Tag: Coaching

Posted on

Take Some Half-Days Off

In reviewing my schedule at work, checking my vacation time remaining thru yearend, and realizing that I needed some downtime, I took multiple half-days off recently. Since the afternoons were going to be filled with sunshine and 70’s, it was amazingly efficient to work in the morning and then effectively “fun” to enjoy the lovely weather.

These half days helped me get some projects done that had been dragging on for months. Walking in the sunshine and laying by the pool gave me time to think. Yes, think. The thinking time for many of us also requires time to do the execution.

Here it is, prior to Thanksgiving, and I have my goals thru midyear next year already written down and why. I’ve registered for the National Senior Games, which are in late July-early August; expecting that this completed registration will help hold me accountable to stay in shape without getting injured, so that I can “show up” for these NSG.

Another goal was truly looking at my over net worth, as well as the investments that make up my Health Savings Account (HSA) and 401K. Research continues to reinforce that the best investments are “passive”, buy and hold style investing. I was pleased to see that the investment decisions I made for these HSA and 401K accounts are well above the S&P 500 trajectory.

Also, I was able to go to bed much earlier and catch up on some sleep, as the half days off gave me the opportunity to get stuff done instead of squeezing so much in from 5pm-9pm.

Recommendations: 1) Use every single hour and day of vacation time, as you will NEVER get it back. 2) Vacation days can be used for YOU, and not just a week or long weekend vacation. 3) Be aware of what you need, and if it’s “time to think, and then time to execute”, think about a few half days off.

Posted on

Treat Yo’ self

This week prior to Thanksgiving tends to be a light work week; many are vacationing or taking half days off to travel, complete the meal prep, or simply relax before the friends and family arrive.

So, what is a recommendation for YOU? Go treat yo’self. This week, I’ve scheduled a few 1/2 days off, a pedicure, a massage, enjoying time by the pool, walking, relaxing, reading, journaling. All of this is “me stuff”. And it’s ok, because come the holiday, it’s all about helping my mom and family have a wonderful time together for Thanksgiving.

Recommendation:

If you are scheduled up to the very last minute, ask yourself why? Why is it that you’re so busy, that you don’t have time to focus on you? Start identifying what must continue, what can be delayed or stopped, and what can actually be done by others. In our coaching lingo, we call this this “Start, Stop, Continue” exercise.

Start with you.

Stop doing everything, and delegate.

Continue what you can do.

By implementing the Start, Stop, Continue, you’ll be amazed that even 15 or 30 or 45 minutes a day, during busy weeks that come with the holidays, can give you time to Treat Yo’ self. And, teach others how to own things that you normally do.

Posted on

Falls Kill – 10 Tips to Keep You Upright

When I was 42 years old, I broke both wrists horribly during a Sunday afternoon game of full court basketball with other women players. The fall didn’t kill me, however as we age, falls kill. According to AARP, falls that cause hip fractures are to blame for nearly 30 percent of fall deaths among adults 65 and older. These unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury and death for seniors.

In recently finishing Peter Attia’s book, “Outlive”, he spent a full chapter on stability. And I’ve been working on my stability with a variety of exercises. Why? Because during my 50’s, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. At 60 years old now, here’s my small and simple list of exercises that I do to help improve my balance and stability:

