Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
On Fridays, I like to share experiences from my week—both with patients and in my personal life—that have left a meaningful impact. My hope is that these reflections offer you something of value, a bit of insight or encouragement that resonates with your own journey and inspires you in some way.
Get a good rep. Throughout my football career, both playing and coaching, I’ve often heard or said, “Good rep!” It means a player executed a drill with the right technique, awareness, and effort. It doesn’t mean they’re suddenly the best player on the field or destined for the NFL. It simply shows they’re capable of doing it correctly and now have something to build on. I think we should look for “good reps” in our lives the same way.
Completing a workout, avoiding a vice, controlling your temper, eating better, getting up on time, or making one difficult decision correctly won’t transform your life overnight. Yet each is evidence of what you’re capable of. A good rep gives you a glimpse of how the right choice feels and reminds you that you can make it again. Eventually enough good reps become good habits which can change the direction of your life. Even if your life needs a complete overhaul, don’t underestimate the power of starting with one good rep.
Will you pass the test? We all have things we’d like to achieve. These include losing weight, getting in better shape, improving relationships, earning a promotion, or accomplishing any number of goals. However, there’s an important difference between wanting something and pursuing it. Big goals require action, and one of my favorite ways to measure that action is the “72-hour test.” Instead of judging yourself by your intentions, look honestly at what you’ve actually done over the last three days.
Where did your time go? What did you do or not do that moved the needle closer to your goal? Seventy-two hours is long enough to reveal a pattern but short enough to correct course before you drift too far. If you say something is important but your last three days show little evidence of it, that’s valuable information. This does not need to be cause to beat yourself up, only a reason to adjust. Your goals are what you want but your last 72 hours tell you how serious your actions are about getting it.
Too much or not enough? Whether I’m coaching, racing, public speaking, or preparing for something else, people sometimes tell me I worry too much. I prepare diligently, even excessively at times and I’ll hear, “Relax, just have fun.” Then, if everything goes well, it can look like proof that all the preparation wasn’t necessary. I see it differently. Preparation has a funny way of making difficult things look easy. What people see is the performance; what they don’t see are the hours spent making sure I’m ready for it.
I think of preparation as a mental and physical workout, confidence builder, and resilience training all rolled into one. Every repetition, contingency I consider, and hour I invest beforehand gives me one less thing to worry about when it’s time to perform. Lack of preparation can make a manageable challenge look insurmountable; great preparation can make a difficult undertaking look routine. Build yourself up when no one is watching so you can perform your best when everyone is. If you’re making hard things look easy, there’s a good chance you prepared well.
Make the hard choice. Recently, I had a difficult situation with the parent of a child I coach. The easiest option would have been to ignore it and move on, but doing so would have required me to compromise my principles and wouldn’t have matched what I’ve taught the kids and parents who have trusted me for years. So, I stood my ground, chose the less comfortable path, and ruffled a few feathers. It reminded me that the toughest decisions usually aren’t the ones everyone applauds. That’s why they need to be guided by your values, principles, and gut; not by the reaction you hope to receive.
It also reminded me that making the right decision doesn’t always feel good. I wasn’t excited afterward; I was disappointed that the situation required the decision at all. We sometimes assume that doing the right thing should bring immediate relief or validation, but often it brings discomfort, doubt, or criticism instead. That doesn’t mean the decision was wrong. Sometimes integrity is simply knowing why you made the choice, accepting the discomfort that comes with it, and staying confident when/if the outside noise gets loud.
Some quotes I Love.
“If all else fails we can always still act like grown-ups and be professional.” – Matt Kenney ( I say this all the time)
“If the road is easy, you’re likely going the wrong way.” – Terry Goodkind
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