Kindle and Kerosene: Recent Episodes
Kenzie Presnell
Welcome to Kindle & Kerosene with Kenzie Presnell. Whether you just need a spark to get started or fuel to keep going, you're in the right place. Through this podcast, I share stories and strategies to inspire, encourage, and challenge you to ignite your life.
In this episode of FOF Gym Chat, we tackle three important fitness questions: the significance of training to failure, the benefits of using lifting straps and grips, and realistic timeframes for seeing results. Join us for expert insights and actionable advice to enhance your training journey.
Here are links to the straps and grips that we reference in today's podcast.
Lifting Straps - Option 1
Lifting Straps - Option 2
Lifting Straps - Option 3
Skyhill Grips
Enjoy!
K+J
In this episode of FOF Gym Chat, we answer two key questions from our gym members: "What single ingredient foods should make up most of our diet?" and "How can you use the scale as a tool without letting it dominate your mindset?" Tune in for practical advice and expert tips to enhance your fitness and nutrition journey.
Enjoy!
K+J
In this episode, we dive into the essential fundamentals of fitness and nutrition that form the cornerstone of a successful health journey. From prioritizing protein and whole foods to staying consistent in the gym and prioritizing recovery, we break down the key principles for long-term success in achieving your health and fitness goals.
Enjoy!
K+J
Thank you so much for joining me over the last few weeks! I hope that you've enjoyed this little mini-series and that you have learned or grown in your health and fitness journey. If you missed an episode, make sure you go back and take a listen.
In this final episode, we challenge the notion of perfection and encourage listeners to celebrate their progress. Learn why focusing on ideals can hinder your growth and discover the importance of measuring success backward to live in the gain.
Link to book mentioned -
The Gap and The Gain
Welcome to part 4 of our 5 part mini-series! If you missed the previous episodes, make sure you scroll back to take a listen. The mistakes we talked about were...
1 - Changing Everything at Once
2 - Drastically Cutting Calories
3 - Obsessing Over the Scale
In this episode, we emphasize the importance of prioritizing quality sleep for overall health and fitness success. Learn why neglecting sleep can hinder your progress and discover practical strategies for improving sleep quality and recovery.
Enjoy!
KP
We are wrapping up a 12-week training block and heading into Bridge Week! Following Bridge Week, we just right into our 4th training cycle of 2024.
Join us today as we chat about what to expect, the training splits, and a few things to think about as we round out this cycle and get ready for the next one!
Enjoy!
K+J
The SCALE...probably not my favorite topic, but this week is a good one.
Did you miss the first two episodes in this mini-series? If so, scroll back and take a listen.
In this episode, we tackle the detrimental effects of obsessing over the scale and how it can impact your mental and emotional well-being. Learn why focusing on non-scale victories is essential for building a positive relationship with your body and achieving lasting results.
Enjoy!
KP
Welcome to Part 2 of our 5 part series.
In today's episode, we delve into the mistake of drastically cutting calories in pursuit of weight loss. Learn why prioritizing real food and adequate nutrition is essential for fueling your workouts and achieving sustainable fat loss.
Enjoy!
KP
KP coming in solo for a brand new, 5-week mini series.
đźš« Don't let common pitfalls derail your wellness journey! Stay tuned for weekly episodes where we unveil crucial strategies to keep you on track!
In our first episode, we explore the common pitfall of attempting to overhaul your lifestyle overnight. Learn why gradual changes are the key to sustainable success and how to implement them effectively for long-term results.
Links to books mentioned -
The Slight Edge
The Compound Effect
Enjoy!
KP
In this episode of FOF Gym Chat, we tackle the common feeling of being stuck in life and provide actionable strategies to break free. Remember, you're never truly stuck; you're just one choice away from progress. Join us as we discuss the importance of self-reflection, goal-setting, and self-care in navigating life's seasons and achieving your aspirations.
Have a question? We'd love to chat about it. Shoot us a DM to @fixedonfitness on Instagram, and we'll get to your question soon.
Enjoying the podcast? Please take a few minutes to share an episode on your social media channels or send it directly to a friend. Haven't left a review? We'd appreciate it so very much if you'd leave a 5-star review on whatever platform you listen on.
Enjoy!
K+J
Are you making the most out of your workouts? It's time to take a closer look at exercise selection. In this week's podcast episode, we're diving deep into the art of choosing the right movements for YOUR body.
At Fixed on Fitness, we believe that exercise selection is a personal journey. It's not about following the crowd; it's about selecting movements that are appropriate for your fitness level, experience, and any prior injuries you may have had. Our coaches are here to guide you and offer suggestions tailored to your individual needs.
But it's not just about the exercises themselves; it's about movement quality. If you can't achieve the proper range of motion, there's likely an alternative that's better suited for you. We also emphasize focusing on movement patterns rather than getting caught up in exact movements.
Remember, when it comes to training, ego is the enemy. It's time to become thinking athletes and select the movements that will not only make us look good but also feel good and get results.
It's time to train smarter and choose better when it comes to movements that are appropriate for YOU.
In this episode of FOF Gym Chat, we delve into the intricate world of fat loss diets.
As summer approaches, the allure of quick fixes can be tempting, but are you truly equipped for success?
We discuss the fundamental pillars that should be in place before embarking on a fat loss journey, emphasizing food quality, consistent tracking, activity levels, hydration, and sleep.
Moreover, we explore the essential mindset, discipline, and planning required for a successful fat loss endeavor, including strategies for both the diet phase and transitioning out of it. Tune in for actionable insights and practical tips to approach fat loss with a sustainable mindset and emerge as a stronger, healthier version of yourself!
Enjoy!
K+J
Get ready...cycle 3 starts Monday, April 1st.
Join us as we get a solid overview from Josh on what we can expect over the next 6-weeks.
It's going to be GOOD :).
Ready to take your training to the next level?
In this episode of FOF Gym Chat, we dive into strength-focused conditioning. We'll chat about common misconceptions regarding conditioning, how we believe you should approach conditioning, and why we feel that it's a vital part of your overall training program.
Learn how to train smarter, not harder, and achieve superior results in less time. Tune in now and elevate your fitness game!
In today's episode of FOF Gym Chat, we dive into the dynamic world of training during busy or stressful seasons of life, and explore the trending topic of training around your menstrual cycle.
Discover practical strategies and tips to stay committed to your fitness journey even when life feels chaotic, and learn how to redefine what hard training looks like during different seasons.
Plus, we'll unpack the trending debate on training around your menstrual cycle. Obviously, we are not doctors, so we will aren't offering up any medical advice here. Instead, Kenzie shares her thoughts on this topic as a 42-year old perimenopausal mom who loves to train hard.
Tune in now for a dose of inspiration, motivation, and real talk about fitness and self-care!
Enjoy!
We are chatting all about training today!
Tempo training...curious about the science behind tempo training? Join us on as we explore the "why" behind tempo and how it can revolutionize your training routine. From maximizing muscle engagement to preventing injuries, we dive into the many benefits of tempo training.
Aging...what should we be thinking about when it comes to training hard as we age? Not sure about you, but our plan is to train hard well into our 80s and beyond. We do believe this is possible, and today, we are chatting about a few things to consider as you train in your later years.
Workout partners...there is power in a partner, but how do you find one? We've got the key for you today.
Tune in now for all the details!
Enjoy!
K+J
Patience...everyone's favorite topic.
It's what we are chatting about today. The truth is, your impatience is what often makes us quit. What would happen if we stopped placing made up timelines on our goals and dreams and started focusing on our progress?
Join us on FOF Gym Chat as we unpack the topic of patience and how your impatience might be sabotaging your results. Learn strategies to cultivate patience and stay committed to long-term success.
We do chat about the Slight Edge Curve today. Here's a link to that graphic. If you haven't read that book, buy it here.
Please note that the link provided is an Amazon affiliate link
We are back with a bonus week of Q&A. Thank you so much for your questions...we really enjoyed chatting through them. A few questions we answer today...
How can I make the most out of 2-3 days a week in the gym?
Do you still workout after a poor night of sleep?
What's the best thing to eat post workout?
Do I have to weigh, measure, and track my food?
Should I be adding cardio?
What are our go-to desserts?
What are some good sources of carbs?
How low fat is too low?
Have a question? Send it our way...we'd love to chat about it.
Enjoy!
Part 3 of our Q&A series....LET'S GO.
Have a question? We'd love to chat about it. Shoot us a DM on Instagram to @fixedonfitness.
Enjoy!
Bridge week is coming, and it will be followed by up our second cycle of 2024! Join us as we chat about training splits, what to expect, and get Josh's thoughts on our next training cycle.
Enjoy!
This week is a follow up episode to last's weeks chat on calories. If you missed that episode, we highly recommend going back a week and checking it out before listening to this episode.
Enjoy!
We are going to take a short break from our Q&A to chat CALORIES. We had a question come up in the gym, and Josh took the time to do a short white board chat during class. It was incredibly helpful for those members, so we wanted to make sure everyone got the info :).
We will do a follow up episode next week and then finish out our Q&A series. Have a question for us? Shoot us a DM to @fixedonfitness, and we'll get to it.
Enjoy!
Join us this week as we dive into week 2 of our Q&A. Have a question? Shoot us a DM on Instagram to @fixedonfitness and we'll chat about it in an upcoming episode.
Enjoy!
We will be kicking off a Q&A series this week. We love getting your questions, and we are excited to have quite a few to work through over the next few weeks.
If you have a question you'd like us to chat about, please send us a DM on Instagram to @fixedonfitness or email kenziepresnell@fixedonfitness.com.
Enjoy!
Join us today as we chat all things resolutions.
Are we making them?
What do you do when you get off track.
Addition by subtraction.
Standards vs. resolutions.
Enjoy!
K+J
The first training cycle of 2024 is HERE! Check out this FOF Gym Chat episode where we take a look at the training splits and give you a sneak peak about what you can expect for this cycle.
Our last training cycle of the year is here đź’Ş.
Check out the breakdown of what you can expect as we finish the year out STRONG at FOF.
Enjoy!
K+J
We have 55 days left in 2023.
The year isn't over yet.
Now is not the time to say, "Screw it, I'll start over in January."
Now is the time to keep working hard.
Now is the time to make progress.
Now is the time to stay consistent.
What's our thought on dealing with the holidays?
That's what we are chatting about in this week's episode of the FOF Gym Chat Podcast.
So many people ask us..."What kind of gym is this anyway?"
Are you a CrossFit...NO
Do you do HIIT...NO
What about stations and intervals...NO
Our goal is simple. We are here to help you LOOK GOOD AND FEEL GOOD.
Our workouts are designed specifically to help you build lean muscle, increase mobility and stability, improve your fitness, and change your body.
❌ If you're looking for a place to improve your bar muscle ups and kipping handstand push ups, we probably aren't the gym for you.
❌ If you're looking for a fast pace environment and constant heart rate monitoring to see if you're in the red, we probably aren't the gym for you.
âś… If you're looking to improve your body composition, get strong, enjoy your training, level up your mindset, and feel good in the process, there is absolutely no better place to train than FOF.
Sound like something you might like?
The best way to see if Fixed on Fitness is a good fit for you is to experience a training session with us.
How do you change your body?
Lift weights.
Prioritize protein.
Sleep.
Recovery.
Then hit repeat over and over and over and over.....
You must understand that you have the power and the control to change your physique. Once you figure this out, your self confidence and what you believe you are capable of will skyrocket.
Is it easy? Nope. But, it doesn't have to be overwhelming or all consuming.
You will have do to things differently.
You will have to be disciplined.
You will have to determine your goals.
You will have to take action.
Just like anything else...start small. You must make sustainable changes, or you will find yourself on the "it worked" until you got too tired, hangry, or overwhelmed to continue.
You just need to get the needle moving because that very first win creates momentum.
Join us today as we chat about how we approach food and the changes Josh has made over the last few months with his diet.
Enjoy!
KP coming in solo today.
This week's episode is actually a replay of a video that was on my Instagram stories this week. It generated a bit of chatter, so I figured it was worth a repost.
Here's the key point...your circumstances, feelings, and emotions are not an excuse to abandon your responsibilities.
Enjoy!
KP
"The strongest force in the human body is the need to be consistent with how you define yourself." - Tony Robbins
This week, we are chatting about standards.
What standards have you set for yourself?
How do you define yourself?
What are the non-negotiable things in your life?
Where do you need to raise your standard?
It's time to write a new normal for yourself.
It's time to put yourself into an environment where you are challenged and lifted up.
It's time to stop lowering your standards.
Remember, wants don't get met consistently; standards do.
Did you enjoy this episode?
We challenge you to share it with a friend.
We are entering a TOUGH training cycle at FOF.
We will be going hard and heavy for the next few weeks. If you want to push in the gym, you must commit to the recovery at home. Proper fueling before, during, and after workouts is vital to your recovery.
Join us today as we chat about pre-workout and post-workout fuel.
Enjoy!
K+J
Our next training cycle begins on MONDAY, 9/25. Join us today as we talk about what to expect, how Josh felt about the cycle overall, and all of the fun things we have to look forward to over the next 6-weeks.
Enjoy!
Reputation...sure, you have a reputation when it comes to the opinion of others, but how often do you think about the reputation you have with yourself.
