All posts tagged: improve productivity

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – October 1st

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

On Fridays I like to share some of the 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. 

Something I believe in.  In football, we coach players to “play to the whistle.”  Meaning you give a maximum effort until a whistle blows and signals the end of play.  I believe this is useful advice for everyday life as well.  It is easy to leave things for later, procrastinate or come up with excuses not to do things in a timely manner.  This can lead to stress and a poor outcome.

Rather than wait, I like to “play to the whistle.”  In other words, if I can fit 10 more minutes of work in today, that’s 10 less I need to do tomorrow and can get ahead on something else.  I don’t always get everything done in a single block of time, but I do make sure I take full advantage of every second I have and do all I can with the time I have.  Play to the whistle in everything you do, it will make a difference!

Should I take a multivitamin?  I believe everyone should be taking a multivitamin.  It is certainly possible to get all the nutrients from food but nearly impossible to get everything in the correct amounts each day.  Therefore, to cover your bases I recommend a good, whole-food multivitamin.  This means the vitamin is derived from actual food (fruits and veggies) and not synthetic vitamins.

A vitamin like Centrum will be cheap but because it is comprised of synthetic vitamins, your body will not absorb much, and it will do little.  Conversely, if you are using a whole food vitamin (such as Juice Plus for example) you will notice your hair and nails grow very quickly which is a sign your body is retaining and utilizing nutrients.

A piece of advice I mentioned recently.  I gave a talk recently and during it, I mentioned a conversation I’d had not too long ago.  I was asked by a runner training for a 10K (just over 6 miles) if I had any advice on how to get better at this distance, as he was really struggling between miles 4.5 and 6. 

I told him I did have some advice and he looked at me no doubt expecting something to do with nutrition, VO2 max or something scientific.  Instead, what I told him was to have his wife drop him off 12 miles from his house and to run home.  He looked at me like I was crazy.  What I explained to him was that our minds deal with what we give them.  So, to his mind, 6 miles was a giant task.  I suggested the 12-mile run to “reset his normal.”  If you’re worried about miles 4 to 6 and you throw a 12-mile run in, do you think the next time you run 6 miles your body will find it as difficult?  No chance.  In fact, it’ll be thankful you’re only doing 6 miles.  Sometimes you need to throw a large task at yourself to reset what you think is possible or comfortable.

A great question to ask yourself.  Are you easy to root for? In sports, there are people we simply love to cheer for people based on their character, performance, perseverance, redemptive story, you name it.  Conversely, there are people we’d prefer to root against.  Life works in a similar fashion.

I believe in general people that are honest, positive, kind, loyal, loving, humble, hardworking, energetic, passionate, and unique (among other qualities) are easy to root for.  They contribute to those around them and in turn, people want to see them do well.  On the other side are people that are negative, arrogant, self-centered, untruthful, lazy, complainers, low energy and more.  These people tend to drain those around them, so people don’t want to elevate them, they tend to want to get away from them.  If you are the type of person that people want to cheer for and see do well, it’s likely that you are doing a lot of things right.  If not, you may need to consider making some changes.

Some quotes I love.

“If you leave your children a world where you never stood up, they’ll inherit one where they can’t.” – Robert J. O’Neill

“Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will.” – W. Clement Stone

“I would like to be measured by what the people who learned from me taught other people.” – Seth Godin

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop.” – Confucious

Want more?

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Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – October 1st
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Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 27th

Dr. Kenney’s 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions.  On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Do you eat strictly over the holidays?  The way I approach eating at holiday events is that I indulge in things that I am excited about but avoid just stuffing my face with things I don’t.  For example, my grandmother used to bring over apples that are essentially baked using red hot candies and water. She created this recipe during The Depression, and I’ve had it every year of my life going back to childhood. It’s as much Christmas to me as the tree.  Is it good for me?  No.  Am I skipping it?  Heck no.  On the other hand, cookies are not my thing so when those are everywhere at parties, I leave them be.  I don’t restrict myself, but I don’t go too crazy just because it’s a holiday.

A piece of nutrition advice you like to give?  Following along with the above, I believe that there is nothing wrong with eating whatever you want from time to time.  Scientifically when this is a deviation from your norm, it accelerates metabolism.  My advice is to not let a “cheat day” become multiple days, a cheat week or more.  So, what I recommend is the day after you indulge, get right back into healthy eating and get some form of exercise in.  On Christmas I ate a lot of food I would not eat on a regular day.  On the 26th I got up, did 100 burpees (while my 17-month-old clapped for me, bonus!), drank a lot of water and had a healthy breakfast of eggs and an avocado.  Before my body could even begin to crave sugar or want more of the bad stuff, I had it back on the right track.  Treating yourself is fine, just have the discipline to get it back under control.

