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. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
A simple and important piece of advice. I’m a fan of making things less complicated and simplifying whenever possible. Therefore, one of the best pieces of advice I think anyone can follow is this, don’t be lazy. Tasks performed to a low standard, ignoring details, low effort, and not caring about quality or outcomes are all good examples.
Laziness is a habit that works its way into all aspects of life. If you’re lazy at work, you’ll bring it home. If you’re lazy in completing a task, you’ll tend to carry that into other areas as well. I believe the saying “How you do anything is how you’ll do everything.” Go an extra step, do a bit more, and try to never leave feeling like you could have done more. If you can do that, you’ll never be lazy.
An analogy I like. I have conversations with patients and friends alike about health and business where they’ll mention things they’ve tried, but how they gave up because it “didn’t work. “Rarely is there talk of anything they’ve done consistently. This is common, because we like instant gratification, so if something doesn’t work immediately, we often consider it a failure. Most people view success in any endeavor as a win or lose event, I view it like a garden.
If you plant something and then neglect it, it won’t grow. However, if you provide it the right soil, nutrients, water, and sunlight it is likely to blossom. However, it will not do so instantly. You’ll go many days without seeing anything happen before finally something sprouts. Whether you are building a business, a relationship, trying to get healthier, or any number of other things; it will take time and consistency. You will need to apply effort, gain knowledge, adapt, and remain diligent. That is what it takes for anything to grow in a garden or in life.
A piece of nutritional advice I give often. Food dyes are commonly used in food and hygiene products to make them look more appealing. What most do not realize is these dyes are made from petroleum. The same petroleum used to make gasoline, diesel fuel, plastics, and even asphalt. This is not something you want to ingest.
When taken in, food dyes can cause inflammation, hyperactivity, attention issues, decreased immune function, and more. There are long term concerns as well when taken regularly. With four children of my own, I’ve seen my kids go to birthday parties, have foods with dyes and become so hyper and weird that they’re like different people (children are far more sensitive to dyes than adults).
My advice is to not use or eat anything with artificial coloring/food dyes and especially not to let children have them. When you read labels, look for blue dye #1, red dye #5, etc. and if it’s something you enjoy eating, look for an alternative product that doesn’t utilize them.
An important business question. I had multiple conversations this week with people that own their own businesses. The businesses all varied but the question they asked was “What do you do when your business slows down?” Whether due to the economy or something else, these owners had been experiencing slow downs and wanted to know if I ever had, and how I’d dealt with it.
My business stays very steady, however there are periods when I’m slower than I’d like to be. In these instances, I simply devote the extra time to improving my business. This can be as simple as cleaning an area that had become neglected or as complex as implementing or changing a major system. The point is that I never dwell on a slight downtick in business and become negative. I stay positive, stay active within the business, and soon it always picks back up; often to the point where I miss when it wasn’t as busy!
Some quotes I love.
“You either quit or you keep going. They both hurt.”
“The storm hasn’t come to stay, it’s come to pass…you just gotta last longer than the storm.” – Ash Dykes
“You are in danger of living so comfortable and soft, that you die without realizing your true potential.” – David Goggins
“Never say ‘that’s not my job.’ That oozes arrogance and laziness. Chip in to help with what needs to be done, even it’s not your responsibility. Do what needs to be done or help someone find the solution. Period. Even when nobody’s watching.”
“I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it be in my time, so that my children can live in peace.” – Thomas Paine
“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” – Plato
“What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself.” – Seneca
Want more?
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