The reputation you have with yourself is also known as your self confidence. You build that reputation by keeping the promises you make to yourself.
Join us as we chat today about reputation and how you can begin to strengthen the reputation that matters most...the one you have with YOU.
NEW FOF GYM CHAT PODCAST EPISODE ‼️
What would happen if you expected good things to happen to you?
So often, we get up expecting everything to crash.
Train yourself to believe in YOU.
Train yourself to look for the good.
Train yourself to expect opportunities.
This week, we are chatting all about training the mind to expect GOOD things.
Enjoy!
K+J
KP coming in solo for the podcast today.
Show me, don't tell me.
Stop talking, start doing 🤫.
It's time to let our actions speak louder than our words.
Enjoy!
Kenzie
This week, we are tackling a TOUGH topic.
We are chatting all about body image.
What's our experience with body image?
How can we start to overcome the story in our mind surrounding body image?
What can we do to make sure we set our kids up for success when it comes to body image?
Enjoy!
Fun topic this week! We are chatting all about one of our FAVORITE things...training hard.
What does it mean to train hard?
What does it feel like to train hard?
If you choose to train hard, what does recovery look like?
Get ready...it's a good one.
Enjoy!
Next Week is BRIDGE week at FOF>
Today, we are answering the questions...
What is bridge week?
Why do we do it?
How should you approach this week of training?
Why is it important to incorporate these weeks into your training?
We'll also chat about what to expect for our next training cycle, which begins on MONDAY, August 14th.
Have a question? We'd love to chat about it. Shoot us a DM, and we will get to it in a future episode.
Enjoy!
K+J
"An undisciplined life is an insane life."
Socrates
Join us today as we chat about discipline.
What does a disciplined life look like?
Have we always been disciplined?
How can you create a more disciplined life?
Enjoy!
If you have a question you want us to chat about, make sure you shoot us a DM to @fixedonfitness.
Enjoy!
K+J
This week, we are chatting about Josh's experience with one of our teenage athletes at the USA Weightlifting Youth Nationals in Colorado Springs. So many lessons were learned. So much growth happened.
This experience was incredible and applies to so many aspects of day to day life. Congrats again to Ireland who "never folded" and walked away with three silver medals.
Enjoy!
Cycle 5 kicks off on MONDAY!
Join us as Josh gives a full breakdown of what to expect for the next 6-week training cycle.
What do the splits look like?
What will change from cycle 4?
What do the conditioning pieces look like?
What are the main lifts during the strength portion of the workout?
Enjoy!
K+J
Are you evolving?
We aren't meant to stay the same.
We were made to learn, grow, and change.
When is the last time you took the time to evaluate...
Where you are
Where you're going
Your habits and routines
If you want to grow, you must take the time to make adjustments to your habits.
Take a listen as we chat about a few small changes that Josh has made to his training, diet, and recovery that have helped him to train harder, move better, and recover faster.
Enjoy!
K+J
It's officially summertime, and for many of you, that means vacation.
Just because you aren't at home doesn't mean you have to hit pause on your health and fitness gains.
Today, we are chatting all about the strategies we use when we are on vacation.
Trust us, you can still have fun and not feel like you're starting back at zero when you get back.
Have a question for us? Shoot us a DM on Instagram to @fixedonfitness.
Enjoy!
K+J
The scale.
What are your thoughts on it?
How do you use it?
How do you feel when you step on it?
The scale something that comes up so often in the health and fitness space. While the scale can be a useful tool to measure progress, we can't allow it to be our only measure of progress. We must learn to use it in a way that doesn't instantly deflate our excitement and motivation if the number isn't what we wanted or expected it to be.
Thanks for joining us today as we chat all about the scale.
Enjoy!
K+J
This week, we are chatting about systems.
We love systems.
They help support us.
They become our auto pilot.
While systems often work to bring a positive outcome, we can also have negative systems.
It's time to address our systems.
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
- James Clear, Atomic Habits
Enjoy!
K+J
Welcome to this week's episode of FOF Gym Chat.
Today, we are going with a story...we'll call it The Battery Story.
A few questions to think about...
What things in your life are draining you?
Is there anywhere in your life where you are relying on others to always build you up?
How are you showing up?
What would happen if you put yourself in an environment where you felt energized and excited?
How big of a difference would you see in your life if you brought great energy each day?
Enjoy!
K+J
Our fourth training cycle of the year at Fixed on Fitness begins this Monday, May 15th.
Join us as we chat about what to expect over the next 6-weeks.
Enjoy!
Get ready.
This week, we are chatting SELF TALK.
What story are you telling yourself?
Do you even know?
Sometimes, the same crappy story has been playing in our head for so long that we don't even recognize it anymore.
It's time to listen.
It's time to acknowledge what you are saying....
When you look in the mirror
When things get hard
When you mess up
When you aren't where you want to be
Now...It's time to CHANGE THE STORY.
Click the link in bio to listen to this week's episode of FOF Gym Chat.
Enjoy!
"In the short term, you are as good as your intensity. In the long term, you are only as good as your consistency."
- Shane Parrish
We love this quote, and in this week's episode, we are chatting all about our thoughts on intensity vs. consistency.
Have a topic you want us to chat about? Drop us a DM on Instagram to @fixedonfitness.
Enjoy!
K+J
NEW PODCAST EPISODE
On this week's episode of FOF Gym Chat, we are diving into the principles that we follow when it comes to nutrition.
Our goal during this episode is to give you a few actionable items that you can use right NOW to help you...Improve your eating habits.Schedule your day to work for you.Get started without feeling completely overwhelmed.
We also answer a few specific questions that we get asked all the time...What do we eat?How many calories do we consume?What do our personal macros look like?
Enjoy!
Have questions you'd like us to chat about? Shoot us a DM to @fixedonfitness.
Fat Loss, Weight Loss, Diets, and Coaches <<<
What's the deal?
What's true?
What's BS?
Who should you listen to?
How can you navigate the noise?
Check out this week's episode of FOF Gym Chat where we are chatting all things weight loss, fat loss, and the noise surrounding the "diet" culture.
How do you prioritize self care when life gets crazy?
Life is going to throw punches.Things are going to come up that we didn't plan for.Schedules are demanding.Situations will happen that are out of our control.
We know these things will happen.
The question is...how do we deal with them?
How do we make sure we don't allow our circumstance to be the excuse to eat junk, neglect sleep, skip our workouts, and zone out on our phones?
Enjoy!
Creatine.
What is it?
Why would you use it?
Is it safe?
We get these questions quite a bit in the gym.
Today, we are chatting all about the BASICS of creatine.
We give a brief overview as well as our opinion and experience with this supplement.
If you want a great scientific breakdown of creatine, check out this podcast from Barbell Shrugged - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/barbell-shrugged/id509969439?i=1000586396988
We do mention the questionnaire that we are having Blaise answer before he can take creatine.
If you want a copy of those questions, you can get that here.
Enjoy!
K+J
Our next cycle at Fixed on Fitness begins MONDAY!
Join us today as we breakdown what to expect throughout our next training cycle.
Enjoy!
Follow up to last week's episode...Training Around Injuries
Today we are chatting about some of the best practices surrounding injury prevention.
Inside the gym -
We must be a "thinking athlete"
We must prioritize form over speed or load
We should incorporate tempo into our training
We should follow a program that includes mobility, stability, and unilateral work
Outside the gym -
Recovery is non-negotiable if you want to train hard
Tissue therapy, massage, and foam rolling
Sleep...don't neglect it
Stress must be managed
Have a question you'd like us to chat about? Â Drop us a DM on Instagram, and we'll get it answered.
Enjoy!
K&J
On this week's episode of FOF Gym Chat, we hit the topic of training around injuries.
Unfortunately, injuries happen.
However, we don't have to let an injury sideline us from our training.
Here are a few things we are chatting about today...
Aches and pains vs. Acute or Chronic Injuries
Taking ownership of your training
Developing a plan centered around things you CAN do
Addressing your mindset when dealing with an injury
Setbacks
The worst thing {in our opinion} to do when you're dealing with an injury
Did you enjoy this episode? Â If so, please do us a HUGE favor and leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. Â
If you found this info helpful, share it with your friends. Â Make sure you tag us @fixedonfitness.
K+J
Today's question is all about training.
When should you push it in the gym?
When should you think about backing off?
The longer your train, the more you will learn to understand the cues your body is giving you.
You will understand the difference between no "feeling" like it and burnout.
This week, we are chatting about training and how we approach intensity for the day.
We dive into strategies that we use personally as well as scenarios where we may want to back off.
Have a question for us? Â We'd love to chat about it. Â Shoot us a DM on Instagram to @fixedonfitness, and we'll get it answered soon.
Let's talk...PROTEIN
Here are a few questions that we answer in this week's episode of FOF Gym Chat…
Why is it important to prioritize protein?
How much protein should I be consuming?
What are some good sources of protein?
When should I be consuming protein?
Plus…Kenzie breaks down a full day of eating to help you see how you can prioritize protein without feeling like you’re eating nothing but 🍗🥩🥚 all the time.
Enjoy!
K+J
How can I be more consistent?
This question comes up so much in our conversations.
Most of us know that in order to get results, we must be consistent.
But, how can we maintain consistency over the long term?
This is a question we are answering in this week’s FOF Gym Chat Podcast.
Here are a few things we discuss…
The danger of the all or nothing mentality.
The question we always ask ourselves when it comes to a change we want to make.
The importance of being realistic with your current goals and circumstances.
The power of small changes.
Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss?
Shoot us a DM, and we will make sure to chat about it.
Cycle 2 at Fixed on Fitness starts on Monday, February 13th, and we are so excited. Â
Today we are chatting about what to expect throughout our next training cycle. Â
What is RPE, and why is it important?
How do hard workouts build mental toughness?
Why do we need base weeks?
What is the breakdown of the week M-F?
Again, we are so excited for this opportunity! Â If there is a topic that you would like for us to discuss, please shoot us a DM on Instagram at @fixedonfitness.
- K+J
Welcome to FOF Gym Chat! Â If you followed this show in the past, I am excited to announce that Kindle & Kerosene is now....FOF Gym Chat. Â Together, Josh and I will discuss and explore topics that are coming up in our gym, strategies we are trying, challenges we are facing, and lessons we are learning. Â It is our hope that through this podcast, you will gain confidence in health and fitness. Â We are business owners, parents, and real life people just like you. Â We've been exploring and learning about all things health and fitness for the last 16 years, and we are excited to share our knowledge with you.
If you have any questions or topics that you'd like to us explore, please shoot us a DM on Instagram at @fixedonfitness.
It's time to say good bye...for now.
For almost two years, I've enjoyed bringing you weekly episodes of Kindle & Kerosene. Â This podcast has been such a rewarding project for me. Â I've loved being part of your week, and it's been so fun to hear the changes you have made.
Right now, I'm taking a step back and narrowing my focus. Â I'm pouring my energy into Fixed on Fitness. Â I'll be back...most likely with Josh as my sidekick to continue to talk all things health, wellness, mindset, and life. Â Get ready...it's going to be good.
- KP
Better is better.
When it comes to making positive changes and improving your life...
What do you think would happen if you stopped focusing on making everything perfect, and you simply focused on better?
It's easy to find ourselves in an analysis paralysis. Â We want to improve, we work hard, and we get consumed with perfection. Â So often, this causes us to become stuck.
You don't have to be perfect to make positive changes in your life.
What if....
Instead of chasing perfection, we focused on getting better
We must remember that better is better.
Enjoy!
KP
“It’s never too late to start. It’s always too late to wait.”
Jeff Olson
Pay now, or pay later.
If you think working out is risky, try being weak.
If you think being healthy is hard work, try being sick.
If you think a gym membership is expensive, try paying medical bills.
Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t easy, but then again, neither is the alternative.
Change is hard. But I would argue…not changing is harder.
No one wants to look in the mirror, or sit down to review bloodwork with their doctor and wonder…how did this happen?
But I hate to remind you of this…if you don’t do something now…this will be you.
You cannot continue to take the easy route, avoid the hard work, steer away from change, and expect that there will be no consequence.
It might take years, but eventually, that life of "easy" will become very hard.
Pay now.
Get in a great gym.
Push yourself.
Make better food choices.
Sleep.
Work on your self talk.
Invest in your mindset.
Push your fears aside, and make some changes.
Embrace hard work.
Stop telling yourself you’ll do it later, or it doesn’t matter, or it’s too hard, or you don’t like it.
It’s time to start paying.
Don’t pay later.
Waiting will never make change easier.
Quitting and having to start over (because you will have to start over at some point) is never easier than just pushing through.
The longer you wait, the higher the cost you’ll pay.
Get to work.
Suck it up and work on you.
You are worth the time, money, and effort.
You have everything you need to change.
Enjoy!
KP
I want to challenge you today.Â
Look around at one, just ONE area where you feel like you are struggling to be consistent or where you feel like you are stuck.Â
Commit to an action time...it can be 2:00, 5:00, or 15:00.
And simply honor that commitment.
Every single day.
No matter what.
Whether you are “motivated” or not.
Whether you feel like it or not.
Just simply show up for the time you committed to…from there, you are free to keep going or call showing up for your committed action time as a win.
Here's a link for the YouTube video I reference today - https://youtube.com/shorts/-yUO9NZ3M-c?feature=share
Make it easy.
