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365 Coaching Tip: 244th, 245th & 246th

September 1st Coaching Tip: Get some Vitamin D

Everyone that I’m around these last few days is loving the weather. 50’s over night, 70’s during the day. Open the windows in the evening and sleep well. Sit outside, get some Vitamin D naturally, and not break a sweat. This is the perfect weather to get some Vit D. Get outside and walk, get outside and play a little. It’s the best prescription that money can buy: it’s FREE.

September 2nd Coaching Tip: Use Your iPhone Calendar.

We all have alot going on, alot. I leverage my iPhone calendar to help me plan for events that I don’t want to miss. For example, my iPhone calendar reminded me today that estimated taxes are due (not actually due until September 15). The payment was processed today, and will be sent to the IRS on the 13th. On Sept. 9th, I have three special people with birthdays, and it’s also my dad’s date of death. I put those four items in my iPhone calendar as annually repeating, so that I never forget. Real estate taxes are due on different dates in Florida (November 30), Illinois (June and September), and Indiana (May and November). Again, I put annual reminders for the beginning of each of these months on my iPhone calendar, so that I don’t forget. Use your tools to help drive efficiency in your life, reduce stress, and never/rarely miss important items.

September 3rd Coaching Tip: Go To Funerals.

After work today, I took a minute to eat, breath, short walk, and then headed north for more than a hour to go to a small town for a funeral. My dad’s cousin, Judy, passed away. She and her husband lived on a farm, and Judy was a teacher. They had harness racing horses, and that provided a common bond between these cousins. My dad would have been there, if he were still alive (he passed 9/9/2023). Just felt that I needed to represent our family, and show up like my dad would. My mom was pleased that I went, and my brother Brett and his wife Candy also made the trip. Judy’s boys were pleasant and thankful that we made the effort to be there. Some 50 years ago, we all played together in the yard at my great grandmother’s home and at family reunions. Go to funerals to honor others…and be reminded of younger times, too.

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365 Coaching Tips: 241st, 242nd and 243rd

August 29th Coaching Tip: It’s Football Season.

It’s the start of football season, with Auburn traveling to play Baylor on Friday night during primetime. Football in America is now a viewing/entertainment “thing” on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings. It’s on high school fields all across America on Friday evenings. The NFL is on Thursday evenings, as well as Sunday, Sunday and Monday evening. College now plays some games on Thursdays or Fridays, but most games are on Saturdays.

It’s alot of football. And I’m learning, it’s alot of distracted people who are eating, sitting, and now gambling. One 30-something male friend told me that most of his friends are now addicted to gambling, because of the easy access to bet anytime, on any sport, from the palm of your hand with your mobile device. Be aware that it’s football season; but also be aware of the amount of time, energy, and betting that you may or may not be doing. Be aware.

August 30th Coaching Tip: Support Local Businesses.

With all the shopping options today, I still like to support local businesses. For example, I had some furniture delivered today and it made me smile that it was from an Indiana owned furniture company. If we want our towns and cities to thrive with local businesses, then WE must support them. WE must buy merchandise there and refer others to go there. Yes, most businesses have an online presence and sell merchandise online. However, we can do both: buy online and go into their stores. Support local businesses.

August 31st Coaching Tip: Support Women’s Sports.

Stayed up late tonight to watch our women’s pro basketball team, Indiana Fever, play the Valkyres in Northern California. The Fever are the hottest ticket in women’s team sports right now; their own phrase is, “every game is a home game” because of the amount of eyes on the game and that Caitlyn Clark plays for the Fever. And the Bay Area in CA is also supporting their first year women’s team, as every Valkyres game this season has been a sellout. How about that? Amazing support for these pro athletes. Makes me smile; keep supporting women’s sports…middle school, high school, college, and pro. They deserve the eyes on their games!

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365 Coaching Tips: 238th, 239th & 240th

August 26th Coaching Tip: Be First to Meet Your Neighbors.