  1. One leg step ups, 12 on a side. Three sets.
  2. Squats, 15 reps, 3 sets. Add weights to each side, go slowly up to 15 reps, 3 sets.
  3. Brush your teeth standing on just one leg, then switch. Do it for 2 minutes in the morning and also in the evening while brushing your teeth.
  4. Lunges, with and without weights. Three sets of 18.
  5. Going up stairs with hand on rail, two steps at a time. Yes, two steps at a time. Think knee to chest or marching movements.
  6. Coming down the stairs with one hand on the rail, one step at a time. Keep your eyes on the step. Don’t multi-task and don’t carry too many items.
  7. Toe/ankle raises, as you floss your teeth and then again when using mouthwash. Every evening.
  8. Abs; many varieties, like crunches, bicycles, leg lifts, med ball turns, planks.
  9. Get on the floor and do three sets of bridges and birddogs, 15 reps, then get upright without using anything to pull you up. Yes, that’s right, stand up with zero help.
  10. Wear a watch or device, so that can call someone IF you do fall. (Ex: I wear an Apple watch, now that I’m 60, when I’m taking a shower, exercising and doing projects inside and outside of the home). Also wear identification. (Ex: I wear a RoadID bracelet; it identifies who I am, who to call, and what allergies that I have).
  11. Free extra tip: Buy some nightlights so that we can see in the evenings and early morning hours, when nature calls or you need something to drink. There is no reason to fall because you didn’t want to turn on the light.

The cost for some of the devices (Apple Watch + Road ID bracelet + night lights) are less than $1,000. However, the return on this investment could be life changing. And then doubled or tripled when you add in the stability and balance exercises mentioned above in #1-#9.

Being Fit and 60 takes some work, and it’s my goal to stay upright for as long as possible. And if I do fall, then I have a way to communicate/call someone and if I’m found, others have three names who to call.

Recommendation: Since falls kill, recommend that you start now and do a few things daily and weekly to help improve your balance and stability. This will help your body react, if you take a bad step off of a curve or a rail lets loose or a step breaks or you’re bumped in to by another person. You can also control many things, including wearing a watch with calling capability and an ID that will help people act quickly. Give me a ring or message if you’d like to chat further about your stability or balance goals.

Posted on

Fit and 60

How fit are you now? How fit do you want to be and by when? What do you know you need to do to implement your desired outcome(s)? These are questions that I am really asking myself now, as I recently turned 60 years old.

Maybe some context will help here. In May 2022, I was invited to watch my bestie play women’s basketball at the National Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale, FL. In one word, it was: INSPIRING. She played and dominated in the 55-59 year-old age group, as well as her age group of 60-64. She won the gold medal for team’s women’s basketball and was named the women’s basketball outstanding player. While in Ft. Lauderdale, I completed the “Senior Athlete Fitness Exam” (SAFE). Quickly realized that I was in pretty good shape overall, but I was a bit overweight and I also needed to improve my balance (due to osteoporosis) and my unflexible ankles.

Fast forward 2.5 years later, I’ve lost 12 pounds thru really focusing on reducing sugars in my overall food intake, focusing on high quality sleep of 7 hours with a heart rate that lowers to the low 50’s, eating 400-500 less calories on most days by tracking what I put in my mouth with a food journal, exercising 12-22 minutes more per day (than previously) and with more intensity. completing balance exercises two times daily, and other doing strength training exercises multiple times per week. And yes, for the last two years, I got an annual infusion for my osteoporosis. However, the other items mentioned above give me the greatest hope, especially after recently reading the audible book, “Outlive”, by Peter Attia, MD. He reinforced that exercise is the single greatest “medicine” that you can do.

Recommendations:

  1. Ask yourself how fit are you now? and then how fit do you want to be? Attia referenced the common items that occur in our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond that most want to do, but lose the ability to do: picking up a grandbaby, getting yourself up off the floor when playing with grandkids, hiking up some steps to the top of a stadium, bringing in the groceries with a bag in each arm, opening a tight jar, tossing your roller bag above your seat, traveling in car or RV or plane, walking to a ball game or musical performance, etc. You get the point: the ability to continue to easily be able to do these things will allow you to be “active and fit”, or “Fit and 60”. If you simply don’t know how fit you are, take a SAFE exam.
  2. Identify the gap(s), and make some slight changes. Attia indicates in his research that exercise has the greatest return on your investment of time, so any type of exercise is better than none. For example, if you are NOT walking, start walking 10-15 minutes/day. If you are not stretching, stretch during TV commercials 3-4 times/week. If you are struggling with your grip, start working on grip exercises with bi-cep curls. If you can’t get up off the floor without using both hands, start working on improving that to get up using just one hand. Anything is better than nothing.