Make it simple.
You don’t have to overcomplicate, overwork, or overcommit to get results.
Results come when you are consistent.
Consistency starts with discipline.
And discipline is simply doing what you need to do when when you don’t want to do it.
Enjoy!
KP
Today’s episode comes from an Instagram post I saw maybe a month or so ago from Ben Bergeron. If you haven’t heard of Ben Bergeron, he’s the owner of CrossFit New England. He’s trained a ton of great athletes, and his book Chasing Excellence is one of my favorites. What I love about him is the effort that he puts into the mental side of sports and life.
So the post…here it is
10 Things that require zero talent
from @benbergeron
Being on time
Work ethic
Effort
Body language
Energy
Attitude
Passion
Being coachable
Doing extra
Being prepared
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdttKsXrEEf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I look at this list and think about how awesome my life and results could be if I committed to throwing myself into these things. Not relying on talent that I don’t have but on work that I can do. It’s so easy to make excuses, to think that someone is more talented or skilled, or was given more, or was just born with mad skills. But the truth is, if you focused on this list…these 10 things that require zero talent, your life would probably look much different.
Effort matters.
Work matters.
Little things matter.
"How you do anything is how you do everything."
- Martha Beck
Find the things that don’t require talent…And get to freaking work!
Enjoy!
KP
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.”
Mark Twain
Well that one hit home.Â
Not only because I’ve found myself on the side of the majority many times but because rarely have I stopped to question it.
I’m not saying that every single time that we are blending in, something is wrong, but I do think when we look around and find that we are on the side of the majority, we should probably at least take a second look.Â
What are we doing?
Why are we doing it?
Do we really believe in what we are doing?
So much of my life has been spent blending in. Â
What if I decided to stand out?
What if I decided to be counter cultural?
What if I stopped caring so much about random people's opinions and started LIVING my life?
Stand out.
OR
Blend in.
What do you want for your life?
Enjoy!
KP
It’s never too late.
to chase your dreams
to take back your life
to improve your health
to start that business
to repair a relationship
You’re not too old.
You’re not too far gone.
You’re not too out of shape.
You’re not too far behind.
You’re ready.
You’re capable.
It’s time to start.
Enjoy!
KP
Is anything really free?
I don’t believe it is.
I believe there is always a cost.
You will pay in one way or another for every “free” thing you ever receive.
You might not exchange money or time in the moment, but at some point, you will pay.
You might pay with your time, your relationships, your money, your energy, or your character.
You might pay with lost dreams or broken relationships or untapped potential.
So…what if we stopped looking for free and we started going after the things we really want with the attitude that we were willing and ready to pay the cost.
Look around…what free stuff do you keep searching for?
Where are you looking for the short cut or the easy way?
Figure out what you want.
Ask yourself how bad you want it.
Commit to it.
And then get to work.
Enjoy!
KP
The Foundation.
This idea of building a foundation is important in absolutely any area of your life or for any skill that you are trying to work on.
Take your time to build the foundation.
Don’t rush it.
Don’t take short cuts.
Make it solid.
Make it strong.
When you do, every other skill you attempt to learn will be easier and you will master it faster.
Consistency.
Patience.
Time.
Hard work.
Put these pieces together, and you will get your foundation built.
It will be strong.
It will support the “cool” skills you decide to conquer.
The basics aren’t fancy, but they don’t have to be boring either.
Record your progress.
Appreciate the process that you are working on, and have confidence that it is going to pay off.
Enjoy!
KP
"What happened to you?"
This is the question that got my mind rolling for this podcast.
How am I living my life?
Am I living wide awake, or am I walking around with blinders on?
Am I going through the motions?
Am I appreciating the mundane moments?
Am I living in snooze control?
I want to live my life wide awake. I don’t want to get caught in the trap of going through the motions.
But, this sounds so much easier than it is. In reality, it’s kind of easier and more comfortable to just walk along with blinders on and in snooze control. But when we do that, we are missing out on so much awesomeness.Â
Life is so short.
Let’s wake up.
Let’s commit to finding beauty in the laundry, the cooking, the schedules, the work, and the demands.Â
But, let’s also allow ourselves the time to slow down, reset, look around, and just laugh with our loved ones.Â
The beauty of life is…you’re never stuck.
You always get to choose what you focus on.
Today, I want to encourage you to focus on getting out of snooze control, waking up, and getting excited about your life.Â
Dream. Laugh. Play. Love.
Enjoy!
KP
Hello May!! It's time for me to sit down and do a little mid-year evaluation. Yes, I know it's not really mid-year yet, but the summer gets a bit chaotic for us, so I'm getting it done now.
You know, I feel like I am on repeat with the self reflection and evaluation, but it’s something that you absolutely have to do on the regular. Otherwise, you’ll blink and months will have gone by. It’s easy to fall back into past patterns and habits, so the more you reflect and get real with yourself, the faster you can make sure to correct course and get back on the track you want to be on. The truth is, self reflection and evaluation is something we must do all the time…we are never done.
Today I want to share with you the 4 questions that I ask myself over and over and over. They align perfect with health and wellness, but you can also apply them to just about any other thing that you are working on. In fact, regardless of what goal you are chasing, I would ask myself these questions on a regular basis.
Am I getting results?
Am I taking care of myself?
Is this sustainable?
Am I enjoying this?
I don’t care what goal you are chasing. It doesn’t matter what works for me, for Josh, for your friend, or for your spouse…you have to do what works for you.
You are you.
You have to do what works for you.
Get results, but take great care of yourself in the process.
Make sure you enjoy what you are doing.
Understand that it will be hard.
Anything worth doing is going to require you to work, to get uncomfortable, and to grind a bit.
But don’t run to the programs promising quick results.
Small. Sustainable. This is where you see people change for good.
If you need help, make sure you reach out. I am happy to chat or simply message back and forth.
Enjoy!
KP
Changing programming.
It's a scary leap, but changing the way we train at the FOF Training Center has been such a positive experience.
After a few weeks of blending the programming we had used for two years with programming from Functional Bodybuilding, we made the official switch to the new program on February 28th. As a gym, we have now gone through one full 6-week cycle, a benchmark week, and are in week 2 of the current cycle.
The work, the transition, the change has been 100% worth it.
We are watching the movement patterns and strength improve in our members every single day.
Body composition is improving.
Strength imbalances are improving.
Confidence is improving.
Aerobic capacity is improving.
Body awareness is improving.
For me, this change was necessary because if I want longevity…like I want to be doing this forever…I need to be using tools other than just intensity, speed, and heavy loads. I need days where I work at 70-80% effort. I need days where I push the pace. I need days that are lighter and days that are heavier. I need to work my mobility and push my joints to get stronger at end range. I need to learn to control each and every movement. I need less kipping pull ups and more strict pull ups. I need time to slow down and focus on moving as perfect as possible. I need dumbbell and unilateral work.
At {almost} 40…
I want to look good.
I want to move well.
I want to feel good.
I want to be strong.
I want to be healthy.
I want to stay injury free.
I don’t want to track all of my workouts.
I don’t want to count macros.
I don’t want to be sore all the time.
I don’t want to perform the most complex skills.
I encourage you to take a look at your training.
Is it in alignment with your goals?
Do you feel good?
Can you do this style of workout for the next 30 years?
We’d love to show you how we are doing things at FOF. You can come in, try a week for free, and see how you feel. Shoot us a message or just fill out the form on our website, www.fixedonfitness.com.
Enjoy!
KP
GUILT. I really think this is something that so many of us struggle with on one level or another.
We mess up. We feel guilty.
We say something we maybe should’ve kept to ourselves. We feel guilty.
We binge on junk food. We feel guilty.
We work late. We feel guilty.
We don’t honor a commitment. We feel guilty.
We say no. We feel guilty.
We say yes. We feel guilty.
You get my drift. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to matter what we do…we feel guilty.
So many of us go back and forth with these feelings of guilt and shame for actions and choices we make throughout the day. We make one poor choice and then punish ourselves or think about it for the rest of the day.
The danger here is that instead of making the poor choice, addressing it, forgiving ourselves, and moving on…we allow that one poor choice to affect the next 200 choices. Our crappy choice on Friday night leads to guilt which leads to a screw it, I’ll start over Monday attitude.
We must be willing to acknowledge our mistakes without making excuses.
We must have grace for ourselves.
We must be willing to get our eraser out and wipe our slate clean.
I love this quote from Jen Sincero, and I think it’s one we all can use as a reminder when we start feeling guilty. She says, “You aren’t a better person for feeling guilty or bad about yourself, just a sadder one.”
I challenge you to keep that eraser handy this week.
Let’s just erase instead of weighing ourselves down with guilt.
“Begin with the end in mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.” - Stephen Covey
I don’t know about you, but I have felt the feeling of working harder, harder, harder, but not getting the results I want. I really think that this issue with many of us isn’t a lack of effort or work, but it’s a lack of clarity.
We are working…really, really hard. But without a clear vision of what exactly we are working toward…the end result…it’s easy to spin our wheels and put our effort into projects and activities that don’t really take us toward the result we desire.
You absolutely have to know where you are going if you want your work to be effective.
You don’t get in the car without knowing where you are heading…you have a destination. When you have the destination, you can find the clearest route. But, if you have no clue where you are going, you are going to waste a lot of time and gas just driving around. You’re driving either way, but with clarity, you can actually get to where you want to go.
When is the last time you sat down and thought about what you truly want?
What end result are you after?
How clear are you on exactly what that “end” looks like?
See, results happen twice. First, they happen in the mind…you create and craft what you want. Then, they happen in reality. But the key is, you must see it first. You must take the time to get clear on what you want…the more clarity you have, the better off you’ll be.
I challenge you this week to take some time to think about what “end” you are chasing.
Get clear. Know what you want. Then go get it.
PART 2
If you missed, Part 1, go check that out before diving into today's episode.
It's been ONE YEAR {literally to the day} since I got the MRI results on my left shoulder.
The final blow to my shoulder happened on March 20th, 2021. We were rock climbing for my son's 12th birthday, and I reached out just a little too far with my left arm. I didn't feel a tear or hear a pop, but as the afternoon went on, my shoulder became extremely painful. Note that this was most likely an injury that had been brewing for a long time...I speak to the prior events in the podcast.
I had an MRI on March 30th, 2021 and received the results one day later.
The report was lengthy, but here are the highlights....
SLAP (superior labral anterior posterior) tear Soft tissue Bankart/inferior labral tear Small rotator cuff tear (infraspinatus) Moderate tendinosis of subscapularis insertion Moderate AC joint arthrosis Ugh...the recommendation I received {from multiple medical professionals} was that surgery would be my only option if I wanted to regain full shoulder function and continue to workout and do the things I like to do.
I decided to challenge this opinion and see what would happen if I committed...fully committed...to rehab.
It's been a year, so I want to share my rehab journey. It's been a LONG road, but I've learned so much, I've grown so much, and I really can see all of the great things that happened to me through this process.
I share this quote in today's episode, but this quote hit me hard, and it became a bit of a mantra for me on days that I felt tired or frustrated with the process. It's from the book, The Obstacle is the Way.
"This thing in front of you. This issue. This obstacle—this frustrating, unfortunate, problematic, unexpected problem preventing you from doing what you want to do. That thing you dread or secretly hope will never happen. What if it wasn’t so bad? What if embedded inside it or inherent in it were certain benefits—benefits only for you?" - Ryan Holiday
In part 1, I will detail the timeline of the start of my shoulder issues all the way through the actual injury. I'll also discuss the mental struggle that accompanied the injury...this was something I wasn't prepared for...AT ALL.
In part 2, I will go through the physical rehab process.
Enjoy!
It's been ONE YEAR {literally to the day} since I got the MRI results on my left shoulder.
The final blow to my shoulder happened on March 20th, 2021. We were rock climbing for my son's 12th birthday, and I reached out just a little too far with my left arm. I didn't feel a tear or hear a pop, but as the afternoon went on, my shoulder became extremely painful.
Note that this was most likely an injury that had been brewing for a long time...I speak to the prior events in the podcast.
I had an MRI on March 30th, 2021 and received the results one day later.
The report was lengthy, but here are the highlights....
SLAP (superior labral anterior posterior) tear
Soft tissue Bankart/inferior labral tear
Small rotator cuff tear (infraspinatus)
Moderate tendinosis of subscapularis insertion
Moderate AC joint arthrosis
Ugh...the recommendation I received {from multiple medical professionals} was that surgery would be my only option if I wanted to regain full shoulder function and continue to workout and do the things I like to do.
I decided to challenge this opinion and see what would happen if I committed...fully committed...to rehab.
It's been a year, so I want to share my rehab journey. It's been a LONG road, but I've learned so much, I've grown so much, and I really can see all of the great things that happened to me through this process.
I share this quote in today's episode, but this quote hit me hard, and it became a bit of a mantra for me on days that I felt tired or frustrated with the process. It's from the book, The Obstacle is the Way.
"This thing in front of you. This issue. This obstacle—this frustrating, unfortunate, problematic, unexpected problem preventing you from doing what you want to do. That thing you dread or secretly hope will never happen. What if it wasn’t so bad? What if embedded inside it or inherent in it were certain benefits—benefits only for you?" - Ryan Holiday
In part 1, I will detail the timeline of the start of my shoulder issues all the way through the actual injury. I'll also discuss the mental struggle that accompanied the injury...this was something I wasn't prepared for...AT ALL.
