New Growth Fitness- Online Personal Training

🫶🏼💛 Go be well. be kind. make it weird.

Xo

One of my good friends Bubba Weckwerth you might know him ;), has one of the most ☆incredible☆ eyes for decorating and seeing the potential where others easily overlook.

When he was our realtor and helping us buy our first home there was one thing he consistently repeated:

"A coat of paint works wonders." 🖌🎨

If I had a dollar for every time he said that, and another one for every time I'd giggle (and eye roll) hehe...
I'd have been able to buy a house with that money alone.

I've been called many things in this life,
but Mr. Fix-it isn't one of them, ok.

It's not like I didn't believe him. People paint and repaint their homes all the time.
The act of painting is simple in practice.
Tedious, but simple.

It's more so that I just didn't have his vision.

He saw things in spaces and places, and corners and nooks that could eventually become grandiose statements we could express ourselves through; ultimately living happily.

He'd walk us through home after home (his patience rivals mine like no other, bless him haha),
and he'd tell us about color schemes and all the future opportunies the home could provide
if we just were willing to do a little more work and
see past the end result of us
"Just wanting to buy a house to call home."
This story sounds like a lot more than just us buying a house, right? 😉

Perspective is e v e r y t h i n g.

I think about his vision often.
I've learned to ask myself, "What in my life isn't broken, or ugly or beyond repair, but actually just needs a fresh coat of paint?" (think daily habits, diet, sleep, time management, or perspective and education.)

I also keep in mind that the act of painting is indeed tedious, but simple.
I'm capable. I have Google, TikTok, Instagram, DIY reels and Pinterest for days.
And it's SUCH good information! A lot, but mostly good.

I also... have his #. lol.

I can reach out any time I need his vision to help me see past a sticking point.
Why not go with who you know, who shares the same zipcode as you. *more/less lol

I can be just as biased as you.
I can be stubborn.
I can be "that client."

Just ask Bubba. *love you, Bubz 🤘🏼🫶🏼

I can also be taught.

I invite you to give it a think: What needs a fresh coat of paint in your life that might just be a little extra attention and vision?

Go be well, be kind, and always ask for help along the way.

I'm here when you need me, too.
I'm rooting for you. 🌱

- Josh x New Growth Fitness
Online Personal Coach
[email protected]
Text: 325-704-0108

Have me reach out to you by clicking this link:
https://us.zenfit.io/c/newgrowthfitness-joshstewart

Cheers to a new week & fresh start ✨️🫶🏼🌱

How are you making this week as magic-filled as possible? 🤍🪄

For me, I'll be rock n' rolling through it feeling like a rock star, too, with this gorgeous platinum Steven Stewart blessed me with tonight ✨️🥰

Sunday Funday started with an EPIC workout with Starr LaDawn 🤩
I LOVE gym dates with friends, it lights me up ✨️

Everyone has a Day 1,
and I'm PUMPED I got the opportunity to see her, support her, and embrace all the effort with her while she gave it her ALL this morning!

I'm so proud of you Starr! 💛✨️💛

Cheers to setting your goals, intentions, and focus as we continue to journey to health with a strong body and mind.

I can't wait to see you keep growing.

I can't wait to see you succeed.

I can't wait to keep celebrating so many firsts with you.

Go be well, be kind, and keep up that steady state of growth. ✨️🌱

2011 Joshie was an emotional ball; full of anxiety, depression, insecurity, low self-esteem, and simple rage minus the machine. ✨️🖤✨️

He didn't know what he didn't know. That's okay. He turned out pretty good, I think. 😉

Before the gym became my outlet, there's a lot of in-between moments I wish 19 year old Josh didn't have to feel or grow through.
But I'm a ●Tragic Optimist● at heart, and I'm better for it all. 🫶🏼 Silver linings and all that.

Because of him, I know how to not self medicate for distraction.

I know, now, how to manage his undiagnosed ADHD. He was never weird, just built different.

I know, now, how to healthily manage his stress. Getting him to ask for help was like pulling teeth, but he learned that life is better when done together. Especially with therapy. 💖

He didn't know failing and dropping out of college (twice), wasn't the end of the world. I know, now, that college isn't for everyone. And life can still be pretty epic with the right skills, support and knowledge base.

He didn't know the scariest most intimidating place on the planet, the gym, was going to be his second home one day.

I know, now, he'll eventually fully release the feeling of living in the shadow of the generational illnesses he had to witness growing up. Their story was never his.

He also didn't know he'd soon be getting applause from some of his childhood bullies/instigators for his dedicated efforts in the gym. People do indeed change, btw. I didn't need their approval, but flattery will get you everywhere 😉

I really wish 19 year old me knew that he was about to fall head over heels for someone who he'd be spending the next 13 years of his life with.

Or that he'd eventually be 🍾celebrating 🍾 1 year of owning his own personal training business built to serve and help others grow through their own big little fears through fitness.

Hindsight is 20/20. I use to like the phrase "Don't look back unless you plan on going that way."

I still do. But my mind loves musing through these old FB memories sometimes. They keep me mindful of where some of my clients are coming from as they begin to take up the space they need to begin again, with help this time. 🌱✨️

🥹🫶🏼🌱
The best part of what I do is
seeing you succeed.

