Category: Wellness

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365 Coaching Tips: 316th, 317th & 318th

November 12th Coaching Tip: Catch Those Northern Lights.

My iPhone was all of the sudden starting to “blow up.” I was getting photos from my godson, his daughter, her mother, etc. Multiple photos. They were almost in tears, realizing that they were witnessing the Northern Lights, here in Indiana. They were driving to their farm, the skies were dark, the stars were bright, and then they noticed the Northern Lights. Out popped their phones, and they just started taking and sharing photos.

I felt honored that they wanted to share their excitement with me; they felt pure joy. Only God can create those views, only God. The next evening, I was able to go outside and see the Northern Lights thru my iPhone leveraging a photo, but I couldn’t witness them with the naked eye. Being in Indiana, this is not a normal thing to see the Northern Lights. If you can intentional, catch them.

November 13th Coaching Tip: Prepping for Appropriate Sleep.

We have a big weekend planned, with seven of us staying over in our newly remodeled home all weekend and a total of 16 of us pre-gaming for IU football versus Wisconsin. Sleep and steady pace at work were crucial this week. In fact, this evening I ordered some groceries, picked them up, drove to our “party” home for the weekend a whole evening early. I want to sleep well tonight, and also sleep in a bit on Friday morning.

Guess what? It worked. I slept great and was ready for our fun weekend ahead. Now that I’m in my 60’s, it’s in my best interest to get the appropriate amount of sleep. That means talk it over with your friends/spouse/family and then get your sleep.

November 14th Coaching Tip: Show Up for Others.

Two years ago, Indiana University awarded me the Leanne Grotke award. The I-Association selects two female, former athletes who are still alive and making a difference in the lives of other and for IU. This evening, another one of my IU women’s basketball teammates was a winner of this prestigious award. Cindy was all-Big Ten all four years she played at IU, then she moved to California and soared with her career in the Cal State system teaching and inspiring other young adults. I was so glad that I showed up for her evening; Cindy’s parents and brother were there, and it was super to catch up with them, because we used to see them nearly every weekend during the season. And one other teammate showed up, Diane. Kindness showed up.

Was I busy? tired? Heck yeah I was. Do I have company coming over for the weekend? Yes I do. But it was the right thing to do to show up for Cindy. She appreciated it and we shared a moment about how we both have been deeply impacted by the horrors of dementia with those we love. Show up for others! We were basketball teammates, and now we’re teammates in life.

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365 Coaching Tips: 313th, 314th & 315th

November 9th Coaching Tip: Brunching On Sundays.

It was time to get together again with some of our friends, so we quickly made plans to do brunch on Sunday around 11am. Biscuits and gravy, eggs, grilled cheese sandwich and soup, coffee, bloody Mary’s, etc. were devoured as we caught up, and then began to plan our next weekend together. In a matter of minutes, we went from sitting around on Sunday to instead having a prayer over our meal, visiting with friends, and planning our next adventure. Take time to do the brunch thing on Sundays. It’s good for our health to socially connect; great for our overall wellness.

November 10th Coaching Tip: Back At It.

Got back on the treadmill these last few days, as I’m noticing that my VO2 Max has lowered since it was at the level of 39 when I was in superb shape prior to this past summer’s National Senior Games. I took a break in August-October, as my right hip was tender and my Achilles tendon in my left leg was sore. I’ve gained a few pounds, been walking, lifting, and doing my key exercises regularly.

But today it was time: I decided to warm up walking 3 minutes, then alternated between walking and jogging 8-9 minute mile pace for 2 minutes. It felt great that I was able to do this. Made me smile to be back at it. As I head to Naples, FL soon for the winter season, I look forward to get back at it there and do it outside. I’m also going to weave in more rowing and swimming to give my hips and Achilles some relief. But, back at it!

November 11th Coaching Tip: Get It In Writing.

As we age, wisdom kicks in. For example, if you “loan” money to a friend or family, life teaches us to ask the question: is this a loan or truly a gift? A “loan” is expected to be paid back; a gift is a present, not to be returned.