In part 2, I will go through the physical rehab process.
Enjoy!
Haters. Â They are everywhere. Â We will encounter them. Â We will have to deal with them.
But...change can start with us. Â It can start with the words we speak.
Our language is so important.
It can build others up and make them feel empowered, or it can tear others down and make them feel like they will never be good enough.
This goes when we speak to others and to ourselves.Â
What if we did our best to speak in a way that left others feeling like they could conquer life?
So often, we bully (most of the time unintentionally) or we judge….and this usually comes from a lack of self confidence.
Why do we keep choosing to tear down ourselves and those around us instead of building them up?
At the end of the day, think about what words you are choosing.
Are they building you and those around you up?
Are they making you and those around you feel like they are strong, capable, and equipped to take on the obstacles that life throws?
Let’s build each other up.
Let’s empower others.
Let’s be different.
Enjoy!
Have you ever sat down and thought about what your definition of health looks like? Â
For me, I don’t really care how long I live on this earth if all I am doing is getting through my days.
Being alive and actually living are two very different things in my opinion.
I don’t want to simply just be alive.
I want to be able to continue to live and experience life fully, and that requires more than just good labs or a BMI that falls in the healthy range.
I want to be kicking butt at 80 years old. Â If that's what I want to do, I can move in the right direction by thinking about what the life of an 80 year old that is kicking butt looks like. Â Then, I can begin aligning my daily actions and habits with those that I believe will move me in that direction.
Instead of getting bogged down by numbers, what if we painted a picture of what we believe health looks like?Â
Today, I am walking through a few of the habits that make up my definition of health.
Enjoy!
I need.
I can.
I want.
These are the three stages that I see most often when it comes to change.
Simple, right. In theory, change really is simple. But, simple is not the same as easy. I think we can all agree with that. Just because we know what to do doesn’t mean that we actually do it. In most areas of our life that we desire change, we know some of the things that we should do. However…actually doing those things is a completely different story.
A lot of people make a lot of really positive changes for a little while. They make a quick decision based on the I need stage, but they never address their mindset or their belief system. So, they float between the I need and I can stage for a very long time. This way of change is exhausting, and I really think this is why so many people give up. They work and work and work, but they either don’t have a clear direction, or they have made so many changes that their lifestyle is not sustainable.
Lifestyle change is what we want. Sustainable is what we want.
Here’s my challenge to you today. Do some digging. Focus on awareness. Find the ares that you find yourself saying, I need to change. Then, begin to address your beliefs. Look at sustainable changes. Tell yourself, I can do this. Make your environment work for you and support your change. Begin instilling belief in yourself. Then, get to work. Use your momentum.
Need help? That's why I'm here. Shoot me a DM @kenziepresnell or @fixedonfitness and let's just chat for a few minutes.
Enjoy!
Today I look back and tell the story of Fixed on Fitness...from the beginning. Â
A few weeks ago, we were asked if FOF was a franchise. Â We are not. Â It's been Josh and myself from the beginning, and both of us are still incredibly hands on in the business. Â That question got me thinking...it's been a very long time since we've told the story of FOF from the beginning.
The story of FOF...It's always a fun story to tell, and each time I tell it, I am reminded of how each and every setback and obstacle has turned into an opportunity for us.
Here's a fun fact you might not know...Fixed on Fitness wasn't always Fixed on Fitness. Â We actually incorporated back in 2007 as Operation Fitness.
The ride has been full of ups and downs, wins and losses, good decisions and poor decisions. Â But, we are still going...and so are you.Â
As you listen today, I want to encourage you to take a look back at a few areas of your life. Â Go all the way back to the beginning.
Ask yourself these questions.
Where did you start?
What have you learned?
Where are you wins?
How have you grown?
What is your story?
We all have a story. Â However, most of us haven't told it in a very long time. Â I want to encourage you today to tell it...you will learn from it, and someone around you might benefit from it.
Enjoy!
Surviving versus thriving.
I think it’s safe to say that we are all surviving…you’re clearly listening, so you are breathing and functioning. That’s a blessing. You’re surviving.
But, now I want you to ask that question. Am I thriving?
By definition, to thrive means to grow or develop well or vigorously. Another definition is to prosper or flourish.
So I want you to think about that question for a minute. Are you thriving?
If you find that you are in fact in survival mode, you have a choice to make.
Are you going to change, or are you going to continue to just survive?
This is where the rubber meets the road.
Why? Because it requires action on our part.
It requires us to get a little uncomfortable.
It requires us to step out of our comfortable, we know what to expect bubble and do something different.
It requires discipline and commitment.
Let’s make a commitment today to stop surviving and start thriving.
Enjoy!
Today’s episode…lessons from the light bulb. Random title, right? So I love when life basically gives me a podcast. That is exactly what happened a few weekends ago when Josh and I finally decided to attempt to fix one of the lights in our house.
We are experts at the whole idea of do, redo, do, redo. However, that isn’t exactly an efficient way to get things done.
Instead of taking the long way, what if we found a better way?
We don’t have to make life harder than it already is.
We must take the time to recognize the areas of our life where we have created a new normal and make sure that we aren’t just ignoring the problem that has been hanging around for years.
We must ask questions and pay attention to the details.
We must remember that simple works. Master the basics. Fancy and complicated doesn’t mean that something is better.
We must listen to the experts.
I encourage you to bravely shine a light into the various areas of your life this week.
Look for those areas that need some change. It might not be pretty.
It might be hard to face the facts.
But, once you can see the need for change, you can begin the process of change.
Let’s go.
Enjoy!
"I'll do it later."  How many times have you said those words?  As much as I hate to admit it, I find myself trying to pull the later card way too often. It’s this idea that delaying will make things different or easier. But the reality is, delay is almost never the answer.
Here’s the problem with later. It still comes. And guess what, most of the time, you still don’t want to do that thing that you’ve already put off. So, now you either suck it up and do it, or you delay again.
Delaying doesn’t mean something goes away. Nope. It’s still there. You can reschedule, move the item around on your calendar, or continue to pile up the things you need to do…but at some point, you are going to have to face those things. They didn’t go away. Rarely does delaying make anything easier.
Waiting isn’t going to make it easier and delay will never take you where you want to go. There really is no perfect time, situation, or amount of motivation…I think so many people think that by waiting they will somehow be more motivated or excited to get things done.  But that just isn't reality.
Learn to recognize delay. When you do, make yourself stop and think about what you are accomplishing by waiting for what your brain is trying to convince you will be a better time.
Do the things you know you need to do.
Stop delaying. Â Start doing.
Enjoy!
Today, I want to focus on longevity in the gym. Longevity is something that I’ve really been thinking about a lot lately. As we program for the gym, as I look at my recovery, and as I look at my lifestyle overall. I want to be moving and working out well into my 80s.
If I want to do that, my training must be focused on longevity, not just on short term goals or gains. Unfortunately, this is a concept that is tough to grasp sometimes. As a culture that wants everything now, it’s hard to shift our focus to the long term and not just obsess over the short term. However, I think that if most of us would just zoom out a little, we’d see that longevity is so very important.
So, how do you create longevity? How do you move past the mentality of let me get in shape fast or lose the weight fast or lift heavier weights faster? I’m not going to lie…it’s tough, especially for those that are just starting an exercise program.
I encourage you to take a look at your training patterns.
If you want to be training for the next 20-30 years, does your training style support that?
Do you need to check your ego?
What does your recovery look like?
Are you being consistent?
Let’s be the generation that keeps kicking butt well into our 80s. We don’t have to stop doing things that we love just because we are getting older. Instead, we just need to adjust and keep the big picture in mind.
Every training session doesn’t need to be a session where we are maxing lifts or pushing so hard that we have to lay all over the floor when we are done to regroup.
We can train hard but also smart. We can train for the long haul.
Enjoy!
If you want to feel confident to be confident, you better be willing to put in the work.
Yet, so many of us just chalk up our lack of confidence to our personality or our situation.
We want the confidence without the practice.
We want to walk up and just be naturally good at something.
Confidence comes from work.
Be willing to put in the work.
Be willing to mess up.
Be willing to suck up the beginning and stick to the process.
With each passing day, your confidence will improve, and before you know it, you will be ready to let your work shine.
Let's get to work!
Enjoy!
Success is on the menu today.Â
I have actually been thinking a lot about success and what that means to me. And really, this whole idea of what success actually looks like is something that I have struggled with for a very long time. See, the world points us one way and our soul or our heart often points us another way. What looks like success to one person might not look the same to someone else. And that is okay. Actually, it’s awesome and really how I believe the world is designed to be.
As you start to define what success means to you, here are a few questions to ask yourself.
What makes me excited?
What do I look forward to?
What makes me feel good?
What kind of impact do I want to have?
How would I define fulfillment?
When do I truly feel the most content?
How do I want to be remembered?
Has there been a period in my life where I truly felt successful? What did that look like?
What do I want my life to look like?
What do I enjoy doing?
Take time this week to think about what you want, what makes you tick, and then start to write out your definition of success. Once you get an idea, begin adding things into your day that will contribute to your success and begin to remove a few things that are taking away from it.
Enjoy!
How can you work with what you have?
We all have something to work with. You might not be in what you’d consider to be an ideal situation, but if you really look at life, how often do the stars really align? What if you could learn to work with what you have…regardless of what it is. If you learn to make progress when time, money, and motivation are limited, what do you think your life is going to look like when you have an abundance of these things?
My challenge to you today is to stop waiting until you have everything you need before you take action and to work with what you have right now. Find something, anything, and work with it. When you don’t know where to start, just look around. Find 5:00, one thing, or one choice and act on it. Recognize when you are making excuses, and turn your excuse into an opportunity to find something you can work with.
Have you left a review for Kindle and Kerosene? Â If not, please head over and leave a review so that we can help get this podcast to more listeners. Â
Did you enjoy this episode? Â Why not share it with your friends?
Enjoy!
As I sat down to think about what I want to accomplish in 2022, I kept coming back to a different approach for this year. What if I don't make any resolutions this year? What if instead of focusing on an outcome, I focus on my response?
You don’t need a resolution to have a successful year. We really don’t need more temporary behavior modification. Instead, we need real, lasting change. Listen, I understand that this isn’t revolutionary, but maybe we could take a little pressure off of the commitment and focus on things that you can build on throughout the year.
Here’s where it all begins. We must commit to being responsible. Or…another way to say that is, we must understand that we are response-able. We are always able to choose our response. Now, that can be a tough pill to swallow sometimes because it’s usually easier to blame something or make an excuse about why your life is the way it is instead of owning up and admitting that you always have a choice.
When you take ownership of your situation, you can change it.
Resolutions get thrown off by life. Guys, life is never smooth sailing. If you feel like it is right now, I’m not trying to be a debbie downer, but the seas will pick up. Life is full of random events that are out of our control, and how you respond to those events and obstacles will be the determining factor in the outcome. Being response-able allows you to push through life’s curve balls and obstacles.
Join me today as I talk through the strategy I'm taking in 2022...no resolutions, just a solid focus on my response in all situations.
Enjoy today's episode? Make sure you share it and TAG ME (@kenziepresnell) on your social media platforms :).
What lens are you looking through?
Are you looking at yourself as someone who is strong, capable, confident, happy, excited, successful, worthy, and thriving? Or, do you see yourself as a victim, powerless, unworthy, guilty, struggling, or a failure?
Join me as I walk through perspective as it relates to your self image, your environment, and your circumstances.
“A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment.”
-Maxwell Maltz
Change your perspective....change your life.
You've got big goals and dreams. Â You want to chase them, but you find yourself saying...
But, I don’t have time.
But, I don’t know what to do.
But, I’m just not motivated.
But, it might not work out.
But, I’m scared.
But, I always….
It's time so step away from the excuse of BUT and start stepping toward your goals.
Enjoy today's flashback episode!
We are going to flashback to episode 36 today. Â
It's called Play to Win. Â
This episode is really a call to action. Â
It's a reminder that we don't need to wait...we can do something right now to move  us forward.
Enjoy!
Today’s episode very action oriented. I’m not going to dive too deep, but my goal is to give you a few practices that are easy to do, but if done consistently will make a huge difference in your life.
The goal here is to keep things simple. Â All four of these practices can be implemented every single day. Â They apply to just about any situation or circumstance.
These are practices because I want you to PRACTICE them. Â
1 - Breathe
2 - Talk Less
3 - Find your Circle of Control
4 - Slow Down
Use these. Â Daily. Â They will make a difference.
Enjoy!
KP
What do you want? Â What goals are you chasing? Â What do you want your life to look like?
Do you know? Â If not, let's start by filling in this sentence..."I want __________________."
If you want something, it’s up to you to go get it. I love this quote from Grant Cardone. He says, “No one is going to come to your house and make your dreams come true.” We can’t wait on someone else to do something for us. We can’t wait on a handout. We can’t wait for someone or something to change. We can’t wait for someone to tell us what to do. If you want something it is up to YOU…that’s right YOU…to go get it.
Now that you know what you want, there are a few things you must remember.
You will have to hustle.
Be patient.