We’ve got a place that we’re remodeling and been working on since Thanksgiving 2024. None of the neighbors have come over and introduced themselves; however, to be fair, it’s mostly contractors that are there, and we are there quickly and sparingly over the last 8-10 months. However, here in August, we are spending time there working on the weekends. I’ve noticed that the neighbor across the street has children that go to school, as I’ve seen the school bus multiple times. And…they set off fireworks every Friday night thus far. Who knew, right? The neighbor to north sitting on his front step, and quietly watches us work as he smokes his cigarette.

Today, he was out mowing, and as I was driving away, I waved to him. He drove the mower toward me; I got out of the car and walked towards him with my hand to shake his and introduce myself to him. After an hour of listening to him share history about our connecting properties, we walked the property lines and he then shared more about the previous owner and what had happened on the property. Then, he started telling me about his recent retirement and his health challenges (pneumonia, heart stents, aneurysm, etc.). He really opened up…and never asked one question about me. He simply opened up.

I was SO glad that we spent that hour together; he now has my name and my cell number, and he will call me if he sees anything out of the ordinary. He likes what we are doing to improve the property (it’s a farmhouse on 10 acres with an old chicken coup, she-shed, and two barns). He is going to mow even closer now to my property line, after he cleans up the fence line. Be first, intentional, to meet your neighbors. Fences make good neighbors and so do thoughtful, purposeful and pleasant neighbors.

August 27th Coaching Tip: Trust, but Double Check.

As we remodel this home, I had ordered the carpet months ago, when the guys installed the hardwood flooring. I decided to swing by the carpet business after work, and re-check my order on the “status” of it and the pricing. I found that the order had NOT been placed for the carpet; it was actually a godsend. We reviewed the selections, and the sales lady and I realized that I could save thousands of dollars and make a decision that I was actually happier with. I trusted the process and the sales woman, however, so glad that I double checked because it all ultimately worked out.

August 28th Coaching Tip: A Year After my 60th Birthday!

It’s been just a bit more than a year since my 60th birthday disco party. I’ve rewatched many of the videos from that fun, meaningful and energetic evening. And today, I jumped on the scale and weighed a couple pounds LESS than I did last year (that was my goal). I also had a surprise visit from two friends that I met while flying back from the Taylor Swift concert and quick visit to London last August. It was good to see them enjoying a trip with some of their dear friend to a new place, but they squeaked in a visit to say hello. Reminisce and soak up those memories; it’s only been a year after that fun and frolicking 60th birthday party.

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365 Coaching Tips: 235th, 236th & 237th

August 23rd Coaching Tip: Grandma Valeeta.

Grandma Valeeta was my grandfather’s (George) second wife. She was a sweetie, always welcoming with a smile on her face and an infectious laugh, and she was a great cook. During my college years at Spring Break, I would go to Florida for spring break. I would go see them at their home in Ocala, FL, eat some scrumptious food, go to grandpa’s 17-acre mini farm to watch him train a few horses. “Pap” would always remind me that I could stay with him during spring break. So glad that I did, because as I age, those were some very sweet memories. I learned alot about him, his calm style, his purpose with caring for animals in the morning and getting some natural movement in, while socializing with the farm neighbors.

Today would have been Valeeta’s birthday. She is now buried next to my grandpa. And at my passing, I will be buried by them as well. Back home in Knightstown, IN.

August 24th Coaching Tip: Write Thank You Notes.

After my brother and wife hosted a wonderful weekend (for my birthday, a family gathering with my uncle and cousin, and celebrating Mom Barb’s anniversary date w/ Dad), I decided to write a number of thank you notes to everyone who really made the weekend special. Don’t ever estimate the value of the handwritten note; two of the people who received them (my 84 year old mom and my 80 year old uncle) called to thank me for writing and mailing them a thank you note. Be intentional when you are grateful. Your kindness and purposeful actions are so appreciated. Write thank you notes; they’re priceless!

August 25th Coaching Tip: Long Weekends Revive.

With me taking off Friday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 29, I’m truly welcoming in these three four-day work weeks. Three? Yes, because then the next week is Labor Day (Monday off). Although work is intense and we’ve had two retire in the last couple weeks, I’m intentionally managing MY schedule to help ensure that I’m in the best wellness that I can possibly be in. If we plan loosely our time off, work can sometimes consume us. My partner and I are regularly going thru our calendars to optimize time together, priorities and commitments with our family and friends, and yes, work. I’m finding that long weekends can really revive me; that extra day is so healing and relaxing and the four-day work week is a bit easier to embrace and complete with high performance.