I have loaned money to very few people; one is a non-family member, and he and I always get an agreement in writing. We discuss it, then discuss it again, clarify it in handwriting, I take a photo of our handwritten notes, and then I type it up and email it to him. We have no misunderstandings. We have discussed it and agreed to it in writing. And he honors his commitment. IF you don’t know what to do: ask yourself an intentional and purposeful question that will reduce stress for both parties, “Is this a loan or is this a gift?” If it is a loan, get it in writing.

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365 Coaching Tips: 310th, 311th & 312th

November 6th Coaching Tip: Loyalty Matters.

When I started living in Naples, I had a great Uber driver who took me from the airport to my home. Ben was nice, not nosey, and had a calm demeanor; he was pleasant and mentioned that he’s from the Midwest (Rockford, IL). Then we got to talking about my many years in Central IL, and the bond began. Fast forward a few years later, I don’t even use Uber when I’m in Naples. I leverage Ben; he’s been loyal and available to me, and I’m loyal to him. It matters; loyalty brings a comfort factor that is hard to describe, but you know it and feel it. Ben’s parents are similar to mine; his dad recently passed, and his mother is still very much alive. Loyalty matters; keep those close that are helpful and who always show up.

Another loyal person in my life is my painter, Carlos. He traveled two hours north to paint a lake home for me eight years ago and recently traveled an hour south to paint a property there. He doesn’t complain; he always says “yes” when I ask him to complete some painting for me personally in my summer home or for my real estate business. I don’t even get other quotes; Carlos is fair, and we both are loyal to one another. Loyalty matters.

November 7th Coaching Tip: Invites Work.

Since we have the remodeled farm house now all completed and almost fully decorated, I’ve been inviting friends and family to come visit. Tonight, one of my IU women’s basketball teammates came to visit. It was so fun to see her reactions, as she was one of my friends who saw it late in 2024 when I had just started this huge remodel project. As they say, “she got it.” Then we loaded up in the car, went out for dinner, and headed to an IU women’s basketball game. The gals won, and we snuck out of the game in the fourth quarter. My friend was home just an hour later; she’s now sharing with my teammates that we all need to get together there for a game and full weekend together. We are now inviting them for a weekend in January 2026.

We still have work to do on the landscape around the home and one of the barns still needs attention, but we are getting there. And inviting people to come visit is already creating memories…and it keeps me focused on getting more work done.

November 8th Coaching Tip: Play Til The End.

Today, the undefeated IU football team played on the road at Penn State University; PSU fired their coach a few weeks ago, and this was their first home game since that firing. My gut had me a bit nervous about this IU vs. PSU game. IU was up 17-7 at halftime, so I decided to drive somewhere for about an hour. Sure enough, it quickly turned into a tight game. PSU closed the gap in the third quarter to 20-10, and then in the fourth quarter, took the lead 20-24. IU got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining in the game, and they marched down the field with a number of outstanding passes thrown accurately by our quarterback. With 36 seconds remaining, IU scored a touchdown on an amazing catch that the receiver was able to catch way up high, control his body, and tap his toe to score the TD. That received got redemption, because he did miss a catch with 1:51 remaining. He stepped up, controlled his emotions and his physical abilities, and made the catch of the year in college football. He played to the end.

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365 Coaching Tips: 304th, 305th and 306th

October 31st Coaching Tip: Treats for Kids & Adults.

Halloween is now turning into a fun evening and treat for all ages. As a kid, I remember it being all about the kids, making outfits, competing in outfit contests, counting all the good candy, weighing how much candy we got, etc. Now it’s a full-on family affair; the parents are trick or treating WITH the kids, walking behind them or pulling them in wagons or pushing them in strollers. The parents are festive, happy, and in outfits as well. It’s time now to step up your treats: adult size candy bars for the adults? or free beverages? And for the kids, the same good ole treats always work. Give ’em treats, no matter if it’s just kids or kids with their parents.