Choose your sacrifice.
Embrace failure.
Go now.
Dwight D Eisenhower said, “There is no victory at bargain basement prices.”Â
Good things aren’t easy. Work hard, and be consistent in your efforts.
Enjoy!
KP
It is easy to look at some big, scary, seemingly impossible goal and think…I don’t even know where to start. I think that every single person that has ever accomplished a goal has asked the same question…where do I even start?
We ask that question and then we keep asking one million versions of that questions and then six months later, we are still wondering how we will ever get to where we want to go.
We never took even one step.
We never tried anything.
We just sat around and thought about how big and scary that goal was and how we just didn’t know where to start so we do nothing.
Listen…we must all understand this. When it comes to goals, we cannot get hung up on whether the action we are taking is perfect. If that’s what you are striving for, you can pretty much guarantee that you will likely never get started. Instead, you will analyze every step and what if to death and will stay stuck right where you are.
It is way more important that we do something, anything to get started rather than figuring out the perfect step. So what if it’s not the right thing. Guess what…part of learning is choosing the wrong thing. You learn and then you know what to do next time.
So, back to the question. Where do you even start?
It. doesn’t. matter. It doesn’t matter where you start. You just have to start. Today.
Enjoy!
KP
Expectations. I actually touched on this topic in my Ask Me Anything episode {#50} a few weeks ago. However, since that episode, the topic has come up a few more times, so I wanted to spend a little time diving into it.
I want to start with this simple statement right here.
One key to happiness is letting each situation be what it is instead of what you think it should be.
So often, we limit ourselves because of the expectations that we set for ourselves, for others, or that we allow others to set for us. In order to take charge of your life, you have to get a hold on your expectations so that you can live in reality as it IS, not as you created it or crafted it to be in your head.
When you accept your situation, that doesn’t mean you are okay with it or that you agree with it, but simply that you are owning it and in charge of it. Remember you can always change something when you can take ownership and responsibility for it.
Love the life you have, not the one you expected to have. If you don’t love the life you have, then make a change. Don’t just keep trying to make your life fit into the mold you expected it to fit in. Face life head on. Change your choices. I asked you a few weeks ago. I asked just last week for you to evaluate where you are and to own your results. I can’t do this for you. You are the only one that can change the areas of your life that you aren’t happy with.
Enjoy life, stop trying to always march in perfect formation. Stop trying to fit everything into a perfect little box. Life is messy. It doesn’t march in a straight line. It’s random. It can be hard. Life will throw things at you that you never saw coming. You have got to roll with the punches.
Much of this goes back to our subconscious mind. Many expectations are hidden. So many times, you don’t even realize that you have put an expectation on a situation or a person. We have to train our minds to live in the present and in reality.
I want to end with this quote from Gary John Bishop.
“Stay out of the swamp of mediocrity and drama, reach for your greatest self, your greatest potential, and challenge yourself to live that life every single day of it.” - Gary Bishop
You guys have an awesome day and week! Check those expectations. If you need me, you know where to find me. If you need help making positive changes in your life, let’s chat. I’d love to help you out.
Find me on Instagram @kenziepresnell.
Enjoy!
KP
Trust the process...yes, I know you've heard it a million times. Â But, I want to revisit it today.
So many of us want the dream without the work.Â
You have to work. You can’t rush it. You have to be willing to go through the process of achieving your goal.Â
Remember that rush will not bring reward. Success is a by-product of progress.
You absolutely cannot retreat back to what’s comfortable. If you do, you will never move forward.
When you find yourself in this situation of not being where you thought you’d be, what are you going to do?
Will you trust the process? Or will you give up?
Will you run? Or will you dig?
Let’s start digging and see what you find.
Remember…never underestimate the power of small.
Find the small things and don’t skip them.
Focus on the gold you want instead of the rocks that are in your way.
And don’t forget that good things are worth working for.
If it were easy, everyone would do it. Well…you’re not everyone and you certainly aren’t average.
Check out my new series, Car Line Questions and KP's daily word on my Instagram - @kenziepresnell
Enjoy!
KP
Choose your hard. This was actually a post I made a few weeks ago. It was the 6 month mark since I had blown my shoulder out rock climbing. I was talking about how hard the process has been, how hard rehab really is, and how hard the whole thing was mentally. But really. As I thought about it. Every alternative was hard. Rehab {the choice I made} was hard. But surgery…it would have been hard too. The beautiful thing is…we get to choose our hard.
This relates to all aspects of your life.
Taking great care of yourself is hard. Being overweight is hard too.
Being disciplined with your finances is hard. Being broke is hard too.
Getting up early is hard. Hitting snooze and dealing with the fact that you overslept is hard too.
Being consistent is hard. Starting over is hard too.
Working out is hard. Not being able to do basic tasks and play with your kids is hard too.
Taking the time to schedule your day is hard. Living in chaos is hard too.
Change is hard. Staying stuck where you are is hard too.
Building a side hustle that you want to turn into a business is hard. Showing up to a job you hate forever is hard too.
Relationships are hard. Being lonely is hard too.
Taking a risk is hard. Living with unaccomplished goals and dreams is hard too.
Nothing is easy. There is a cost involved in everything you do. So often, we hyper focus on the cost of changing and skip over what it really will cost to stay where we are. Cost can be anything. It can be time, effort, or money. We cannot get hung up on the cost of getting to the place we know we want to be.
Choose your hard.
Enjoy!
Today, I want to talk about maintenance. Why maintenance? I really wanted to hit on this because I think that a lot of people think that maintenance is a good thing. I hear people say all the time that they want to just maintain where they are. Whether it’s their job, their weight, their fitness…they are ready and striving for maintenance mode.
Have you said those words before? I’m just happy where I am. I am maintaining. I won’t lie. I’ve said them.
But, today, I want to ask you to stop striving for maintenance. I want you to give up maintenance mode. Why? Because maintenance mode is dangerous. If you are focused on maintaining where you are, you aren’t growing.
Focus on maintaining, and you’ll start slowing sliding backwards. You’ve worked too hard to stop now. You don’t want to maintain. You want to gain. You want to move forward. You want actually reach your potential.
Time doesn’t stand still. You are either moving forward, or you are moving backward. Small changes done consistently over time will create massive change. Find something small that you can do today and do it. Then, do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and for 1000 days after that.
Watch out for comfort. Your comfort zone is one of the most dangerous places to be. Step out. Decide to raise the bar. Make the commitment to change your thought process and get clear on who you want to be and what you want.
Expect resistance. If you experience resistance and you don’t know what to do with it, go back and find the podcast that I did on resistance..it's called The 3 R's. Resistance is a force that I’m all too familiar with, but it reminds me that I’m definitely not living my life in maintenance mode.
Stop maintaining. Start growing.
Enjoy!
Warning...this episode is an extremely personal one.Â
I want to talk to you about raising girls. Now, let me throw this out there. I am in no way, shape, or form a parenting expert. Heck, I have made so many questionable parenting decisions that I won’t even pretend like I have it all together in this department. But I do talk to a lot of moms throughout my days and weeks. And I think that when it comes down to it, we are doing the best we can.
I look at my daughter Paisley. She’s 11…a spunky, creative, happy, joyful, sweet 5th grader. She sees the world through different eyes than I do. She doesn’t see the evil that’s out there, but she will. Thankfully, she hasn’t had a tough time at school, but chances are she will feel left out or lonely or different at some point. I started thinking about things I wish I would have known growing up. I started thinking about things I want to work hard to teach her. At the end of the day, I don’t need her to be perfect, popular, the smartest, the most athletic, or the prettiest. I need her to be herself. I hope to teach her much more…but here are 5 things that I pray I can teach her.
1 - Your body is amazing.
2 - Stay weird.
3 - Not everyone’s opinion matters.
4 - Keep dreaming.
5 - Always search for truth.
Enjoy!
Drama.
Drama. We just seem to be attracted to it, don’t we? I don’t even know when it starts.  Sometimes ignoring drama is like sitting in front of your favorite dessert or something. It’s like it’s just begging you to try just a bite, knowing that you’re going to get lost in it as soon as you give into that first bite.
So often, we get so wrapped up in the drama of change that we never actually make a change. We make things out to be so much bigger, harder, and scarier that they will ever be, and we come up with this big, bad story in our head. It’s like we want to attach drama to our goals and dreams because then it’s easier to never get started. The drama, or the story we make up gives us an out.
It's time to ditch the drama.
Let's focus on change by focusing on...
One moment.
One change.
One choice.
No story.
No drama.
No victims.
No excuses.
You can do anything once. So do it once. Then do it again. Â
Make a commitment to keep the drama out of it.
Enjoy!
EPISODE 50!!!! Â I am very excited for today's episode. Â Today, I am answering YOUR questions. Â Thank you, thank you to those of you that sent me a question. Â Here are the questions that I work through in today's podcast.
How do you stay consistent?
When eating out or needing to grab something quick, what do you suggest?
Do you have any tips on healthy breakfasts and snacks for kids? Mainly breakfasts.
What is your all time favorite book?
How do you manage to disconnect from your phone? Do you have any tips to not default to mindlessly scrolling to pass/fill time?
How do you navigate all of the different personalities of members throughout the day or class?
What is your favorite type of workout?
Do you have expectations in your relationships with people? If so, how do you deal with the disappointment when those expectations are not being met?
What is your favorite part about the new programming offered and what kind of impact are you seeing in members?
What is the name of Josh’s favorite playlist?
What supplements do you take?
How is it working with your spouse?
I hope you enjoy!
You’ve got talents.Â
You were put on this earth for a reason. I’m pretty sure that reason wasn’t just to work your 9-5, surf the internet, watch Netflix, and occasionally do something that makes you feel alive.Â
We have to wake up and stop being okay with mediocre.
We have to understand that in order to make it count, we might have to get uncomfortable.
We might have to try something new.
We might have to cut ties with things that are bringing us down.
We might have to sit down and get real with how we are actually living our life.Â
You matter. What you do matters.Â
What is most important?
If it’s important, does my life reflect that?
What am I doing that really doesn’t matter?
How do I best impact and serve?
What does make it count mean to me?
How would I have acted differently if I knew today was my last day or this year was my last year?
Let's make it count.
Coming at you straight from carline today...I'm running with no outline or script today, so get ready. It's raw. It's honest. It's straight from the heart. Over the last few months and weeks, we have experienced so many things in our local communities as well as worldwide that are incredibly difficult to even face much less wrap our heads around. Â Many of those around us are dealing with a heaviness that you can see when you simply look in their eyes. Â I can feel the weight of the world around me, and I am sure you can as well. Today's episode is very different from my normal episodes. Â I recorded this episode on Friday, August 27th as I was sitting in carline waiting to pick my kids up from school. Â I didn't have my microphone, but this subject was fresh on my mind, so with no script or outline, I simply recorded into my phone. I hope that today's episode encourages you to go against the grain. Â I hope it reminds you that you do have a circle of influence that you have the ability to positively impact on a daily basis. Â Enjoy!
”If you want to feel incredible, you must use your imagination to make the mundane tasks for life become imbued with magic, meaning, and beauty. I can experience the same thing as 10 others but for me the moments pop with vibrancy and importance simply because I imagine it so.”
- Brendan Burchard
In other words, if you want fo feel incredible, you must use your imagination to make the mundane tasks for life permeate with magic, meaning, and beauty.
So how do we do that? Listen, I have a child that finds joy in just about everything. What I find boring, she finds vibrant and exciting. She’s always singing or daydreaming about something that she thinks is incredible…currently, she wants to be a dragon, so that’s likely where her imagination drifts on most days. My natural tendency does not match my child’s. I have to work at it. I have to consciously make an effort to embrace the place that I am in at this moment, I have to look for something good, and I have to find a way to enjoy it. I don’t know about you, but I want to be that person that finds vibrancy and importance in ordinary moments.
The point of today’s episode is to remind you that you have to make the choice to bring joy and happiness and beauty and magic into your day to day life. You might have to get really creative during some seasons…use your imagination and make your life something that you’re excited about. You get to write the story of your day to day. No, you don’t get to be the author of what happens to you, but you get to be the creator of how you view and respond to your life.
Enjoy!
What are you training for?
Well, when I was asked that question about six or eight months ago, for the first time in my life, I didn’t really have an answer. I was back in the open gym at FOF working on something and someone asked me…."Hey Kenzie, what are you training for?"
It was weird because for most of my life, I would have had an automatic answer. In fact, most of my adult life has been spent training for some sort of an event - a triathlon, an obstacle race, a marathon, a half marathon, a 50K, a Crossfit competition. As I look back at it, it was like a bit of an addiction. I had to be training for something…always.
My life looks different right now. I don’t have an event on my radar, much less on my calendar. I don’t have a training plan. I don’t have a list of things I need to make sure I accomplish before a certain date.
What am I training for? If I don’t have an event or a race or a deadline, why am I showing up daily to train at the gym? It’s a legit question with an answer that went well beyond a simple one as I started to dive into it. Honestly, I’m training for life. Yes, that’s super cliche, but I’m going to expand on it.
The human body is freaking amazing. It’s ability to adapt and overcome is absolutely incredible. When you really think about how phenomenal your body is, you won’t need an event to motivate you to make it better. When you think about what a gift life is, you’ll find that it’s the greatest event you’ll ever train for.
