Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
On Fridays I like to share experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant in some way. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
A lesson I’ve taken from my races. I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and she asked me a lot of “what if?” questions. What would my family do if I died, what would happen to them, who would take over my practice, etc. What I told her is that I treat life as I do my 100-mile races.
When I prepare for a long, grueling race I control as many variables as I can. First, I make sure that my training allows me to go into the race as ready as possible. From there, I try to factor in things like weather, nutrition needs, logistics and more so that I can have a workable plan to meet these needs. From there, everything will go perfectly, right? Never.
The lesson I’ve learned, even after you work hard, prepare and plan; things will inevitably not go as planned. When things go wrong (and they will), be prepared to make an adjustment. It does no good to think about what could have or should have been, you just simply play the cards you have and keep moving forward. Control what you can, then expect that at some point you will have to deal with something you didn’t plan to happen. When it does, do not quit or feel sorry for yourself, just find a way to overcome.
A saying I use often. “They don’t give you points for complaining” is a phrase I use to remind myself never to whine or complain. I might say this in the middle of a race or when I encounter something difficult in my business or personal life.
Complaint is one of the worst uses of our energy. Rather than wasting that energy, we are far better off assessing the problem and taking action steps to correct it. Ultimately, no one want to hear anyone complain, while it can feel good in the moment, it gets us nowhere and should be avoided.
Something I love. Most mornings I get up with my 16-month-old daughter about 4:30 am. It’s a quiet time of day and I enjoy sitting and cuddling with her, playing with her, and enjoying her company. What I really enjoy however, is that every morning after she has had her fill of relaxing and playing, she goes to the garage door, points to it, and says “dada” or “daddy.” This is where my home gym is and that is her way of telling me to get going.
After she prompts me to the door, I put on her coat and shoes, and she comes into the garage with me while I work out. She plays with toys, walks around me, laughs, smiles and it’s fun for both of us. My wife and I joke that of everyone in our house, the littlest person is the one that likes to keep me accountable and make sure I’m staying in shape. I like to believe that even at the age of one, she understands the importance of keeping a good routine and staying active!
An important concept. Have you ever been around someone that tells you what they’re going to do or plan to do? Do you notice that in most cases these people don’t ever follow through? Too often people spend inordinate amounts of time telling others their plans and don’t follow it up with action. This can be something major like a new career or a move to a new state. It may also be something smaller such as making a phone call you’ve dreaded or getting in a workout.
So how can you solve this? Very simply, just go! Don’t think about the call, pick up the phone. If you’re dreading the workout, just begin it. Don’t allow yourself to talk yourself out of anything you know you should be doing. Likewise, never waste valuable time talking a big game only to do nothing. Don’t allow excuses or procrastination to become a factor, just get going!
Some quotes I love.
“Everyone wants to ride the train. But few are willing to lay down the tracks.” – Bedros Keuilian
“You’ve only got three choices in life: give up, give in, or give it all you’ve got.”
“No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” – Socrates
“Motivation gets you going, and habit gets you there.” – Zig Ziglar
“The merit of a man is not in the knowledge he possesses, but in the effort he made to achieve it.” – Gotthold Ephrain Lessing
Want more?
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