November 1st Coaching Tip: A World Series for The Ages!

Game 7 of the 2025 World Series had the Los Angeles Dodgers playing the Toronto Blue Jays, in Toronto. The Dodgers were trailing most of the game, got it tied in the 9th inning with a couple unlikely plays. The game headed into the 11th inning, and the relief pitcher (Yamamoto) was actually a starting pitcher ALL year for the Dodgers. Yamamoto somehow had pitched the evening prior. Now he was again pitching three full innings (9th, 10th, 11th) in this 7th game of the World Series. He was able to easily get the Blue Jays out in the bottom of the 10th (three up, three down). In the 11th inning, with a couple runners on base, the Blue Jays hit into a double play. Dodgers WON, 5-4.

Players stepped up and made highly stressful plays. Viewers all over the world were watching, some 25 million viewers watched late into the evening; Nov. 1st coincided with the time change, too. The stressful plays came from unlikely players; the Dodger’s 2nd baseman (Rojas) homered in the 9th to tie the game, 4-4; then in the bottom of the 10th, he threw home on a fielder’s choice and got the runner out at home plate. In the bottom of the 9th, two Dodgers’ outfielders ran into one another, but the taller outfielder who had just been subbed in for defense made the play. Then in the 11th inning, Dodger’s catcher Smith homered, to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. It was a world series for the ages; unlikely people stepped up. And the Dodgers’ manager made some critical decisions that worked to perfection. He believed in his players and trusted in his key decisions.

November 2nd Coaching Tip: Check Your Tire Pressure.

We have a couple cars that we keep in our garages in our north and south homes. Therefore, a couple of the cars may go a couple months without being driving. Today, I took one of the two cars for a drive to charge up the battery really good, fill up the gas tank, and ensure that the air pressure in all four tires was 42 psi. Of course, all four tires were NOT at 42 psi, so I spent two dollars after filling up the gas tank and aired up all four tires. “Safety first” was on my mind, before I drive across the state tomorrow morning for three days of business meetings. Don’t wait; check your tire pressure. (Note: if you don’t know what tire pressure is correct for your car or truck, there is a sticker inside the driver’s side door to indicate the preferred psi.)

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365 Coaching Tips: 301st, 302nd, and 303rd

October 28th Coaching Tip: Take Care Of Your Toes.

It was time; go get a pedicure. I try to do it every three weeks. It’s an hour of time that I can completely relax and also care for my body. My feet are a priority to my overall wellness, since my favorite things to do are to walk and be outside, going to sporting events and working out. Taking care of my feet is and will continue to be a discretionary expense that I will keep in my budget. I’ve noticed that people who don’t take care of their feet tend to have ingrown toenails, nail disease, unattractive callouses, etc. Another thing that I have noticed is that as people age or get pre-diabetic or diabetic, some people have a hard time reaching their toes. Then, those toes are not cared for. This can create long tern issues. Take care of your toes.

October 29th Coaching Tip: An Evening With The Gals.

We love Italian dinners. We love our friends. And, we love celebrating birthdays. So we blended the three loves together, and five of us met, had wine and appetizers, opened some gifts, had dinner and yes, dessert. We arrived at 5:30pm, and rolled out of the restaurant around 7:50pm. We enjoyed the dining, our server was super, and he just let us talk and spend quality time together. Not once did we feel rushed, not once. We all got caught up, planned our next gathering for mid-November, and something for the summer of 2026 in Michigan. Get your time with your pals; it’s a huge indicator for long term wellness. Your ability to keep strong social connections with some key people in your life is key to longevity. It doesn’t have to be family; it’s great if it is family, but friends who have deep, shared connections can be very healthy. Plan an evening with your people, the gals, the guys, and/or the family.

October 30th Coaching Tip: Get Some Sunshine.

