Tag: Intentional

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365 Coaching Tip: 364th & 365th – A FULL YEAR!

December 30th Coaching Tip: Eat Slow. Eat Less.

Not only do I need to go slow, but now I’m coaching myself on my overall wellness, with a supreme amount of focus and discipline to eat slowly and eat less. No more whoofing down some food quickly. It’s not worth it! Now it’s about eating slowly, taking a break, walking around the home, doing a quick chore, then having another bite of food, then a few steps, etc. There is no need to risk eating fast, nor eating more than a helping. Zero reason; it’s not worth it.

When I say eat less, many of the books on longevity indicate that these seniors stop eating when they get full, or right before they get full. They walk after eating, intentionally. Some even indicate that they eat just 80% of a full meal. I’m implementing eating less; for example, today I had two spoonfuls of tuna salad, with no bread or crackers. Eat slow and eat less.

December 31st Coaching Tip: Celebrate, I Did It!

At the beginning of 2025, I set a goal to blog about a coaching tip every single day of the year. It’s one thing to set a goal, but it’s another thing to be committed to the goal, implement a new habit of thinking about and then writing about a daily coaching tip. I did it, yes, I did it. Did I fall behind a few times throughout the year? Of course I did, of course. But the key is that I was disciplined and committed to the goal and was intentional about taking time to catch up. In fact, today is January 15, 2026, and you’ll notice, I am finishing my last coaching tip of 2025: Celebrate, I did it! Am I a lil late in getting it done? Yes, I am.

It’s my hope that you have enjoyed reading these 365 Coaching Tips as much as I have enjoyed capturing them, writing them down, editing them a lil bit (they definitely need to be edited by a professional editor), and sharing them on this JenWilfong.com blog. How am I celebrating this significant achievement? I ordered myself a gift, that will arrive today via Fed Ex; it’s a gift that I buy myself during key times in my life, times and moments that I truly want to memorialize. For example, one of the gifts was bought when I started received stock options as a leader at Caterpillar back in 1997; another time was when I started my second real estate LLC; and another was when we were returning from an amazing trip and concert in Portugal. Celebrate when YOU accomplish a significant goal. Celebrate that you DID IT!

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365 Coaching Tips: 358th, 359th & 360th

December 24th Coaching Tip: Be Determined.

Here I was, on Christmas Eve, facing a health crisis with little to zero sleep for five days, while having IV’s and tubes connected to me, and a body filled with meds to handle the intense pain, but I had to remain determined to get better. Digging deep, I was determined to be nice and grateful to the nurses/CNA’s/cleaning crew, determined to take notes of everything that was happening to my body so that I could be more prepared during the doctor visits, and also determined to keep walking to maintain my strength.

The Lord gives us challenges, and every single time he has done that, I have trusted him. Yes, my determination sure helps me, but His presence and my trust in Him gives me a determination that comes from the depths of His word. Be determined. Honor Him.

December 25th Coaching Tip: Be Peaceful.

As I laid in my hospital bed, all by myself in this room, I was spending time praying this special morning. Sweetly and suddenly, I noticed light, grateful, resilient, and peaceful tears gently rolling down by face. It was Christmas and the Lord and I were having a conversation about peacefulness, in this state that I’m in. Being content, right now, was important. If I was supposed to be in the hospital, by myself on Christmas morning, then let it be with a peacefulness. Embrace where you are, be content, and be peaceful.

What a peaceful and meaningful Christmas morning, all by myself, that I will never forget.

December 26th Coaching Tip: Be Grateful.

My partner arranged for me not to be alone very much. Although it is Christmastime, she researched on Care.com for registered nurses who would be willing to be with me in my hospital room while she flew to be with her father for Christmas. This nurse was so lovely; she actually came by to meet us both on Dec. 24th. We all agreed that it could work, and bring me a sense of stability and allow some freedom for my partner.

I was so grateful that we could make this happen for everyone. No one was alone on Christmas very long at all, in our lil world. Be grateful for those who are willing to help. Look for the helpers.

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365 Coaching Tips: 355th, 356th & 357th

December 21st Coaching Tip: Uneasy? Get Checked Out.

Early Sunday morning and I just didn’t feel right; I actually felt uneasy. I haven’t felt uneasy more than five days in my life. Listen to your body; listen to your gut; follow your instincts; don’t delay. Go get checked out.

I drove myself to a quiet ER and was checked in immediately. Couple hours later I was admitted and had a very serious situation happening. If you’re uneasy, get checked out.

December 22nd Coaching Tip: Have A Health Advocate.

