Tag: Wellness

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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 great shape prior to the Summer National Senior Games. I took a break in August-October, as my right hip was tender and so were my Achilles tendon in my left leg. 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 email it to him. There is no misunderstanding. 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, increase wellness 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: 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: 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.

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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: 274th, 275th & 276th

October 1st Coaching Tip: Love me some Yankees.

When I was a kid, we used to watch the Major League Baseball playoffs at elementary and middle school and then watch more baseball games when we got home at night. That’s when I fell in love with the Yankees. A homerun king, Reggie Jackson, caught my attention by hitting three homeruns in one game. I was smitten! And since that evening as an eighth grader, I have been a Yankees fan. (On October 18, 1977, in the sixth game of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in a row off of three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers.)

“Oh The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss reinforces how important it is to go see difference place. My recommendation is to expose your kids to winners, and losers, to new terrain, to new foods and new cities, etc. Oh the places that you will see as well. I’ve taken friends and family to the new and former Yankee Stadium. I was able to go to two games with my niece Katie and my nephew Kyle; niece Ally and I went to one game. Let’s Go Yankees!

October 2nd Coaching Tip: Get To Your Destination.

Today starts a 5-day vacation. We are making our annual Fall trek to Michigan. We both have family and stories from Michigan, so we enjoy wandering thru MI in the Fall, stopping at farm stands, taking in the views of barns, wineries, orchards, farms, lakes, etc. We made the decision to be on the road (with three stops) nearly 6.5 hours to get to Traverse City. On the way, we stopped at a road-side farm stand and I bought one apple, small jar of local jam, local potato chips, and a pint of blueberries for $2. Yes, just $2!

Our goal was to get to our destination, so that we can truly enjoy our short stay up north, visit with some family, and see more sights. Today, we head to a town that we’ve never been to before: Charlevoix, MI. Can’t wait. Get to your destination!

October 3rd Coaching Tip: Communicate Clearly.

At 8:15am this morning, an electrician called me from one of my house projects (and we were eight hours away in Michigan). After a quick and thankful greeting, “happy Friday, thanks for calling me first thing in the morning”, we got to work. By communicating clearly what I needed worked on in three locations in the garage, outside, and in a barn, we were able to be on the same page. I then called my contractor, and he indicated he would be there in a few minutes. Why did I call the contractor? Because I spent a few minutes with him a couple days ago explaining what I needed the electrician to do. We three were all on the same page, because I had taken the time to 1) clearly identify what I wanted, 2) told my contractor in advance, too, and 3) told the electrician and also asked him for feedback.

A few minutes after the electrician and the contractor spoke, the electrician called me back and gave me an idea that would save me money and save him time and be just as effective. Communicate clearly…and let people know that you truly want their ideas and feedback. It works!

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365 Coaching Tips: 268th, 269th & 270th

September 25 Coaching Tip: Drink Water.

I’m now on week two of this lingering cough from the cold that I had last week. I’m noticing that my body is working overtime still; my heart rate is a bit elevated and my energy is a bit lower than usual. Thus, I’m really focusing on drinking alot. Water, vitamin water, hot tea with honey, tonic water. Drinking water keeps you hydrated and in my lil ole opinion, keeping me moving and a-grooving, living and a-loving!

September 26 Coaching Tip: Open the Windows.

It’s truly beautiful Fall weather, dropping in to the 50’s over night and rising to the 80’s during the afternoon. Because of my cold, I’m intentionally opening the windows to help with my sleeping and to also “air out” the house from all of my coughing.

Soon it will be late Fall and colder, with no real opportunity to open the windows. Open up the windows, let the stink out, and the fresh air in.

September 27 Coaching Tip: Get Some Sunshine.

I’ve been intentionally getting outside to walk slowly in the sun, to catch some normal Vitamin D. Walking is free and the best exercise for nearly everyone. And sunshine is free, too. Why not combine them both, as I recover from this cold and cough, and do things that are healthy and free. Get outside and get some sunshine! It’s healthy and superb for your long-term wellness.