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365 Coaching Tips: 232nd, 233rd & 234th

August 20th Coaching Tip: Reach Out On Birthdays.

Today is one of my favorite advisor’s birthdays. I wanted him to know that I deeply care about him, so yes, I was that person who wished him a happy birthday at 8am sharp. And he laughed, and came back quickly and stated, “you were 2nd to wish me HBD.” I’ll take it, he and I both know that he’s important to me, and I’m equally important to him.

And then, for some reason, I reached out to one of my coaching colleagues to wish her a happy August birthday. Although her birthday isn’t until Aug. 30, she’s my work-sister with an August birthday. Welp, wouldn’t you know, my gut was right. She responded by saying, “thanks for the HBD wishes. Your intuition is amazing. My father passed last night, and so now I’m dealing with that. I know you lost your father a couple years ago.” Oh my, I wasn’t expecting this, although her father had been declining the last couple years. I’m just so grateful that the good Lord had me reach out. Just hope that I can be there for her as she grieves the loss of her dad; my dad died in Sept. 2023 unexpectedly. Keep reaching out.

August 21st Coaching Tip: Understand Your Impact On Others.

Today in one of my coaching sessions, the leader was mentioning how excited he was about a new bi-lingual woman that he’s mentoring and aligning to his team. He had some questions about how to do it, and then I had some questions, too. For example, he has two other young people on the team that he’s also developing. My questions revolved around the “how”: how will you mentor and develop all three of them? how will you communicate how they will be held accountable and compensated? how will you be viewed as fair, maybe not equal, but definitely fair? how will you document what you’re doing with each of them, so that if you have other that want to join your team, you can quickly share with them how you mentor and develop talent.

Don’t underestimate how important it is to communicate the impact on the person you’re developing, as well as to the others. People are naturally impacted by the amount of time you spend with them. Leadership is hard and it’s your responsibility as a leader to be aware of your impact on others.

August 22nd Coaching Tip: Lakeside Birthday Tradition.

Took the day off, again. It’s a priority for me to take off my birthday, and it’s a ritual that I’ve been doing since I started working at Caterpillar in 1986. At my 40th birthday, our family all gathered at a small hotel in Indiana. We brought four jet skiis, food, and had a blast. At my 50th birthday party, I rented a lovely, large home on Lake Wawasee, Indiana, for a group of friends to come and stay, and then my family also came. From there, we started a lakeside tradition, and now we celebrate my birthday and a number of other important dates annually. This year was no different; we had 19 show up for my birthday party at my brother’s lakeside home. We sang karaoke for four hours, eat like kings and queens, and had a yummy, Costco (Italian chocolate six layer) cake with optional scoops of gelato. So, peace out and enjoy your birthday. We sure had a blast all weekend!

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365 Coaching Tips: 229th, 230th and 231st

August 17th: Those Extra Efforts.

It was a sunny day by the lake, and I could have easily just stayed there all-day relaxing. However, my 80-year-old was nearby attending his high school reunion, and then he was heading to the airport today. I jumped in the car and met him for a quick lunch at the airport; we split a sandwich, he shared the fun times from his weekend, and he was also thrilled that I made the extra effort to see him. Make the extra effort; you never know WHEN you may or may not see someone again.

August 18th: Cancer Stinks.

Today, my mother and I had to reach out to the land tenant that is leasing 17 acres from mom for ag purposes. Per the lease, the tenant was to keep the property mowed, maintained, and utilized for ag-only purposes (i.e. no housing, only crops or animals). We were noticing that he stopped communicating and the nearby neighbors were sending me photos of an overgrown pasture. Mom and I knew something was up. Indeed something was up: our tenant revealed that he has progressive pancreatic cancer. His wife also indicated that he’s in the hospital. The man/husband/father/tenant is facing the fight of his life; all he wanted to do was raise a family, teach them how to farm, raise crops and animals. That is all stopping now for him. Mom and I will find another tenant. Cancer stinks.

August 19th: Talk It Over.