It’s fall, leaves are gorgeous, and it’s the day before Halloween. I purposefully went outside today to walk and soak up this fall weather, before it turns to winter. My walks included spitting rain in the morning, breezy winds in the afternoon, and cooler temperatures in the early evening. However, it was worth it. Being outside walking is my favorite thing to do; it’s free and full of freedom. And yes, there were a few moments of the sun shining thru the golden leaves; I stopped to take some photos and soak up some sunshine.

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365 Coaching Tips: 289th, 290th & 291st

October 16th Coaching Tip: Ask For Grace and Flexibility. 

I was concerned that I would miss my flight today. Last night, I asked the meeting coordinator and my colleague to see if I could speak earlier on the agenda to help ensure I made my flight. When we explained it to the person that I was requesting the switch with, he agreed quickly and understood. He then went on to share with me that he recently had a very scary health issue and was rushed to the ER for emergency brain surgery. I looked at him and listened intently to his story about him experiencing a stroke and being unable to talk. He said it was so scary and happened to fast. Being curious and listening to him allowed me to understand why he was flexible for me.

He had grace for me; I had grace for him and what he went thru recently. 

October 17th Coaching Tip: Have A Plan. 

This week as I traveled to New York City, I made a plan to not workout BUT get my exercise by walking and doing my stretching exercises. I also planned to not drink any alcohol; I had one drink all week and lots of club soda. Although I wanted to, I made the decision to not attend a Broadway show. Although this was a difficult plan, I am pleased to report that I did it and feel pretty good as I flew home on a Friday evening. I made my health the most important goal of the week: my wellness is more important than ANYthing.

Had I not had a plan, I would have probably squeezed in a show, drank a few drinks, and missed some exercise and lacked sleep.  Have a plan. 

October 18th Coaching Tip: Lots on your mind? Write it down.

As I returned from NYC this week and settled in at home, I had a lot of to do’s on my mind as the evening wrapped up. Finally, I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote every item down, line by line. A tip that I learned years ago was to keep some pens and pieces of paper by my bedside. If I’m rolling around at night with lots on my mind, I find that if I write it down in the middle of the night, I go back to sleep more quickly.

Give your brain a break; there is a lot rolling around in your head. Write it down, or have a to do list that’s prioritized in your notes on your iPhone, or put something on your iPhone calendar to remind you to do a task. Leverage the simple and electronic tools to ease your mind.

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365 Coaching Tips: 283rd, 284th & 285th

October 10th Coaching Tip: Embrace New People.

My mom and I enjoy going to watch the harness horse racing at Hoosier Park in the Fall. As a family, we have won some very big and important races over the last five to six decades. Even though she didn’t own any of the horses racing tonight, we decided to go again and she got 12 seats at three different tables in the clubhouse so that we all could watch the races and we kept a very close eye on my nephew, since he was racing in nearly every race. It was fun, great food, less stressful since we didn’t own any of the horses that were racing, and my nephew won two huge races; one was a longshot and I was screaming very loudly as he and his horse cruised down the final stretch to WIN!

Another treat on this night of racing was that I invited one of my IU women’s basketball teammates to sit with us and watch the races. She jumped at the opportunity to join us, and she convinced her sister and brother-in-law to drive to Hoosier Park and watch the races. I embraced them, sat with them, and really shared how to understand the racing program that helps them pick/bet/cheer for the horses. What a fun evening it was to watch them learn more about harness racing. Embrace others and share your love of something special. It’s good juice for everyone involved.

October 11th Coaching Tip: Memories Together.

My neighbor turned 59 today. His wife invited me over for a small gathering of their parents and sons…and me. Did I go? Heck yeah. His wife made all kinds of yummy homemade food, with a theme that focused on the Indiana University football game versus the Oregon Ducks. We devoured all of her goodies…and celebrated her husband’s 59th birthday with people that were closest to him. Help shine the light on others and make impactful memories together. His 59th birthday won’t be forgotten; homemade food, with family, and an IU upset road win over Oregon.

October 12th Coaching Tip: Sundays Are Rest Days.