If it can work for me, who’s been an athlete my entire life, then I know it can work for YOU.

Should you need any encouragement or other tips, send me a message. Coach Jen

Posted on

Be BOLD

Quit overthinking. Quit overanalyzing. Quit hashing it over and over.

Be BOLD. Do “it”, whatever “it” is. You’ll learn more from doing “it”, than analyzing “it”.

For example, I recently decided to be BOLD in a few areas of my life, and it is working. If you want to sell something, sell it. If you want a raise, ask for it. If you want to stop drinking as much or reduce your sugar intake, then stop it. If you want to stretch and lift more, then schedule it and do it.

Be BOLD. It’s your life. And at the end of your life, what will you regret? Will you regret being too conservative? Or, will you relive the unique and bold moments? If God gives me the chance at the end of life, I hope that I’m smiling and grinning about the times that I bet on myself, and was BOLD.

Be BOLD.

Posted on

Struggle with your Mother Daughter Relationship?

For a decade or more, my mother (Barbara Janice Hughes Wilfong) and I have realized that we have something really special. We get along really, really well. A true lifelong blessing. And many of my friends, all of them from now all the way back to grade school friends, just love my “Mom Barb.” They ask about her, want to see her, admire her fashion and jewelry, want to receive a hand-written note with her lovely hand-writing, spend time with her, listen to her, share their story or issue with her, eat her delicious home-cooking, hug her, ride in the car and talk with her…the list goes on. You get the point!

During the COVID pandemic, Mom Barb and I took the opportunity to do a few projects, intentionally. The first project was pulling together all of my old t-shirts, and some of her t-shirts, and we then designed a t-shirt quilt. Mom Barb found an online group of quiltmakers, and got it done and delivered in August 2020. Then Mom Barb went thru her jewelry, and her mother’s jewelry, and she shared some pieces with me that she knew that I would willingly wear now. Today, I’m wearing some pearl studs. The third project had been started, stood in standstill, and then renewed itself again after we both were vaccinated in Spring 2021: drafting a book, highlighting the A-Zs on having an outstanding Mother Daughter Relationship.

So get ready to laugh, to cry, to think, to reflect, to take action, to love, to forgive, to make the extra effort, to stay quiet, to be supportive, to listen, to learn from, to help, to teach, to support, and on and on. And we will deliver it in an easy to grasp, from “A to Z” format.

Stay tuned. If you have a great story about your mother daughter relationship, please share it. If you’re struggling with this important relationship, I pray that our series of blogs/articles will help you and others.

Jen Wilfong, Sept 21, 2021

Posted on

Spectacular SpaceX

Tonight, I witnessed the most spectacular thing that I have ever witnessed: four American citizens, who are not trained astronauts, buckled up and headed to space for three days. Yes, three days. And they will travel beyond the international space station. Beyond it!

In July 2021, Jeff Bezos and three fellow citizens were on his initial Blue Origin flight that orbited up and back in approximately 11 minutes, reaching approximately 100 kilometers above earth. Richard Branson’s initial Virgin Atlantic trip in early July 2021 reached about the same distance above earth, with his five colleagues, and they were in flight for more than an hour.

Billionaires in previous centuries changed our lives. Rockefeller did it with Standard Oil. Vanderbilt did it with steam engines and shipping, and then railroads. Carnegie did it with steel and steel rolls, which helped build the infrastructure of the USA. Ford did it with the Model T and the assembly line.

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, TESLA, and Starlink, is an execution genius, with the mind-boggling strategic combination of four inventors: Steve Jobs (Apple), Henry Ford (automobiles with gas engines), Albert Einstein (genius), and John Glenn (first American astronaut to orbit earth three times in 1962).