When you are about to undergo some killer testing, make sure you have a health advocate that can speak on your behalf. And when I say killer testing, I do kind of mean it. Today had me facing and enduring lots of x-rays and some contrast/dye injected in me to see where the problems were in my body. As the day progressed from 11:40am to 11:40pm with numerous x-rays, hours upon hours of intense pain and loosing my cookies, there were times when me and my health advocate couldn’t even speak in full sentences. For example, when I needed to throw up, I said, “blue” (the blue barf bag). When I said, “pink”, I indicated that I needed some relief, a quick swipe of a pink sponge on my lips. We made it thru it together, and I’m so grateful that my health advocate and partner was with me in the hospital, hated that she saw me in such strife and horrid conditions. However, she became the best ER nurse during these killer tests.

Who is your go to person when you’re in dire straits, heading to the ER, or in the hospital or going thru some killer pain/testing? If you don’t have a person, get yourself a health advocate. Get it in writing too, as a “Health Care Power of Attorney.”

December 23rd Coaching Tip: Embrace Sisu.

As I was in the hospital, I was beyond exhausted due to excessive vomiting and intense pain, and I was lacking five nights without sleep. However, I was facing a very significant decision for my current and long term health. Thank the Lord that I have been in outstanding physical and mental shape, especially these last 2-3 years as I have focused on being a senior athlete. However, as I faced a big decision with meds in me, lack of sleep, and pain, I knew that I had to dig deeper that I had ever dug recently.

My bestie in Holland, Maleena, reached out to me once she heard from my mother that I was ill and in the hospital. She sent me a couple paragraphs on the word: Sisu. It’s a Finnish concept meaning extraordinary determination, resilience, guts, and perseverance in the face of extreme adversity. It embodies a mindset to keep going when ALL odds are against you, often described as stoic grit, inner strength, action-oriented, tenacity, willpower and overcoming obstacles, and then bouncing back with unyielding resolve.

I embraced Sisu (pronounced “see-soo”) during the evening of Dec. 23, and the early morning hours of Dec. 24th. Although I hadn’t eaten anything and slept very little since Dec. 18, faced extreme exhaustion due to this and the horrid vomiting, I dug deep and embraced Sisu. What did I do? I got out of my hospital bed, still tethered to two separate lines, and walked in place, danced, did squats, moved! This was purposeful, intentional, and wellness coaching of myself. I was all alone, just me and God. It worked; my doctors noticed an improvement in my health situation before noon on Dec. 24th. Sisu! The greatest gift from God on Christmas Eve.

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365 Coaching Tips: 343rd, 344th & 345th

December 9th Coaching Tip: Talk It Out, Talk It Out.

As I was in my office today, someone knocked on my door and needed to “talk.” Thank goodness I had a free slot in my calendar for about 45 minutes. Talk she did, and talk, and talk. All I did was listen for the entire time, and then at the end, I asked her: what are your options. She believed that she had two options and then settled on one on the options. Sometimes, people just need someone to talk to; know when you need to just listen. Know when to not even ask questions. Know when not to provide advice. Just let them talk it out.

December 10th Coaching Tip: Don’t Blow It All.

For centuries, people have spent decades building their own personal brand, based upon the daily decisions that they make. It takes discipline to stay on the ‘straight and narrow’. It’s so easy to deviate and slip.

Today, a story was released in Michigan about the head football coach having an extra marital affair; both parties are at fault. Many know that. With the holidays approaching, I can’t imagine on this head coach’s wife and three kids feel about being betrayed.

This lack of discipline causes so much harm; those impacted are too many to mention. With your daily and weekly decisions, take 10-15 seconds and pause, think about your consequences, before you take a significant action. Don’t blow it all.

December 11th Coaching Tip: Empower Someone.

Earlier this week I was asked to travel from FL to TX for a couple days of meetings in mid-January. The leader really wanted me to be there, however I was hesitant to commit, since I’m already traveling in three of the four weeks in January. What do I do here?

I reached out to my colleague in TX, and asked him if he was going to already be in that area during mid-January. Good news, he was. Empowering him, I asked him if he would like to go to the team’s offsite (instead of me). He said yeah, for sure. Then he asked for time to get him up to speed on the work ahead. I will gladly help prep him, and he’ll deliver with excellence. Empower people!

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365 Coaching Tips: 331st, 332nd & 333rd

November 27th Coaching Tip: Travel Kindly on Holidays.