So, what are you training for?
Enjoy!
My entire inspiration for today’s episode came from a jiu jitsu tournament that we went to a few weeks ago with Blaise.  He got knocked down...quite a bit.
Now, I’ve never been physically knocked down…fighting isn’t really my jam, and I’m guessing you probably haven’t been physically knocked down, but I bet you have been knocked down in some other way. Mentally. Emotionally. You didn’t get the job. You failed the test. You had to drop out of an event. You got hurt. You blew the presentation. Someone hurt your feelings. We’ve all been knocked down.
Life throws some really tough punches. The question is. Will you stay down? Or, will you get back up? I can tell you this, if you can just learn to get back up, over and over and over, nothing will be able to take you out because nothing will be able to keep you down long enough to quit.
Life is going to knock you down. Not once, not twice, but a lot of times. The more times you get back up, the better you will get at it. Soon, you’ll hop right back up because that’s just what you’ve done. I don’t know where you are. I don’t know how far you’ve fallen. But, you have to understand that you’ve never fallen too far. You can always get back up.
Process your situation.
Let it go.
Own your fall.
Make the choice to get back up.
Change what you need to change.
Adjust your attitude along the way.
Enjoy!
So what’s the deal?Â
Why do you keep starting over?Â
How many Sundays or Mondays or seasons have you said that this is the time that you will get serious, that you will stick with it, that this plan will work? Next Monday is August 9th. That means there are only 21 Mondays left in 2021. 21. When I break it down like that, it’s easy to see that we are rolling right on through this year at lightening speed.
What if this time you actually made the changes you wanted to make so that as we get ready for 2022 and you are thinking about goals and resolutions and intentions, you were able to just build on the positive changes you have already made and you didn’t have to start over yet another time? I have good news for you…you absolutely CAN.Â
You can’t fail until you quit. So stop quitting. Starting over stinks. It’s never easy. Just keep going. Life is all about practice. Learn from your choices, have some grace for yourself, and pick back up where you left off. Please don’t quit and say you’ll start again tomorrow, or next week, or next year.
You’ve got this.
Embrace the process and look at this as a long term lifestyle, and not just a quick fix.
Start making small changes now. You don’t have to go big or change everything tomorrow. Focus on what is sustainable and make sure you enjoy what you are doing.
Finally, don’t let one thing derail you or cause you to quit.
Enjoy!
“Fear is an idea-crippling, experience-crushing, success-stalling inhibitor inflicted only by yourself.”
Stephanie Melish
Although it is alive and very present in most of our lives, you must remember that fear cannot take anything from you. Fear can only take what you willingly give it. Examine your thoughts. You have to recognize what it is you fear so that you can have the courage to face it and put it where it belongs.
Put yourself in the drivers seat. Stop allowing fear to rule your decisions and your actions. Kick fear to the curb…you can.
How?
Learn to recognize it.
Shift your focus to what you can control.
Separate facts from feelings and opinions.
Enjoy this one. Â I hope that it helps you learn to recognize fear and begin to conquer it.
Motivation.
I’ve actually touched on this in a few podcast episodes before, but over the last few weeks, the topic of motivation has come up over and over in the gym and just in conversations I’ve had in general. In fact, I dug up a video that I did back in the spring of 2019 and posted it to our private Facebook group just last week about this very topic. It sparked a lot of conversation, so I figured I’d just go with that and expand on it for today’s podcast. I promise, I’m going to keep this one short and to the point because this topic is pretty darn straightforward.
My video started with this quote…I don’t even remember what podcast I heard this one because it was two years ago, but the quote is golden.
"Motivation is bull s&*t. Self belief is everything."
Motivation is like using a fire starter or lighter fluid on your fire. It works at the beginning or randomly throughout the process, but it isn’t going to sustain you long term. If you rely on it, you’ll find yourself saying things like….
“I just can’t get motivated to get to the gym anymore.”
“I just can’t seem to find the motivation to cook and eat healthy.”
“I just don’t feel like it.”
“I have so much going on, and I am not motivated to take care of me.”
“I just don’t have the motivation to show up before work / after work.”
“I’m trying so hard to stay motivated, but I’m just not.”
Listen, you can do anything that you put your mind to, but you will only go as far as your belief.
So, how do you create this internal drive or belief system?
That's what I want to dive into today.
Enjoy!
So, today's topic is one that I am constantly trying to work on. Â It's something that we all need every once in a while.Â
It’s a reboot.Â
See, we have to reboot and update our phone. We have to shut down and reboot our computer. If we want something to perform, it  must periodically be shut down, rebooted, updated, and then restarted.  This is necessary if we want the device to perform at an optimal level. We do this with all of our devices, our work, and our schedule, but we rarely think about doing this for ourselves.
Why do I think this is so important and something that we must make a priority? Well, here are just a few benefits that come from disconnecting, shutting down, and allowing yourself to reboot...
You’ll come back stronger.
You’ll strengthen and improve your relationships.
You’ll be more creative.
You’ll be less stressed.
Your identity will be tied less and less to your work.
You’ll sleep better.
Your concentration will improve.
You’ll boost your mood.
Your problem-solving skills will improve.
You’ll have better longevity in your job.
So, how do we actually do this? Today I am sharing few strategies that I am working with. I hope they can help you too.
Enjoy!
Today, I want to talk to you about something that has the power to help you make positive changes in your life. Not only does it help you make positive changes, but it has the ability to help you do this at an insanely fast rate.
It’s your environment.
Yes, I know I’ve touched on environment before…more than a few times. But, I wanted to dedicate an entire episode to this very topic. It really is that powerful and it’s something that is so easy for you to change. Sure, changing environments might mean that you have to step out of your bubble or your comfort zone, but by now you should know that you should be doing that anyway and you should be doing it as much as possible.
As humans, we are wired for the easy way. Â We have to intentionally set our environment up so that it makes it easy for us to make the choices we want to make and harder to make the choices we don't want to make. Â
Environment is everything. Â Get it to work for you, and watch how fast your life begins to change.
Protect your environment.
Rig it to work for you.
Surround yourself with people that are always raising the bar.
Enjoy!
”Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.” - Robin Sharma
Over the last few weeks, I’ve just started listening. To myself. To others. To coaches. To employees at various stores. To other customers. I’ve witnessed so many words. Some have been kind, full of life, encouraging, and helpful. Others have been rude, discouraging, sharp, and unproductive.
When we speak, we must make an effort to evaluate our words.Â
When you speak to yourself, what kinds of words are you using? Are you filling your mind with doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, or comparison? Or, are you filling your mind with confidence, grace, courage, boldness, or joy? Those words impact your actions.
If you are speaking to someone else, how are you speaking to them? Are you empowering them, building them up, and making them feel like they can accomplish big things? Or, are you picking them apart, criticizing everything, or making them feel like they aren’t good enough?
I hope that this week's episode challenges you to take a good look at the words you speak to yourself and to others.
What would happen if we used our words to build up instead of tear down?
Enjoy!
The anchor.
It’s weighing you down. It’s driving your decisions. It’s keeping you stuck.
You can’t carry the anchor of the past with you and expect the future to be different.
We’ve got to dig it up. We’ve got to cut it loose.
Erase. Let go. Move on.
We must start looking for our potential instead of our imperfections.
We must slow down so we can see what is dragging us down.
We must choose to let go so that we can move on.
Enjoy!
Deadlines. You need them. Not just for one thing, but for most things that you want to accomplish.Â
I love deadlines because they change the way I work. Â I'd encourage you to see what happens when you put yourself on a deadline to meet your goals. Â As I talk through today, here are some key takeaways.
Deadlines light a fire under you.
Pressure isn't all bad.
Dates are important.
You must evaluate the cost associated with meeting your deadline.
Understand that there is no such thing as failure if you don't quit.
Here's my challenge for you today.
Put a date on your goals.
Put together a plan.
Work your tail off to get there.
If you miss, celebrate what you did accomplish, and then make adjustments, set a new deadline, and get back to work.
Enjoy!
The force that changes everything...what do you think it might be?
As we work through today, I want to ask you to hear me out. I want you to open your mind a bit because I know that what I have to say might sound a bit woo-woo to you. But, it’s something that I am witnessing in my own life right now, something that I’ve read about thousands of times, and something that if you work on, I know you will see changes in your own life.Â
It’s a force that changes everything. It’s the force of belief.
Yes, I have talked about belief before. But not totally in this way. I know you’ve heard me say that you must have an unshakeable belief in yourself, your abilities, and what you’re doing. Yes, that is 100% true. But I want to expand in a different way today. I want to talk about belief in relation to your body and it’s ability.
I hope that you enjoy today's episode. Â You'll hear a lot about belief as it relates to the journey I'm walking through right now.
Enjoy!
This week, I want to talk about playing to win at the game of life. If you zoom out and look at life, you'll begin to see that life really is a game. We play offense, we play defense, sometimes we have to sit the sideline, we get coached {hopefully}, we practice, we improve.Â
When you view life this way, it becomes so exciting. You start to understand that your actions and your choices really do matter…they matter a lot.Â
As you get ready to listen today, I want you to ask yourself this question...Am I playing to win? Am I showing up, every single day ready to give my all, or am I content just sitting on the bench and letting other people get in the game? Am I looking to actually win or just get the dreaded participation trophy?
I hope that if you’re listening to this, you truly have a desire for more. You have a drive to win. No one can put that in you…you have to be the one to decide that you’re going to go after it, that you’re going to win.
So, how do you play to win instead of just showing up and being a participant in the game?
I’m going to give you a few things that I think will help as you move from bench warmer to starter...from the middle of the pack to the top.
- Detach from the outcome.
- Do the small things exceptionally well.
- Watch out for comparison.
- Upgrade your environment.
- Invest in you.
Let's play to win. Â Enjoy!
This topic right here - facts vs opinions - it's something that Josh and I have had to address over and over throughout the years as we’ve looked at our life, our business, and many of our relationships.
We also had this conversation a few weeks ago with one of our health coaching clients who was struggling to deal with things that were going on in her work environment.
So, if we’ve dealt with it, and we had a client that needed help with it, chances are, someone listening today needs to hear this too.
So this week…I am talking Facts vs Opinions.
Here’s the deal with opinions….we’ve all got them. Most of the time, it’s not the hard facts that make us so mad, discouraged, or causes us to question our situation, our decisions, or the motive of others….it’s our opinion of those facts.
If you want to find success and to keep moving forward, you’ve got to stop adding your opinion to the facts.
Today, I want to focus on a few simple statements.
Opinions create drama and keep you stuck in the problem.
Impossibles are opinions.
It’s not always all about you.
Enjoy!
Today's episode is 100% inspired by a quote a I read in Ryan Holiday's book, The Obstacle is the Way.
It’s a quote from Epictetus. It’s says, “Persist and resist". Persist in your efforts. Resist giving into distraction, discouragement, and disorder.”
Persist. Â Resist. Â Persist. Â Resist.
I hope that after listening to this episode, those words become powerful reminders for you. They are such an easy and great reminder to keep going when things get tough, to be creative in your efforts, to think outside the box, and to just keep stepping forward, despite how small the steps feel. For me, they also serve as a great reminder to turn away from those things that will steal my joy, halt my efforts, and eventually cause me to become so angry and bitter at myself and the world around me that I just quit.
Enjoy!
Time flies. The older I am getting, the faster it goes. It’s like every single time I blink, another year is gone. Am I giving my best? What kind of change am I creating in this world? How can I make the biggest difference in the lives of those I interact with?
Today, I really just want to share some thoughts I have on how I want to change so that each night when I look in the mirror, I can honestly say that I did all I could do to make even a small difference in this world.
Lead with your actions, not your words.
Give to give.
Understand you are response-able.
Enjoy this one! Â Let's commit to make this world a better place, one day, one action at a time.
We finally had our first beach day on 2021 on Sunday. As we walked up from the parking lot, we saw the red flag flying. Our kids are pretty familiar with the beach, but we still had to chat with them about where to swim, how to spot rip currents, and what to do should they find themselves caught in a rip current. As we were explaining this, I realized how much this goes against your natural instincts. Our first instinct is to fight.
I don’t care who you are, you aren’t going to over power the ocean. It’s stronger. It’s more powerful. It’s going to do what it wants regardless of how hard you try to fight. So, how do you deal with a rip current? You don’t fight it. You go with it. You allow it to drag you along because it will eventually stop. Then you swim along the shoreline until you can begin to swim back into shore.
Sometimes, that’s how we have to approach tough times in our life. Hard times come. Circumstances and situations that you don’t like or feel like you deserve happen. When they do, you have two choices. You can fight them, spending all of your energy trying to change them, or you can go with them, working your way through it, taking lessons and learning along the way.
I hope this message encourages you today. I hope that you make the choice to face whatever situations come your way head on with the attitude that you’re going to use the situation to your advantage. Let’s say good bye to the excuses and the blaming and the self pity. Let’s make the choice daily to rise up, to adjust our perspective if needed, and to grow through the process.
Enjoy!
One day. Â One choice. Â One moment. Â One action. Â
When we shift our mindset to winning the moment in front of us and going 1-0 TODAY, we can go from being overwhelmed by our goals and intentions to being excited about the process in front of us. Â So often, we get laser focused on the end goal or result that we neglect the small choices and actions it will take to get there.