Elon Musk and his SpaceX

Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin

Richard Branson and his Virgin Atlantic

What is happening right now, in 2021, during a global pandemic, is spectacular. It’s far-reaching, futuristic strategy, that is being executed brilliantly and safely. Don’t miss it! Wake up, look up, be amazed, as we are all living in sensational times.

Jen Wilfong, Sept. 15, 2021

Posted on

Learning From Centenarians

We all have life goals. One of my top life goals is to remain active, healthy, and really embrace wellness throughout life. Recently finished a few books about Centenarians, because I want to gain their insights and wisdom regarding what they did to hit 100+!

These 100+ year old people have always made me smile, but so many of these stories had me taking notes, crying, sharing the story out loud with others, and wanting to find more books to keep reading and learning.

What are some of the common traits that help them live to 100? My handwritten notes inside the front covers of all three books, that obviously impacted me the most, highlighted these areas of life:

Faith: Worship and believe. In something. And a willingness to give and be charitable.

Connection: Being around friends, family, and remaining social, as well as connected to a purpose. If that means making tortillas daily, and walking to the market to sell them, then so be it. That gave them the connection needed to keep going, at their pace.

Consistently physically active: Many of the children and grandchildren mentioned that their centenarian father or grandfather probably lived a long time, because they were always staying active on the farm, gardening, walking, traveling, or attending exercise classes.

Moderation: These centenarians really embraced the phrase, “all things in moderation”, especially with food, alcohol, (no)smoking, mood swings, etc. A bit of wine daily worked for some.

Sense of Humor: Many loved to laugh, and sought out being fun, funny, memorable, and unique. Being happy! And having a positive outlook, living peacefully with others.

Easy Going/Embrace Change: They understood the natural flow of life. The highs, the lows, and how to be resilient, as well as having the foresight to embrace change to forge ahead.

Water: They drank water, and ate from their own land. And were located near water, where it’s warm.

Lifelong Learner: Many of the stories focused on how they had to learn new skills, to handle job changes, relocations, and new things being introduced at rapid rates in the 1900’s.

Bottom line: keep one foot in front of the other, head up, living with no regrets, and moving forward in moderation. How are you doing with these? If you aren’t really focused on them, what do you want to focus on that’ll make you happy? In my future, I foresee myself interviewing centenarians, to share their incredibly resilient stories…and continuing to learn from their wisdom.

Jen Wilfong, Sept. 2, 2021

sources: If I Live to Be 100, by Paul Mobley; The Blue Zones, by Dan Buettner; Aging Gracefully, by Karsten Thormaehlen

Posted on

That word, “Belief”

When Helio Castroneves won his fourth Indy 500 in May 2021, he thanked his new team owner and crew for “believing in me.” He’s only won the Indy 500 four times, and yet, he is thanking people for that word, Belief.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo was thanking and acknowledging the team, ownership, and fans when his Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship, he was grateful for all those that believed in him. As a kid, who sold watches in the streets of Athens, Greece. And years later, he and his brothers are NBA champions. Whoever believed in him deserves a serious shout out.

Another key member of that Bucks’ 2021 Championship team is Jrue Holiday. He is one of the best defenders in the League; he was traded from New Orleans to the Bucks around Thanksgiving 2020. Fast forward, as he was celebrating the Bucks’ NBA championship, he too thanked his teammates and the organization for believing in him. Both Jrue and Giannis are All-Stars, heck, Giannis is a two-time NBA league MVP. And yet, they quickly commented that they were truly grateful that someone or some organization really, truly believed in them.

A young, seasoned and skilled athletic director at a small high school in Indiana texted me the a couple weeks ago to share that he was having a very important interview. He wanted me to know, because I had always believed in him, and told him that he would reach much higher heights in managing athletics. I believed in him. Yes, me, I believed in him. Although he was not selected for the job, he quickly let me know after he got the bad news. And guess what, I still believe in him and reinforced the message of “it’s not a no, its just not right now.”