One of my coaching clients reached out to me and mentioned that she was thinking of moving forward with a business divorce with her longtime business partner. We prioritized getting some time together; I started asking questions of what’s going on, what’s NOT happening, when did they talk last, who is responsible for what, etc. After about 45 minutes, she realized that she hadn’t even talked to her business partner recently about what was upsetting her. She even admitted that he may not even know that she is thinking about a business divorce. Once she admitted those things, she agreed that she needed to get his attention, sit down and talk it over. We practice how she might go about doing that; many crucial conversations don’t go as planned, because many times the lack of practice is evident, and then the conversation turns sour, emotional, disrespectful and hurtful. Talk it over with a colleague or coach, before you have a crucial talk.

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365 Coaching Tips: 226th, 227th and 228th

August 14th Coaching Tip: Respond To Your Clients.

When clients call you, respond. It’s top of mind for them and they have the mental space to be thinking about “it”, whatever it is. For example, today my partner had a client reach out on a very important potential sale. Although she was in the midst of shopping at Target, she stepped aside and responded with, “I’m at Target grabbing a few things. Give me 5-10 minutes.” The client came back quickly, “That’ll work just fine, take your time.” Within 15 minutes, they both put together a plan to meet later today and it will result in a sale. My partner is a communications professional and professor; “how” you communicate is just as important than “what” you communicate. Don’t overcomplicate things: respond to clients, as they would want to be treated…and as you would want to be treated.

August 15th Coaching Tip: Leverage Your Network.

Thank goodness I have solid and reputable general contractors that I’ve been working with in central and southern Indiana for more than a decade. If I need a job done or another type of contractor or labor assistance, I always reach out to these two GC’s. They give me good recommendations, and really care about helping me get my jobs done. They follow up, to make sure that if I selected someone they referred, that the contractor was respectful and completed the job well. Leverage your network to get stuff done.

August 16th Coaching Tip: Get Multiple Quotes.

Today, I’m getting my third quote on some work for a large landscape project. We have a property with a home and two barns, and there is an 800′ incline on the property that has rainwater that flows directly into the barns and the house area. It will take alot of drainage tile, grading, stone, and good dozer hand/eye/lazer work to get the water to flow correctly. In meeting with three different companies for their quotes, I’ve learned quite a bit from all three of them, and it’s helping me figure out what I do want to do on the site. My first priority now is to get the water away from the home, since we are now done with the remodel and painting the exterior. Then, we will work on the barn area. Getting multiple quotes is also slowing me down, gaining clarity on my needs, and also helping me understand my budget a bit better, too.

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365 Coaching Tips: 223rd, 224th & 225th

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, no, you have no clue; zero clue. You’ve never retired. Maybe your parents or grandparents or an older friend have 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 a career, 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 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 value added 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 will here in August, but as the Fall and Sept/Oct 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 a 80+ year old gymnast; audiences are amazed at how she still does the 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 for me to hold it, until I arrived. I 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.

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365 Coaching Tips: 220th, 221st and 222nd

August 8th Coaching Tip: Hear Their Story.

During one of my coaching sessions recently, my colleague shared with me that he had been in the military and quickly moved on. I listened and then started asking more questions. That led to his upcoming vacation, as he’s heading to Italy and France for his 50th birthday. (That’s what I did for my 50th and 55th birthdays) We had so much in common, before we knew it, we turned a somewhat random Zoom on connecting in to a truly connection.

Recently, I purchased a home. Honestly, I just wanted to go to the closing, sign the paperwork, get the keys, and get moving on to my day. But when I walked into the closing, the owner stood up and said, “this was my mom’s home”. He had watery eyes; he was acting as the rep for the family and his mother. He went on to tell me that it’s a great neighborhood for biking, because he grew up there. At the end of the street is a great hill for sledding. His parents built the home and are the only family to live in it. I told him that we would take great care of it, with alot of love. Take time to hear their story; it matters and you just never know what you will learn or have in common.

August 9th Coaching Tip: Be Ultra Aware.

