. I went to see the furniture that she had listed, and it was as she claimed it was: great shape, rarely used. However, another seller was less than honest. She wanted $200 from me to hold the item until I arrived. Hesitantly, I went ahead and zelle’d her “son” the $200. Then she let me know that her partner had already made a commitment to sell the piece of furniture to another person. By then, she was apologizing…but also saying that if I sent the remaining amount, they would agree to sell it to me. At that point, I was done with them. She lacked integrity, and she still has not returned my $200. Scam? Maybe. Dishonest? Absolutely. Be honest.