Today was a day of rest, right out of the good words in the Bible. Rest for the week ahead of high stakes work in New York City with international leaders. We took it easy in the morning, read our Bibles, and listened to music. With the high stakes work ahead this coming week and to help keep up my overall wellness and resilience, it was important to prioritize rest today. I’m learning that in my 60’s now, business travel for me has to be a bit more planned. I need to thoughtfully move thru the week, but even more importantly, get hydrated and rest properly BEFORE I go on that business trip. My health has to be good and solid to help be fully present, helpful and purposeful for others as I coach them. Thus, today was a Sunday and Sundays are rest days, as requested by our dear Lord.

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365 Coaching Tips: 280th, 281st & 282nd

October 7th Coaching Tip: Listening? Put Your Phone Down.

When my partner and I are speaking, I find it VERY helpful to our conversations when I turn and look at her and really focus on her face, body language and what’s she’s saying and how’s she’s saying it, all while putting my phone down or pushing it away. I’m learning that this sends a clear signal that my partner matters, and it is a physical movement that I intentionally take that really reinforces that this conversation is of higher value than anything that could be on my phone. Put your phone down when you’re listening.

October 8th Coaching Tip: Call Ahead.

My mother does a great job of calling people and calling ahead. Why does she call? To get the results that she’s looking for. It works, because she is able to create a quick connection. She lets me know when she starts heading my way and then will let me know when she’s in the driveway. She will call her bestie/neighbor and let her know that she is going in to town, and ask if she needs anything. She will call the doctor’s office to see if anyone has cancelled or postponed an appointment, to see if she can get in earlier.

Pick up the phone and call ahead. It works, especially when you create a smile, embrace kindness and connection, with a results mindset.

October 9th Coaching Tip: Make It Look Pretty.

The contractors were pouring concrete today in front of the garage and front door at the house that we have been remodeling. Since I was at work and away, I talked to the guys in the morning and reinforced one thing: make it (the concrete) look pretty. Make it look just like your wife, with the one thing that would make her even prettier. They laughed and then said, “we got you, we understand.” I reinforced thru the word “pretty” that this was the first impression of the home: walking up the new concrete sidewalk to the front door and driving up to the new garage on the new concrete.

When I inspected the finished product this evening, I was so pleased with the quality of the concrete work. Indeed, it was pretty. Sometimes it’s HOW you communicate, and with WHAT metaphor, that helps get your point across and achieve the goals that you want.

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365 Coaching Tips: 277th, 278th & 279th

October 4th Coaching Tip: Full of games.

College football was in full swing this weekend. Lots of games, but for some reason, I kept a close eye on the Baylor game. Down by a bunch, the Baylor football team scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. And on the last play of the game, Baylor blocked a 37-yard punt that allowed the Bears to win the game by one point. Not a lot of commentary was heard about this game; neither team was ranked. However, WHAT AN EFFORT! The Baylor men never gave up…all the way down to the very last play. To win the game, they all knew they HAD to block the punt. In witnessing the replay of the blocked field goal, I noticed that not just one but multiple Baylor players jumped very high into the air to try to block the punt.

Although the day was full of games, it was the extraordinary effort by Baylor that captured my attention.

October 5th Coaching Tip: Patience Worked.

The hunt for frozen blueberries took us all over Michigan today. Although we had been in Michigan for three days, we had only been to one road-side market that had fresh blueberries. As those three days crept in to the fourth day, it was time to switch our hunt to frozen blueberries. And finally, at our last orchard stop, I walked in and went directly to the freezer area and boom, there were two bags of blueberries (2 x 10 lbs). Our patience worked out, especially after we pivoted and changed our search from fresh to frozen.

Be wise. Read the signals. Patience will be rewarded. It worked.

October 6th Coaching Tip: Go See Our Senior Seniors.