Once again, I traveled on Thanksgiving morning. When I used to live in Houston, TX in the late 1990’s, I would fly from Houston to Indianapolis, rent a car, and drive to Mom and Dad’s home in Kentland, IN. I was able to arrive before my own family arrived; they all lived in Indiana. Fast forward to today, I left at 6am from my door in Indiana. Took an Uber ride to the IND airport. Two-hour flight to RSW in Ft. Myers, FL. Got picked up by my driver, Ben. He dropped me off at 10:48am at my home in Naples, FL. Door to door on Thanksgiving morning took just 4:48. Four hours and 48 minutes on a holiday. Grateful for all the people that chose to work and assist all of us who are traveling. The kindness was everywhere; everyone was saying “happy Thanksgiving” and smiling, helpful, and nice, even though we were all working to get somewhere. Let’s keep that kindness going.

November 28th Coaching Tip: Cook At Home.

It’s Friday night and one of my best friends is coming to hang out for the weekend. We texted quickly and decided to cook at home this evening. With all the hustle and over-eating that surrounds Thanksgiving, it was the right decision.

At 8:30am this day after Thanksgiving, I headed to Aldi’s (only three other people in the store…it was lovely) and bought some groceries for dinner and for the next couple weeks, too. Here’s the menu for our Friday dinner at home: scallops seared in butter and garlic, fettuccini tossed in alfredo sauce, topped with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Fresh salad with spinach, scallions, tomatoes and balsamic dressing. For dessert, we made a strawberry cherry Jello salad with whipped cream. No alcohol, just water. (The Aldi grocery prices allow you to afford an AMAZING dinner that’s healthy, in the comforts of your own home. Recommend that you try ALDI’s if you haven’t already).

Not sure how much this dinner would have cost us had we gone out, but probably $35-$50 per person. Instead, we ate at home, had a great conversation as we both cooked in the kitchen, and took our sweet time eating. We even delayed our dessert for over an hour. It was a yummy evening; cook at home. Make memories. Save money. Learn new skills.

November 29th Coaching Tip: Go See The Sunset.

It was a nice, slow, and relaxing Saturday in our south FL home. It was closing in on 3pm and my friend and I both were still un-showered and in our PJ’s. Finally, we looked at one another and said, let’s take a drive to the beach, grab a drink, and see the sunset. We quickly got cleaned up and jumped in the car and headed to the Gulf. We leveraged Ai and it confirmed, sunset was at 5:34pm E. Our goal was to be seated at the Ritz Carlton in Naples and having a drink and appetizer by 4:30pm E…or we wouldn’t have a seat. We made it, perfectly timed, and enjoyed the sunset. I got a few photos of my friend, and he quickly loaded those up as new profile photos. Don’t miss an opportunity to see the sunset. Sunsets have the “IT” factor; hard to explain, but they just have “IT”.

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365 Coaching Tips: 325th, 326th & 327th

November 21st Coaching Tip: Baking Up Traditions.

For decades, I’ve been baking bread, pumpkin bread and pie for Thanksgiving. It’s just what I do. One of my nephews loves my pumpkin bread, so I double up the recipe to make him a couple extra loaves; I give a couple loaves to my mom (she spreads some of her cheeseball on top of the pumpkin bread) and of course, I make me some extra muffins as well for me.

Our family over the last few years just isn’t eating as much as we have in the past, so I have had more leftovers of my baking goods than previous years. As we celebrate in the future, making a single batch will probably be just fine. But I don’t want to stop baking; I love baking at Thanksgiving. It’s a pleasure to make goodies for my people, deliver it, and share the yummy-ness. I love traditions and until I die, I’ll keep baking pumpkin bread.

November 22nd Coaching Tip: Don’t Miss Celebrations Of Life.

As mom and I are prepping for our early Thanksgiving dinner, I let her know that I would need to leave in the middle of the day to go attend a celebration of life for my friend of nearly 20 years, Mike. My mom and dad were great examples of showing up: they made the decision to attend funerals to share their respects, meet with the family, and share meaningful stories.

Showing up is a challenge at times of grief; sometimes it is exhausting to make the effort to go share your respect. However, I choose to think of it this way: whatever I’m feeling about this loss, the family is most likely feeling it all at a much deeper level. My tip is to go to funerals, or send that sympathy note/card, or make a contribution in their honor to a charity of their choice or call them a few weeks after the funeral/celebration of life is done and gone. Bottom line don’t miss them.

November 23rd Coaching Tip: Early Thanksgiving.