A gift I’m excited about?  I got a training mask from my kids for Christmas.  For those not familiar, this is a mask you wear that restricts breathing and simulates altitude training.  It can be set for anywhere from 3,000 feet to 18,000 feet.  I’ve done a run and a couple workouts with it thus far and it’s challenging but I think it will help me as I continue training for my upcoming 100-mile race in March.

A book I love?  Living with a SEAL by Jesse Itzler.  This is the true story of a wealthy man, stuck in his routines that brings a very intense Navy SEAL to live with him and his family and follow him around for 30 days.  The story itself is worth it but there are many lessons to be learned about breaking out of comfort zones and challenging ourselves daily to become better people.

A quote I love?  “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live and a beauty to rescue.” – John Eldredge

Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor

Matt KenneyDr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 27th
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7 Uncommon Tips for Success

1. Do what you hate…sometimes. Often the thing we dread doing most brings us the most benefit. Staring down the things we fear doing is challenging but ultimately leaves us better prepared for success.

2. Scare yourself. Comfort zones are nice but many of the greatest things in life lie just outside of that zone. Regularly challenge yourself to leave your comfort zone and you’ll notice what you once saw as difficult or impossible no longer is.

3. Find motivation. Spending too much time in our own heads detracts from all the great stuff around us. If you take the time to notice, there will be motivation everywhere that you can use to fuel yourself. I regularly see stories online, read books and meet people that motivate me in every aspect of my life.

4. Stay committed. As I mentioned above, motivation is a wonderful thing. However, once motivation runs out only commitment remains. Commitment requires a vision of where you want to go, why and what you’re willing to sacrifice to get there.

5. Push further. I am a big proponent of trying to push your boundaries so far that it changes what you view as normal. It often only takes one more bit of effort to turn the corner into a whole new level of success.

6. Forget the past. Our past has a tendency to either create complacency or sadness. That is why it’s crucial to focus on the present and future if we want to succeed.

7. Suit up and show up. In life, sometimes the toughest part is just showing up and moving forward after things have gotten difficult. There are athletes, businesses and people from every walk of life that win by attrition, refusing to quit when everyone else does.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in motivating and helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please browse our site, find us on Facebook or call (303) 347-9906.

Matt Kenney7 Uncommon Tips for Success
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6 Tips for a stronger mind and more productive life

I’m a big believer that one of the most valuable tools a person can possess is a strong mindset. This enables a person to plan effectively, deal with crisis and move forward productively. Like anything else, thinking in a constructive way takes practice. Here are 6 tips I recommend for strengthening your mind.

1. Keep the past behind you. Far too many people spend crucial energy focused on what has already happened instead of what could be happening. Instead of dwelling on what used to be, start focusing on how you want things to be.

2. Take “smaller bites”. Many of us have so many things that need to be done that it can become overwhelming. Rather than allowing the stress this causes to set us back, the key is to take “smaller bites.” Focus on and complete 1 task at a time before moving on to the next. This will allow you to simultaneously focus on the task at hand, accomplish things, feel better and still progress toward your ultimate goal(s).

3. Trust yourself. When things get challenging many people have a tendency to question how (or if) they’ll ever be able to find a solution. Rather than adopting that negative mindset, have faith that one way or another you will succeed. Many of the most admirable people I’ve encountered were just normal people that refused to give up on finding solutions to their problems.

4. Don’t compare yourself. With things like Facebook, there is a greater tendency than ever for people to compare themselves to their friends and acquaintances. Ultimately this is damaging, exhausting and unproductive. Rather than worrying about how you stack up versus others, focus on whether you’re growing into a better version of yourself.

5. Put others first. As human beings we often have a tendency to spend so much time in our own heads that we don’t focus enough on those around us. Placing energy into helping others (even in small ways) without worrying about what we’ll receive in return has the tendency to produce profound results. I’ve personally experienced time and again in my personal and business life that those I help often end up returning the favor to me in amazing and unexpected ways.

6. Use the ” 1 hour rule”. This is a trick that I adopted many years ago and often tell my patients about. When you’re faced with an obstacle in life there is nothing wrong with admitting you’re upset. Take an hour to feel the emotions – cry, scream, punch (preferably pillows not people) or do whatever necessary to allow some of that emotion to be released…but only for 1 hour. After that hour you need to come out prepared to create solutions to whatever issues you may be facing.

Matt Kenney6 Tips for a stronger mind and more productive life
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