Over the past few days of traveling thru Michigan, we visited a 96-year-old uncle in Traverse City and another 81-year-old uncle near Detroit. With all the driving, traffic, hotels, etc., was it worth it? YES. We learned so much history from the 96-year-old about times during his childhood, while he was in the Navy, his work for the Michigan department of Natural Resources, etc. He forwarded photos to us for two days after our visit. He was thrilled that we cared about HIM. And my 81-year-old uncle reminded me that he was a good track and field athlete; he high jumped, ran the 440-yard sprint, ran cross country, and pole vaulted. He referenced 10′ 9″ multiple times, so I’m guessing that he pole vaulted that high. Amazing, that’s almost 2X’s my height.

Go see our senior seniors. I’m 61 years old and a “senior citizen” now. But I view the 60’s as the go-go decade, the 70’s as the slower-go decade, and the 80’s as the slow-go decade. The senior seniors aren’t “me”; they are older and ready to share their stories to those who care to listen. It’s an intentional and kind thing that one can do.

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365 Coaching Tips: 262nd, 263rd and 264th

September 19th Coaching Tip: Keep The Faith.

Let’s go down history lane for some context regarding what has been happening recently.

On 8/21/1960, my parents were married and by 7/4/1961 and 11/8/1962, they were the proud parents of two young boys. During the Fall 1963, my mother (Barb) tragically lost her dad to a heart attack. A month later, the President of the USA (JFK) was assassinated. Mom and Dad maintained hope and pressed forward thru those two deaths and had me on 8/22/1964. I’m so grateful that they were resilient and pressed forward with optimism about growing and raising their family. By 1968, more political strife happened with both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy being assassinated. Three behemoths were murdered as my parents were raising their young family. And my mother lost her dad, knowing that he would never spend time with us as we grew up.

In the early 1970’s, the Vice President of the USA (Spiro Agnew) resigned in Oct. 1973 from his VP role due to a variety of problems. Keeping up hope, my grandmother (Bernice) and her gal pals went to the January 20, 1973, Presidential Inauguration for President Nixon. By that next summer, President Nixon was being investigated, and he also ultimately resigned in Aug. 1974

During that same timeframe, my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Not knowing how MS would impact our young family, my dad realized he needed to be much more available to help raise us kids and work at home on the farm, so he bought 20 horses and started his hall of fame career in harness racing. He raised, bred, trained, raced, owned, and sold 100’s of harness horses until the day he died in 2023.

Keep the faith, people, keep the faith. Just about the time we think we are the only ones going thru something horrible or depressing, step back, pray, reflect, and look at history. We humans have a tendency to repeat our same sins over and over. Keep the faith.

September 20th Coaching Tip: Provide A Moment.

It’s Dad’s weekend at Indiana University. Although I would LOVE to go to the highly anticipated game (#9 Illinois versus #19 Indiana at 730pm E), I’m making the decision to rest some more, so that I can keep on enjoying this Fall weather even more.

I have two great tickets, and one of my cousins let me know that her girlfriend and dad (at IU) needed two tickets. I quickly made the decision to sell them for $100/each, knowing this was a moment for this father-daughter combo. A memory they both will never forget. It’s a perfect autumn day on IU’s campus, warm weather, and an evening game with two ranked opponents. Doesn’t get much better than that. I’m glad to help provide this moment to them while watching the game on TV and resting.

September 21st Coaching Tip: Sort!

Today was a day to sort thru someone else’s stuff. I had waited over 10 months to do this, and today I needed some natural movement exercise without doing too much (since I’m recovering from a cold). I gave myself two hours to do the sorting, and I got to work. Piles for 1) trash, 2) Goodwill donations, 3) keep and utilize, and 4) pickup by others. By the end of the two hours, I was pleased to find a few items that I can utilize. In the evening, I took a carload of items to Goodwill. I still have a pile of trash, and we will get too that over the next month. I need to make a call to an organization who will come on site and remove it for free.

My tip for anyone is to set an amount of time and SORT. You’ll be glad you did. I think people can delay this important sorting due to emotional ties and memories to the things; when your head is clear and ready, set a timer and SORT.