Who do you believe in? Have you told them recently why you believe in them? If you haven’t done that, do it. And do it soon. Every single person on this planet needs someone in their corner, that ray of sunshine, a listening ear, the gentle or intentional hard nudge when necessary, and who will take a late night or early morning call when doubt sets in. They need that word, BELIEF. Be the change. Bring BELIEF to others.

Jen Wilfong

August 8, 2021

Posted on

Re-thinking Something? Nearly Everyone Is Doing It.

In every single conversation that I am having, nearly everyone is re-thinking something. Everyone is doing it. Everyone.

Up to 40% of Americans working right now are re-thinking things about their job. They are thinking about quitting their job. Many liked the flexible work from home (WFH) model during the pandemic, and may now actually prefer a hybrid work week of WFH and in the office. Others are ready to re-educate themselves, and start a new career. This may be due to losing a loved one during the pandemic, and realizing that life is indeed, short. The phrase “do what you love, love what you do” is in high gear right now.

Up to 50% of Americans over the age of 55 are re-thinking how they want to live the next phase of their lives. My partner has owned not one, but three RV’s in the last three years. She sold one to a 65 year old entrepreneur who just sold his company, and has a sick wife. He said, “if we don’t travel now, when are we going to travel?” She sold her older RV to a confident millennial, who is trekking cross country in it, while working remotely.

Many veterinarians are re-thinking if they want to just be a vet, or really run and operate a vet clinic. A colleague of mine just bought three vet practices TODAY, yes, TODAY. And intends to buy 100 more vet practices by yearend 2021. Why? Vet practices are slammed, after many Americans bought a new pet or added a pet during the COVID pandemic. Families are re-thinking their own households, and adding pets.

Mothers, fathers, and couples are re-thinking when to have children, and how many, or if any at all. The US birth rate recently fell another four percent, to its lowest point since 1979. Countless couples are traveling locally and globally, working remotely, and living the life now, all while delaying and/or reducing the amount of child births….instead of the former thought of work, kids, work, and more work, then retire and die.

One of my work colleagues recently shared with me that his son, a professional baseball prospect and a high school student, is re-thinking how he gets his high school diploma. Instead of sitting in class or virtual classes from 8am to 3pm, his son will be improving his baseball skills from 9am to 4pm, and then do virtual learning in the evening via another state’s high school education program. Yes, another state.

Young adults are now re-thinking the cost vs. value of going to college. Enrollment has dropped, as young adults are making decisions to learn online, work full-time, hustle with a few gigs, etc. and employers are realizing that many entry level jobs no longer need a college degree as a pre-requirement.

A couple of our friends in Texas just sold their home, retired from teaching, and are going to travel and live in their travel trailer. They are completely re-thinking how to travel, how to live after retirement, and are taking their sweet time to figure out “where” they will retire.

The average size of home sold in the last 12-15 months is 33 sq. feet larger than the previous year. People are re-thinking their homes, how they use them, and are wanting more space for “flex”, i.e. work from home, exercise room, virtual learning area.

Google and YouTube have seen a 16X spike in “electric vehicles” searches in the last few months. Drivers and car owners are re-thinking their fuel costs, or maybe their own personal carbon footprint, or simply embracing the latest technology.

During the pandemic, millions who stayed home started reading “Reddit”, and learning how to invest on Robinhood. They now are re-thinking how they can invest, and increase their returns. Many of these millions of online investors had never been involved in investing just two years ago.

As a coach, an important question that I’ll be asking this summer: Leaders, what do you suppose your employees are re-thinking? Leaders, are you ready for a potential exit of some of your talent? Leaders, are you really ready to listen to your employees’ needs and wants, and then respond with a win – win solution? Leaders, are you ready to hire new talent that has different career aspirations? Leaders, are you ready for employees to want an EV plug-in dedicated area in your company’s parking garage? Bottom line: be ready, because everyone is re-thinking something. And if you think they aren’t, then you might just be out of touch.

Jen Wilfong, June 2021