What goals have you set for yourself?
Where are you so focused on the end goal that you forget the small tasks that it will take you to get there?
Where are you neglecting the small choices that you can do day after day to move you toward your goals?
How is your attitude different when you focus on winning the day instead of getting to the end?
Let's go win TODAY. Â
Enjoy!
Practice {consistent practice} equals progress.
Think about where you are sitting right now. What changes or goals are you working on? What progress have you made? What plans have you set in place? What has been your attitude toward practice? Are you trying to rush it, or are you taking your time, focusing on one small thing at a time?
If you want to make changes, accomplish your goals, and rock new skills, you will have to sacrifice. But, you will always be sacrificing one thing or the other. Make sure you choose your sacrifice so that your sacrifice doesn’t end up choosing you.
Keep a long term focus. Leave the quick fixes behind. Stop seeing how fast you can lose the weight or run a marathon. Approach practice with the big picture in mind. Set yourself up to stay in this game forever, not just for 3 weeks.
Stop maintaining. You aren’t average. You’re not in maintenance mode. Maintaining means you aren’t growing, you aren’t learning, and you aren’t getting better. Switch that focus. You can be better and improve in various areas every single day. Just watch…when you’re focused on growing each day, you’ll start to see positive changes in every single area of your life.
Be patient. This might be the hardest one. Don’t skip steps. Focus on mastering one thing at a time. Then begin to build. Allow yourself to enjoy the process and to get excited about each step.
Here we go. Â Enjoy!
Change. Â I think that if we are honest, we all have an area {or a few} that we'd like to change.
For change to happen, the pain of staying where you are has to outweigh the work it will take to get to where you want to go. We talk about this in health coaching all the time, but the beauty of change is that it happens in an instant. Change happens the moment that you decide that you are done with the old and ready for the new. In other words, change happens the moment you decide to flip the switch.
Sure, there is a process involved. It can be long and hard and require a lot of work, but when you decide, like really decide, that you are going to do something, you commit yourself to the process. All of a sudden, what seemed long and hard and so far out of reach, is something you can see yourself working toward.
I love this so much because you literally flip the switch with anything. It can be something that you want to stop. It can be something you want start. It can be a dream that you want to chase. Anything.
But, the first thing, the absolute first thing is….you have to make the decision. You have to flip the switch.
Let's explore some common barriers to change as well as some strategies to ensure you can flip the switch and make the changes you want to make.
Enjoy!
So spring…I touched on it a bit in last week's episode, but I love everything about spring. The weather, the flowers, the longer days, the urge to clean up and clean out. It’s a fresh start. I remember some years feeling like January and February were just full of trials and disappointments. The middle to end of March has always seemed to feel like a fresh start….I know it’s not a new year, but spring brings that feeling that you have the ability to start over. It’s like a take two on the new year, but with a little more excitement and a head start. I’m not sure how your year has gone so far. Maybe you’re doing amazing and crushing life…I hope so. Maybe you need a new start, a fresh start. Maybe the beginning of the year didn’t go as planned for you. You might have had some trials or circumstances that you didn’t expect….hello, I totally feel you there. You might have started strong with your goals and intentions and then as the weeks have gone, you’ve fallen back into old patterns and behaviors.
Regardless of where you find yourself at this very moment, I want you to commit to something. Let go of whatever has happened so far in 2021. If it’s been a rocky start, it’s time to put the past behind you and start moving forward. If it’s been great so far, acknowledge that and celebrate it, but don’t become complacent and fall into maintenance mode. Keep working. Keep improving. Keep making yourself better and challenging yourself every single day.
One thing that I do every spring is get in my yard. I love getting my hands dirty, planting, and cleaning up my yard and my flower beds. Every year, I am reminded of just how much the planting and pruning process mirrors life.
When it comes to the garden of your life, ask yourself….
What weeds to you need to pull?
What dead plants need to be removed?
What areas need to be pruned?
What does your barrier look like?
What plants do you want to plant?
What are you doing to nourish your plants?
What results are you after, and what actions are you doing consistently to get you there?
Nourish your plants. Even when you can’t see your efforts paying off, they are. Every single right action you do is moving you forward. Stay consistent. Keep doing the little things you’re supposed to do. Your efforts will pay off.
It’s spring. It’s time for a cleanup. We all need to do it. Right now is the perfect time. Take a few minutes this week to sit outside with your journal and start thinking and planning.
Enjoy!
Alright, I hope you are ready for a personal episode this week.
I am excited for you to join me this week as I talk through the season that I'm in and all of the lessons that it's teaching me. Â It's raw, it's honest, and it's a little messy, but I have a feeling you might relate.
Today, I explore....
How do we deal with messy seasons? Â
How do we make a productive use of a tough circumstance?
How do we adapt and change so that we grow?
See, when we enter a valley or a tough season, so many of us stop digging at the surface level. Â But we have to keep digging so that we can actually begin to learn and grow. Â We have to get to the root.
Here are four things that I've learned over the past few months as I've walked through a frustrating season.
1 - Give yourself a day
2 - Start digging
3 - Embrace the process
4 - Make the choice to grow
I hope you enjoy today's episode, and I hope that it becomes a tool for you to use when you enter a season of trial or frustration.
- KP
"You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily." - John Maxwell
Habits…if you’re not paying attention to them, it’s time to wake up.
They are driving your life. They are the key to your success.Â
Successful people have great habits. Â They pay attention to details, they are consistent, and they make sure their habits align with their goals. Â
As you begin the process of change, remember...
Add first. Go small. Say good bye to the bad. Be patient.
You can have the most amazing goals in the world, but if you don’t have habits in place to support them, you will most likely fall short. Â
Let's get going.  You've got this.  It’s not too late for you to make a change. Find those 1-2 small things and start right now.
Leftovers. We eat a lot of them in our house. They're great for weeknight meals, but when you rely on leftovers, your options are very, very limited. Sure, you can spice them up a little, but so much is decided for you…it’s like you only have so much to work with. You don’t choose exactly what you get. You take what you get and maybe change it up a little, but for the most part, you get what you get.
So many of us go through life just accepting life's leftovers.
You aren’t stuck with life’s leftovers.
You’ve got to start creating the life you want. You’ve got to start living a life you love.
Aim high…get some goals set and make them scary. Write them down. Know why you want them.
Control your inputs….make them positive. Watch your words. Fill your mind with things that are good, things that are positive, things that encourage you to grow.
Believe…believe in yourself, your goals, and your abilities. Know that you can do anything that you decide you want to do as long as you truly believe.
Own up…take responsibility for your life. Ultimately, you are where you are right now because of the choices that you have made up to this point. If you want to change your life, change your behaviors.
“Leaders accept responsibility. Followers do not. Leaders refuse to make excuses, while followers hide behind them. Leaders see themselves as the primary creative forces in their own lives. Followers see themselves as victims and use up much of their energy rationalizing, justifying, and explaining away their failure to make progress. The acceptance of complete responsibility is as essential to leadership as courage." - Brian Tracy
Let's stop taking life's leftovers and get going!
Enjoy!
More or better? Â It's the age old debate of quantity vs. quality.
Want to get in better shape…do more workouts. Want a better relationship with your kids…spend more time with them. Want to be more productive…work more. Want to lose weight…restrict more. Want more traction on social media…create more content. Want to do better or be better at anything…just do more…right?
Honestly, the idea of more is better has been ingrained in many of us for as long as we can remember. Study more. Work more. Be more. Do more. More, more, more, more. What if more isn’t always better? What if better is better? It’s an idea that deep down, I think most of us understand and really want to incorporate into our daily lives. It makes sense to us on some level. But our actions rarely reflect better and most of the time reflect more.
Join me as I explore how we can change our view of more, more, more so that we can begin to focus on better.
Enjoy!
Your car...it's got lights and signals to let you know when something needs to be addressed. I took my car to "E" the other day. All along the way, my car was warning me that it needed gas. I kept going. But, I knew that I could only push my car so far before it simply ran out of fuel and it stopped running {and then I'd have to make the dreaded call to J that he had to come get me}.
Well, your mind and your body are giving you signs, alerts, and signals all the time to let you know when you're running on empty or simply need a slight repair. However, we are often so busy that we continue to ignore these signs and just keep the throttle pushed, working and grinding through our days and weeks.
When is the last time that you sat down and did a performance checklist on your mind and your body? How long will you continue to expect high performance output with minimal care and attention?
Just a quick overall on your mindset, attitude, words, and actions can tell you what type of action you need to take.
Here are a few questions to get you thinking today -
What have you accomplished this month/quarter/year?
How do you feel? Physically? Mentally? Spiritually?
Where do you feel you need to focus your efforts?
Where have you fallen short?
What goals and dreams you say you want, yet you haven’t taken any real action on? Why?
What have you learned so far?
What goals need to be adjusted?
What small changes can you make?
What does your recovery look like?
When is the last time that you really rested?
Where do you feel overwhelmed or distracted?
What needs to go?
Are your actions in alignment with who you want to be?
Let's top expecting to perform like a Ferrari when we treat ourselves like a Toyota 4Runner.
Enjoy today's episode!
Let's go.
BUT. Â It's one of those words that usually sends my head spinning. Â Maybe it's because I hear it from my kids...constantly. Â But the reality is, it's a word that so many of use all the time. Â Unfortunately, that word...BUT...is most often followed by a negative statement or excuse.
Do any of these sound familiar?
I’d like to ____________________, but....
I want ______________________, but....
I might _______________________, but....
Yes, but __________________.
No, but __________________.
Today, I want to focus on three areas where many of us use this little three letter word.
But, I don’t have time.
But, I don’t know what to do.
But, I’m just not motivated.
But, it might not work out.
But, I’m scared.
But, I always….
Let's see how we can reframe these thoughts and begin to take action on the things we say that we want to do.
Here we go.
Enjoy!
Wants don’t get met consistently. Standards do.
Today, I want to talk to you about your standards...how you live, your identity, your habits, and your rituals.
What does that look like?
What standard are you living by?
Do your habits match your standards?
I want to encourage each and every single one of you to raise your standard today. It's time to write a new normal for yourself. It’s so easy to get caught lowering our standards. Make sure you are putting yourself in an environment where you are consistently challenged and lifted up.
You can change. You were created to be freaking awesome, not average.
Find the small areas in your life that you can change. Change those…one at a time.
Be disciplined…that discipline in one small area will bleed into so many more areas of your life.
Write out your identity, develop your standards, and then incorporate habits that reinforce both your identity and your standards.
Have an incredible week. Let’s go make a difference in this world. Not through our words or our judgements or our Facebook posts…but with our actions. Let’s be different. Let’s hold ourselves to a higher standard so that we can positively impact all of those around us. Change starts with you.
Enjoy!
The Debbie Downer…I'm sure you have met one of those people before. You know, that person that is just always negative, always down, always complaining, always making excuses, and just walks around with a very blah attitude. If you have spent any amount of time around someone like that, you know…they just drain your energy. While I definitely don’t think I would categorize myself (and you probably wouldn’t think of yourself) as a Debbie Downer, I think we can all pay better attention to the negativity that is both in us and around us. So, today, I want to focus on negativity.
I would 100% consider myself to be a positive person. Yet, over the past week, I took an inventory of every comparison, complaint, and criticism I made. Ouch...this simple exercise made it clear to me that I have a lot of work to do if I want to live a happy, peaceful life.
While we probably won't eliminate negativity from our lives, we can all do better.
What if we intentionally focused on the good around us? What if we stopped before we said something rude or critical? What if we found something positive instead of complaining about something we don’t like? What if we celebrated and allowed ourselves to be truly joyful about someone else’s success?
Listen, you can make a difference in the world around you. No, you might not be in a position of power, but you change world by changing yourself. Positivity, just like negativity, is contagious.
In a world where everyone seems to celebrate the bad, be the one that finds the good.
In a world that wants to see others struggle, genuinely celebrate other people’s wins.
In a world that tells you that you should speak your mind and opinion at all costs, hold your tongue.
In a world that is consumed by media, step away.
In a world where people make themselves feel better by putting others down and gossiping, lift others up.
We have the power to impact and influence others. Start today.
Watch out for the Debbie downers, and please, if you find that you are the negative one, decide to change.
Here's the quote that inspired this entire podcast, and I hope it inspires you today too.
“Remember, saying whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want, is not freedom. Real freedom is not feeling the need to say these things.”
- Jay Shetty
Enjoy!
Refinement. I feel like this word is such a great illustration of the last year of my life, and as I did my 2020 review, the word really seemed to reflect so much of what happened in my life last year. Not only did it happen last year, but it continues to happen day in and day out.
We all need refinement in different areas of our life. But before we can refine anything, we must be willing to pull out a light and expose all of the areas that need changing.
Honestly, so many parts of last year did this for me. From workouts to challenges to circumstances I had no control over to trials to changes that we were forced to make…they all exposed something. Maybe it was a lack of skill, or a lack of planning, or a terrible response. That exposure brought out the need for improvement in various areas.
As humans, we avoid things that are uncomfortable. It’s our human nature.
We want normal. We want comfortable.
However, if we want to grow, we must be willing to expose ourselves to different things so that we can find our weaknesses.