Once again in America, a known man with mental health issues was just arrested for killing four people in a Montana bar. Of course he had access to guns, and then killed people with them. Even though that happened in Montana, it hits close to home. Recently as our lake condo, the police officers and fire/EMT’s showed up in the building next to ours. They were called to investigate a domestic situation that involved a man that is clearly mentally ill…and yet he is a “care taker for a woman.” Anyway, this mentally ill man walks outside, talks to himself, and wears interesting and very warm clothing when it’s very hot outside. He’s now been asked to vacate the rental property that he is staying in, due to multiple police reports. Today, we intentionally discussed how to avoid him, not walk by his front door nor his vehicles. Don’t engage at all. We also shared this message of intentionality and “keeping your head on a pivot” and being more socially aware. Be ultra aware.

August 10th Coaching Tip: Witness the Sturgeon Moon.

For the last two evenings here in August, we have intentionally taken sunset cruises to witness the full Sturgeon Moon rise above the horizon and east tree line. Word has it that this full moon in August was named by the Indians, as the Sturgeon fish were aplenty this time of the year. The Sturgeon Moon is a bit bigger and brighter, starting out as orange-ish and then rising to a more crystal color. We took time both evenings to enjoy this daily yet miraculous event, ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over its beauty. As the moon raised up, it’s light bounced off the lake and was beautiful. Photos don’t do it justice; but we took time to witness it not once but twice. Take time to embrace and witness all that God has to offer. Witness the Sturgeon Moon.

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365 Coaching Tips: 217th, 218th & 219th

August 5th Coaching Tip: Take Care of Your Mind.

As we returned from the intensity and competition of the National Senior Games in Des Moines, I prioritized recovery this week. I took it really easy yesterday; only took a couple strolls and got a few shots up in the LA Fitness gym nearby. This evening, I went to bed earlier than I normally do…even though I wanted to stay up and watch a key WNBA game that started at 10pm E. My mind is still on a bit of a high and buzzing with joy and excitement from my results at NSG; my blood pressure last week was un-usually high (130’s-150’s/97). I checked my BP multiple times this week, and it’s right back down to my normal levels of 107/68.

To prioritize my mind today, I really got organized this week (returning from vacation is always filled with a slew of emails and follow up). I prioritized what emails MUST be followed up quickly; I flagged them with a “red” flag. For medium and lower priority emails and calls, I requested connecting with them the weeks of Aug. 11 or Aug. 18, and even proposed the week of Aug. 25 or after Labor Day. A number requested, “after Labor Day works great for me, too.” And for me personally, I scheduled a massage and pedicure for this week, before we head to the lake this weekend for some downtime. Prioritize your mind; clear thinking will help make sound decisions.

August 6th Coaching Tip: Take Care of Your Body.

As mentioned above, it was very important for me to get a massage early this week. And I splurged and got a 90-minute massage. Very glad that I prioritized this, as I have less soreness now and no injuries from last week at the NSG. While I was competing last week at the NSG, I made it a priority to eat and hydrate very well, drink zero alcohol, and get plenty of sleep (approx. 8 hours/night). I also had access to an indoor pool that had a surprisingly cool water temperature, so after each competition, I got in it and just walked around and swam slowly to cool my body a bit. We also brought a foam roller, and I used that to help roll out my hamstrings and calves. Take care of your body; you’ve only got ONE! (Note: we were in Des Moines for the NSG in three different venues for 5-6 days. I’m pleased to report that I did not see one injury while I was there. That’s a remarkable statement, since all athletes were 50-101 years old).

August 7th Coaching Tip: Take Care of Your Feet.

Our feet take the pressure of every single step we take; there’s nothing like our feet. When we lose our feet or our ability to walk, it can be quite depressing and debilitating. I’ve witnessed colleagues, friends, and a couple of my family ignore their feet/toes/ankles until it was “too late”. Now they have to wear unique shoes or special inserts or compression socks every single day. It was a priority for me to get a pedicure today and talk to the nail tech about a couple small areas on my toes that were tender. She really listened, inspected, and then helped those two areas, along with making my toes look pretty in Hoosier red nail polish. As I have moved from 50 to 60 years old, I’m learning a lot about how my body and feet like certain footwear. Don’t laugh, but I must have 8-10 pair of Nike Pegasus jogging shoes and Ooofos sandals and slides. My feet like them, and my feet don’t hurt. Why change it up if it is working. Take care of your feet.