This Weeks Intention: Resilience - Welcome to Wellness Club!

Welcome to The Mindful Queer's Wellness Club!

A newsletter for the self improvers out there who want to be strong, confident, resilient, and mindful in your life! 

Welcome to my first newsletter for the Mindful Queer! My name is John Kim if you don't know, and again I want to thank you for subscribing to my newsletter and supporting me as I am shifting into this new chapter of my life & business. 

For those who don't know me, I left my job at Equinox back in Nov 2021, where I had been for 3.5 years, working as a personal trainer. It was my first job out of college and my first job fully out and proud. In my time there, I got to work with so many great clients and went from a Tier 1 trainer all the way to a Tier X Coach (4 levels up!) 

Through many 16 hour work days, hours spent sitting in traffic commuting from Fairfax, VA to DC, and the ambition to create a life for myself, I gave that Equinox my all. I served as a mentor to new trainers, was apart of the Pride ERG board for the company, and was apart of the exclusive group of Tier X coaches (just a fancy title to charge clients $$$). 

But in my time there, from poor pay & benefits, not having vacation time, and the constant battle between choosing my personal life and work, I decided that it was time to go. 

So the months leading up to my resignation, I started thinking what I was going to do.

Part 1 was to pursue personal training and mindfulness coaching through my business that I had started during the early months of COVID with a focus on creating a more equitable business model for both my clients and myself, and Part 2 was plans to open a wellness space in DC with grand ambitious plan to open 4 months after I left equinox.

....well Part 2 is on hold, because realizing I needed some more experience running my own business full time and needing to build enough capital up to even be able to qualify for a loan. 

So in 2022, I did the work, I put my ideas and concepts of making personal training more holistic through mindfulness, habit & accountability work, and working with clients on the lifestyle struggles like stress management, nutrition, and sleep. 

The result?

Success & so much growth! 

Today, 90% of my clients are LGBTQ+, I offer an equitable pricing model that client's choose their session rate based on their access to capital & resources, and most have stuck with me through and through! 

In year 2, however, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone (as if I haven't stepped out further enough 😅) I want to create community.

For queer people, for self improvers, and for people looking to optimize their lives through fitness, mindfulness and wellbeing. 

See, during my time at equinox, I got to work with some amazing clients, but a couple things were lacking. 

1) More LGBTQ+ folk2) Diversity3) People who weren't in the top 10%

See I did not grow up in rich, nor was I making bank while I was there. My first 6 months there, I was barely able to afford parking and driving 40+ miles everyday (sometimes 80 if I went home to take my dog out) 

When I started lifting, I barely had money to afford a gym membership.

So today, when creating a community and focusing on fitness, mindfulness, and wellbeing   I want to be able to help as many people as possible, and I know one of the biggest barriers to fitness or self help is access to funds. 

So with that in mind, I want to give some of my experience and knowledge away to those looking for it, hence the creation of Wellness & Wellbeing IRL & my new YouTube page (@themindfulqueer)

With a focus on teaching the fundamentals and skills that you need in order to optimize your life & wellbeing. So you have the right tools, information and accountability in order to grow and change! 

One of the biggest problems I faced when I started working out was information overload of what to do. I knew I had to focus on my workouts, weight loss and eat right. 

What I didn't know at the time..

Was the importance of Habit & Skill Acquisition and Sleep, Stress and Recovery. 

Unfortunately that took many years & even a couple certifications to really hammer those ideas into my head. 

See I focused on the working out and the weight loss part TOO much that I put myself into a vicious cycle of overexerting myself, living a high stress life, not eating or recovering properly then getting sick and restarting. 

So in my new podcast, Wellness & Wellbeing IRL & my new Youtube Channel, 

I hope to bring a refreshing take on how to take care of yourself, focus on more than just the physical health, and focus on your mental AND emotional health, and learn how to live a life that lets you be your BEST SELF. 

As cheesy as that sounds, it's completely turned my life around. 

• I am less stressed (my blood pressure is f*ckin awesome 116/75 ❤️)

• I am more focused and motivated 

• My weight doesn't fluctuate as much as it used to anymore

• I eat what I want (mindfully)

• I am more present in life

• I am more confident in myself, my identities & abilities

• My body is resilient AF, haven't been sick in years and less injuries

If that hasn't sold you then idk what will! 

So what you'll expect in being apart of the Mindful Queer's Newsletter Club is practical tips, the latest insights in wellness & fitness, and actionable steps to start improving your life today. Week by week! 

One of my biggest successors is habits. Understanding them, learning how they work, and how to use to change your life. 

So stay tuned for more!

HABIT OF THE WEEK

Practice #1: Take a 5 minute Action 

Pillar: Resiliency Skill: Plan, Prioritize and Prepare

Practices to Try: 

• Book a time & place to workout

• Starta gratitude journal

• Foam Roll for 5 minutes

• Drink some water

• Cuddle break with your pet & or significant other

• Scream into the void

• Meditate

• Go outside

• Get some sun

• Eat a snack high in protein & healthy fats

Why? 

The first step into making any changes into your life is PRIORITIZING YOU. When we are novice to a new skill or practice, we get fixated on the end result too early on and forget the basics, which can be as simple as putting out your workout clothes for the morning. 

According to author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, "They focus on the end goal versus the journey it takes to get there, and believe big decisions will get them to their final destination. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, one percent of improvement each day means that you will be thirty-seven times better than you once were, but if you decline one percent a day, you will decline nearly to zero.

In other words, it’s the small habits that matter and that make the biggest difference."

So if we combine prioritizing you + small habits + growth mindset = BIG RESULTS

So don't forget about YOU in the process! 

It's easy to let other commitments and priorities get in the way of that workout or meal prep session. 

So before throwing even more responsibilities on your plate. 

Start simple = One step at a time

How to do it better?

Consistency is 🔑

Same time, every single day. 

See according to James Clear's Atomic Habits, the more consistent we are with the frequency, the more automatic the practice becomes. 

Which then turns a daily ritual or practice into something habitual. 

Like brushing your teeth! 

If you did it at all different times of the day, you probably would forget wouldn't you ...

So just like brushing your teeth, drink some water as soon as you rise every day. 

Try not to miss more than 2 days, especially in the infancy of any new habit! 

Once we push past two days, we are more likely to not do it and lose any motivation or progress of said habit. 

Give it a try! Make a simple tracker, journal your progress, and let the magic happen! 

That wraps up the Mindful Queer Newsletter for this week!

Make sure you to subscribe to my new YouTube channel @themindfulqueer 

Hope you have a fabulous week!

John KimTHE MINDFUL QUEER

What you'll find on my Youtube Channel?

• Live recordings of each podcast episode

• Ask the Mindful Queer - a segment for queer folks on ways to improve their lives through fitness, mindfulness and wellbeing

• Various topics on nutrition, sleep, stress, and mindset