Again this year, we as a family had to be flexible and make a Thanksgiving dinner work for nearly all of the family members to attend at my mom’s home in NW Indiana. We landed on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving this year; last year it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. My mother loves Thanksgiving and decorated her home so beautifully. She has a tradition of many of us sitting at her long, Amish-made cherry wood table, saying the Lord’s prayer together as we hold hands, and then topping it off by each of us sharing our thankfulness. It brings us to tears. This year, mom reminded everyone of how her grandmother (Kate) came here from Lithuania, from Antwerp to Ellis Island, after her boyfriend (William) had come three years earlier, worked, saved enough money to get her on her voyage to the USA. This message by my mom was so thoughtful, especially during these times of immigration crisis’s all over the world due to instability in the daily lives of many. Our early Thanksgiving was a beautiful gathering of our family and homemade food. We made it work, even though not everyone was able to attend.

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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: 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: 298th, 299th & 300th

October 25th Coaching Tip: College Football Coaches Are CEO’s.

Top college football programs are multi-million dollar businesses. These football programs and coaches can transform people’s lives, universities and towns. This can work both ways; if the program wins, the benefits extend to an unmeasurable impact. If the football program loses, there are less visitors and fans, economic development, and merchandise sold.

I’m feeling it and witnessing it as an alum of Indiana University. Our football program has been average to poor since our football team went to the Rose Bowl in the 1960’s. Sure, IU Football has gone to some other bowl games, but the fans haven’t been flocking to IU’s Memorial Stadium for decades. Now they are. Why? Because IU made the commitment to the football program, fired a nice head coach who did average to poor, and then hired a winning coach who had been overlooked for decades at numerous other programs.

In less than two years being on IU’s campus, Coach Cignetti has lit a fire under the IU students and alumni with the team’s winning performances last Fall and again this Fall. In fact, Coach Cig has the Hoosiers ranked #2 in the USA, only behind undefeated Ohio State and last season’s National Champ. Coach Cig isn’t just coaching college student athletes, he’s leading assistant coaches, trainers, volunteers; he’s in front of the media regularly and getting his “winning” viewpoint across to everyone. The IU alumni are now attending games, buying merchandise, paying attention, creating hype, etc. This may drive the University to add more high-quality seats to the 58,000 seat Memorial Stadium, which is 40,000 to 50,000 less seats than at Penn State, Tennessee, Michigan and Ohio State. When the new high-quality seats and suites are added, the fans will expect an upgrade in hotels, housing (Air BnB), restaurants, tourism, shopping and safety in the area nearby Memorial Stadium. The impact of an elite college football program and how it’s coach leads, wins, and communicates are BIG MONEY. (And I haven’t even mentioned all the NIL deals for the student athletes, which is multiple millions of dollars to attract top talent now.) Change is happening in college sports; in my opinion, there’s not a more important leadership decision than WHO is your college football coach. Do the math: 50,000 additional seats x $100/seat x 6 home games = an incremental $30 million dollars per year in revenue. Yes, there will be infrastructure costs to get those extra 40-50,000 seats, but the revenue is undeniable. Donors and some businesses may fund that infrastructure.

October 26th Coaching Tip: VO2 Max Matters.

What is VO2 Max and what makes it so important to longevity? VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can consume during exercise. In other words, it is your cardiovascular fitness measurement. My wellness goal is to have VERY good and elite level VO2Max. I learned how important it is when I read the book by controversial author, Dr. Peter Attia, “Outlive.” It’s now a favorite wellness metric for me and I have it “pinned” on my Apple iPhone “Health” info app. (free, on your iPhone)

Currently, my VO2 Max is at 35.8. For my age of 61 years old, that’s in the high range. This summer, I achieved my highest VO2 Max level (since I’ve been measuring it) of 39.8, as I prepped for the National Senior Games. How did I do it? I was doing regular high intensity interval training, with sprints, fast walking, and rowing for over 18 months. Since August, I have taken a bit of a break from the HIIT training that I was doing for 18 months. My brain was telling me to give my hips and Achilles tendons some relief. So I have done that, and my VO2 Max has dropped four points. Now that I’m more rested up and fully recovered from a September cold, I’ll be doing the HIIT training again soon as I head to Naples for the winter.

October 27th Coaching Tip: Practice, Practice, Practice.

Next week, I’ll be speaking and sharing tips to some of my colleagues five different times. Although each time is 30 to 50 minutes and I’ll be sharing the “stage”, it’s important to prep, know what you’re going to say, what topics are relevant and on the mind of the audience, and how to engage the audience. All of these are very important as we prep.

The best speakers make it look easy, and it’s because they know exactly what they are going to say, when, and with the right tone and pace. They know when to smile, to pause, to raise their voice, and to use their hands to reinforce a point. This is because they have practiced. Some of the best leaders are the best communicators. When a leader can articulate clearly and simply, it’s very helpful for the audience/team/company that you are leading. If you’re going to speak, take time to intentionally practice, practice, practice.