We’ve got to pull out a light, shine it brightly, and then we have to sit and take full responsibility for where we find ourselves in any given area.
Start the process...
Expose yourself. Shine a light on different areas of your life. Then, start refining. One area, one thing at a time.
I promise, if you allow your weaknesses to be seen, you will make a change. You will be better.
Enjoy!
Happy 2021!!! Â As we start the new year, can we just let go of something? Â That something is...the obsession with perfection.
See, perfection is something that has plagued me for much of my life. Â It has left me stuck and frustrated. Â Over the years, I've slowly started to overcome my obsession, but it's definitely something I have to really pay attention to, especially as I am starting something new.
Just because you don't know everything, you don't have the perfect plan, or your circumstances aren't aligning perfectly doesn't mean you can't chase your dreams. Â If we wait to do something until we know we won't make any mistakes or that we will get it perfect, we are going to sit and wait for a long time.
Action beats a perfect plan any day. Â So often, we are terrified of what people might say, failure, or mistakes that we never take action.
Join me today as I walk through how I am working to overcome my obsession with perfection.
Enjoy!
As we approach January, I want to touch a little on goals / resolutions / intentions / whatever word you like to use as you think about all that you want to accomplish or work towards during the next 365 days.Â
If you didn’t have a chance to listen to the last episode {number 16} where I talked about my year end review, I highly suggest that you jump back and take a listen before you listen to me talk through goals today.
Here's the hard pill to swallow...If you don’t like the way that 2020 went, it’s up to you to do something different to make 2021 better.Â
We aren’t going to wake up on January 1st in a difference situation or circumstance or with all of our problems magically gone. If you want something to change, you have to make a change.Â
So, here we go. Let’s chat about what changes you want to accomplish this year.
Enjoy!
So, the end of 2020. What a year, right? Seriously, I can’t believe that January is basically staring us in the eyes. But, it is. The end of a year and the beginning of a new year tend to bring a lot of mixed emotions.
How can we properly approach a new year, new changes, and new goals without looking back? How can you decide how to move forward if you aren’t sure where you’ve been?
As I begin to look at and think about what I want to accomplish in the coming year, I start by taking a look back at the previous year. Â By taking a look back, you can reflect, learn, and move on from last year as you prepare for a brand new year. In fact, if you are serious about change, I would argue that this is a 100% necessary process to go through for long term change to actually take place.
Today, I want to walk you through the process that I use as I look back at the year.
Get your pen out, open your journal, and start looking back. Â Celebrate your wins, and be honest with your losses. Â Allow yourself to learn from your year so that 2021 can be your best year yet.
Merry Christmas! Â
Enjoy!
Do you have the discipline that it takes to get the results you want?
You don't need motivation. Â You don't need to "feel" like doing what you need to do. Â
You need discipline.
Discipline brings freedom. It takes work. But, it is worth it. If you want to change any area of your life, you have to be willing to suck it up and create a discipline. No one else is going to do it for you. It’s up to you.
Make the choice.
Own your choices and your actions.
Embrace the suck.
I encourage you to evaluate the areas of your life where you want to change. Â Then, start nailing down the disciplines necessary to make the changes you want to make.
Enjoy!
What does it mean to be unconsciously competent?
I want to challenge you with this episode today.Â
I want you to find one thing that you want to improve or master. It can be big, it can be small, it really doesn’t matter. I want you to analyze it. I want you to look at what stage of competency you fall in. I want you to evaluate where your strengths are and where you can improve.Â
Map out some steps, drills, or routines. Do them with purpose. Practice. Practice more. Keep practicing. Practice with intention. Be dedicated to the process. You’ll begin to move from one stage to the next.Â
Over time, you’ll become unconsciously competent. You’ll no longer have to consciously think…you’ll simply execute.
We’ve got just a few short weeks left this year. What if you made the commitment to make them count?
You don’t need to wait for January. You don’t need to wait for a better time. You don’t need to wait for anything. It’s time to make the changes you want to make. It’s time to grow.
Let's go.
Enjoy!
What would you say is your most valuable asset?
Time? Â Health? Â Relationships? Â Wealth?
While all of these are important, I believe you have an asset that is more valuable. Â That asset is your.....
Well, you have to keep listening to find out :).
We allow things, people, circumstances, and random stuff to completely drain this asset dry without even thinking twice about it.  Then we wonder why we wake up feeling blah, tired, and then count down how many days we have until the weekend.  Life isn’t meant to be lived this way. We should feel good. We should be excited to get up.  We should feel full of purpose. Â
In today's episode, I want to focus on four things that we must consider when it comes to our most valuable asset.
Clarity
Scheduling
Attitude
Giving
I hope you enjoy this one. Â If you do, make sure you share this episode and then head over to iTunes to leave a review for Kindle & Kerosene.
Let me know how you're doing...I love hearing from you guys.
Let's go.
Since it is almost Thanksgiving, I wanted to spend a little time addressing gratitude today.  It’s been said that the greatest of human emotions is gratitude.  I don't know about you, but I always thought of gratitude as an action rather than an emotion.
Gratitude involves much more than just a fleeting thought. Real gratitude practice means that you actually take the time to appreciate the moment, you find the joy in it, and you begin to lean in. When you begin to practice gratitude this way, it will change everything about your life.
Gratitude. It will bring you joy. It will bring you fulfillment.Â
Each and every single one of us has so, so, so much to be grateful for. It’s crazy how much good we overlook and how much negative we focus in on. Let's reverse that.Â
Join me as I walk through the ways that I personally practice gratitude.
Enjoy!
This week's episode is a bit of a personal one. Â Last week, I took a few falls. Â I had some good responses as well as some not so good responses. Â I had to keep reminding myself to get back up, to move on, to make an effort to choose a story of gratitude.
My experiences over the last week got me thinking about how so many of us fall and instead of getting back up, it’s like we sit there and wait…and then wait….and then wait some more. Then, eventually, we’ve waited so long that we just crawl off and don’t get back up. We get out of rhythm, out of sync.  So, we resolve to just “take a break” and start again later.
The most important thing you can do when you fall is to get back up. Do not get stuck in your story of feeling bad for yourself. Yes, I know that’s hard, but it’s a long road to go down, and the climb out of that story is way harder than just changing the story to begin with. Choose your story, and choose how you will move forward…but, you must decide to move forward.
See, it’s not the fall that stops us. It’s the inability to get right back up that keeps us stuck.
Join me today as I walk through the process of getting back up.
Enjoy!
What if you stopped blaming your choices on your lack of willpower?
What if willpower is not your problem?
You are not weak. You don’t suck. It’s not that you don’t have willpower or that you need more willpower.  You simply need to set yourself up for success.
Here’s the deal…we are humans. Humans are wired to take the easy route. We will almost always take the path that seems easier….the path of least resistance.  We must set ourselves up for success by making the changes that we want to make fall onto the path of least resistance..
In order to make a change, you must establish positive habits that align with the changes you want to make. Â Habits and change are not built on inconsistency. You have to be consistent. This is why you need to make them easy. The easier you perceive them to be, the more likely you are to continue to do them.
It’s not a matter of willpower. Willpower is a limited resource that we should not be relying on. Set up your day to work for you. Set up your actions so that each positive action takes the least amount of decision making possible.
Don’t blame your choices on willpower. Don’t wait to make positive changes until you have more willpower. Get your habits set. Once you do, the positive things just become your default.
Let's go.
Enjoy!
The harvest.
We are entering the harvest season. Â So often, we look at the harvest, we say thanks for the harvest, but we never actually think about all that went into the crop. But the reality is, there is a time of preparation, a time of planting, a time of growing, and finally, a time of harvest.Â
Throughout your life, you will go through many seasons. You will produce a harvest.…in fact, you will have the opportunity to produce many harvests.Â
The question is….what will your harvest be?Â
How are you preparing for it?Â
What seeds are you actually planting?Â
What care are you giving to that harvest that you are hoping to grow?Â
How are you pulling the weeds in your life?Â
What is it that you want your life to produce?
Enjoy!
Waiting.
Waiting is a part of life. We will all enter seasons where we are called to wait. However, just because you are waiting for something doesn’t mean that you should be idle. How we wait and why we wait matters. Just because you are waiting doesn’t mean you stop working. In fact, in a season of waiting, you have to be even more intentional about taking action.
What we cannot do as we wait is simply sit there and wait. Wait for someone to tell us what to do, wait for circumstances to change, wait until we know more, wait until we have more time, wait until we have the perfect plan, or wait for affirmation from someone else. We must never be caught in the trap of waiting…we must always be doing.
Your breakthrough will come when you decide to take full ownership of everything in your life, when you decide to stop waiting and start doing, and when you do what you know you should do for you, not to gain approval from anyone else.
Let's get to work.
Enjoy!
The 3 R’s.
Welcome to another episode of Kindle and Kerosene. It’s hard to believe that we are in the middle of October.  This year continues to be a wild and crazy ride, but here we are.Â
We are overcoming, we are learning, we are getting better. I have to allow myself to be grateful for the challenges that this year has presented…the storms certainly haven’t been fun while we’ve been in them, but on the other side, I can find so many things that I’ve learned, so many ways that I’ve grown, and I know that if you look, you’ll find those too.
Throughout the roller coaster ride that is known as 2020, I'm sure you've felt the 3R's. Â As you grow and learn, you will continue to experience them.
Resistance. A necessary force, but one you can totally reckon with.Â
Rejection. We’ve got to stop letting it have power over us.Â
Reaction. The one thing that you can absolutely always control.
Enjoy today's episode!
Comparison. Â It's something that I have dealt with throughout my life, and I'm guessing you've dealt with it too.
The truth is, comparison is a thief.  It will rob you of joy, of confidence, and that feeling that you have done a job well.  You focus and work so hard on something, and you accomplish it, but instead of allowing yourself to be excited about the fact that you did what you set out to do, you look around and see that someone did it better, faster, or with less effort. All of a sudden, your bubble bursts, and you forget about all of the amazing changes and wins you’ve had…you’re now worried and consumed with what someone else is doing.
That's comparison.
Be on guard. Comparison comes in many different forms.
Success is not a lottery ticket. It requires a long climb, many ups and downs, and a drive to keep going. Don’t discount someone else’s climb.
Know what season you are in.
Ask yourself…are you focused growth or glory?
"Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not who someone else is today." - Jordan B Peterson
Enjoy!
What is a doldrum?  By definition, a doldrum is a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression. In other words, if you are dealing with the doldrums, you’re in a funk.
Today, I’ve got three actions for you when it comes to snapping out of a funk. Life is full of peaks and valleys. The key to success is how you handle the valleys…the times when things aren’t going your way. It’s easy to do the right things when everything seems to be going for you. It’s much harder to do the right things and keep pressing forward when you feel like things are crashing down.Â
So…what can you do when you find yourself in a funk?
1 - Be successful at little things
2 - Don’t replay failure
3 - Know what you want
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The road to awesome. Â It's exciting. Â It's full of twists and turns. Â It's an adventure.
See, I'm pretty sure that no one starts life with the intention of being average or mediocre. Â Deep down, I think we all want more. Â We want to live an awesome life.
I know that you aren’t average. Do you? It’s easy to fall into the slump of average. On the average road, you will likely find yourself sitting in the backseat riding along. If you find yourself in that slump, make a commitment to get out. Get in the drivers seat and start living an awesome life.
Step away from average and step into awesome.
Get uncomfortable.
Shut down fear.
Invest in you.
Do the reps.
It's time to get on the road to awesome.
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I want to challenge you this week to show up as the ONE is at least one area of your life.
Maybe it’s at work.
Maybe it’s with your family.
Maybe it’s in the gym.
Maybe it’s at church.
Stop waiting for someone else to step in. Stop waiting to be motivated. Stop waiting for your situation to change. Decide that you have complete control over your life and how you decide to live it. And then go do something.
Strive for excellence, not average.
Keep learning and perfecting your craft.
Find someone that can help you.
Be the hardest worker in the room.
Keep finding new challenges to pursue so that you continue to grow.
Enjoy this episode!
Welcome to episode 002.
Where are you?Â
Knowing this is a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to setting and actually making progress toward your goals.
You have to know where you are before you can figure out where you are going and how you’ll get there.
So…how do you figure out where you are. What things should you look at? How can you best set yourself up for success?
When I start to do a reflection to really see where I am, I ask myself three questions.
1 - Who am I right now?
2 - What type of language am I using?
3 - What does my environment look like.
So...where are you?
Welcome to episode 001.
What lens are you looking through?
Are you looking at yourself as someone who is strong, capable, confident, happy, excited, successful, worthy, and thriving? Or, do you see yourself as a victim, powerless, unworthy, guilty, struggling, or a failure?
Join me as I walk through perspective as it relates to your self image, your environment, and your circumstances.
“A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment.”Â
-Maxwell Maltz
Change your perspective....change your life.
Welcome to Kindle and Kerosene!
I’m Kenzie Presnell, and I’m so glad you’re here. Â
If you’re ready to ignite your life, you’re in the right place.  I look forward to growing together.  I’m excited to share with you, teach you, and encourage you through this platform.Â
I wanted to take a few minutes to do a little introduction….tell you a little about myself as well as why I finally decided to launch this podcast.
Enjoy this introduction episode of Kindle and Kerosene.