Thank you Ashley Dee for including me in your epic life. 💛 Cheers to continued growth in health, body and perspective. 🥂💪🏼💖

Go be well, be kind, and soak up all the good vibes today ✨️

🫶🏼

An excellent follow up post on the topic of developing good habits over time - from one of my favorite Instagram accounts. 🔥

I'm incredibly envious for not thinking of
Strength & Kindness first 😂 🫶🏼

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From Instagram 👉🏻 .strengthandkindness

If you want to put a lot of pressure on yourself give yourself a giant undertaking and a short time frame.

It's no wonder people feel like they can't achieve the strength, health, and lifestyle they want when you look at how these things are marketed.

Yes, you can make good progress in 6 weeks, but then what?

6 weeks is about the time frame that results occur and then slow down.

It gets hard.

That's not bad.

It's just reality.

Unfortunately, people start and stop that 6 week journey over and over until they quit altogether.

"It wasn't sustainable."

"It didn't work."

"It's not for me."

You can get where you want to go.

Stronger, fitter, healthier, more capable, more athletic, and having fun while sustaining a lifestyle that will keep you out of the nursing homes.

You just have to commit to a longer time frame and consistent small actions that compound.

"The first rule of compounding is to never interrupt it unnecessarily." - Charlie Munger

Play the long game and keep growing little by little.

Strength and Kindness

I think boundaries are beautiful things.
Important things.
Necessary things.

I say •no• more than I ever have before.
I say •yes• to me, more than I ever have before.

Boundaries are not meant to limit growth.
They are intended to encourage it.

Boundaries are also vary rarely placed on others.
For me, they are always placed on me - for me.

From food, to exercise, to prioritizing my role in other people's lives as a husband, son, brother, and friend: I have boundaries for every category.

My favorite saying lately when someone tells me
"Wow, you're always busy," when I have to decline an invitation due to a scheduled meeting, coaching, studying, gym sessions, catching up on sleep, or my normal 8-5 job with overtime is:

"No, I'm intentional."

There's a big difference 🫶🏼

You are not saying "no" to others because you want to be unkind, you are simply saying yes to •your• life.

That meme that makes it's way around often saying something along the lines of:

"How does someone sleep enough, workout, meal prep, walk more, work full time, parent, enjoy hobbies, see family/friends, and repeat it weekly?" always makes me giggle. Because I havn't found a way to nail down all of those and make it sustainable. I've tried, truly. 🔥

I'll still say yes to invites, but my •yes• is given only after I check my planner to ensure I'm not
over extending myself and setting myself up for burnout.
(I absolutely schedule my personal gym sessions like I would a Dr's appointment.) If it's not on my planner, it's not getting done. Period.

Something does always has to give.
Priorities have to be established.
Especially when reaching for a goal; in life or in the gym.

Boundaries inspire good habits and also give those habits room to take root.

What are some of your tried and true boundaries you've developed over time to help you grow? 🌱✨️

Absolutely let me know below, others might need the inspiration, too 🤘🏼🫶🏼

Go be well, be kind,
and enjoy today as you see fit ✨️

An excellent read when you have some space 🫶🏼

👉🏻 From his weekly newsletter
by Jason Feifer: One Thing Better

Go be well, be kind,
and give this a big think today 💛

If you feel called to do so, tell me your mission statement in the comments, I'm excited to read yours! Mine will be in the comments, too. 🌱

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Today’s one thing: Knowing what you do.

That one thing, better: Knowing who you are.

Something in your life has changed, or is about to change. Now you’re questioning yourself.

This change isn’t bad, per se. Maybe it’s good! A new job, a new city, a new path. But it’s also scary — because the change feels bigger than all that. It feels like a change to your identity.

Now you’re asking big questions like: Who am I anymore?

Today, I’ll help you answer that question.

This answer will give you new purpose. It’ll embolden you, and help you become more comfortable with change.

And to find it, I’ll share an exercise that I’ve done for thousands of people — and the most memorable, incredible answer that anyone’s ever given me.

What do you do, really?

We all make a mistake: We tie our identities too closely to the roles we occupy or the tasks we perform.

What does that mean? Well, if someone came up to you at a party and asked, “What do you do?”, your answer would probably include your job, your title, or some task you do.

For a long time, I would have said: “I’m a magazine editor.”

There’s nothing wrong with this, in theory. But it sets us up for massive disruption later.

Consider it: You are tying your identity to changeable things. Your job could disappear. Your tasks could be replaced. And when that happens, it won’t just be a change to your work — it’ll feel like an undercutting of your identity.

I made this mistake for years. When I thought of myself purely as a magazine editor, I was terrified of layoffs and dismissive of other careers. Why? Because I was a magazine editor — and with that as my identity, I couldn’t imagine what else I could be.

Eventually, I realized this mistake. It was making me miserable! So I decided I needed a more foundational identity — a way to understand myself, no matter what changes came my way.

I needed to understand what did not change in times of change.

So I came up with an exercise, which really helped me. I think it’ll help you too.

Come up with a mission statement.

Right here, right now, I want you to come up with a mission statement for yourself.

The rules are simple:

• Your mission statement should be one short sentence.

• The first word of your mission statement is “I”.

• After that, each word should be carefully selected because it is not anchored to something that’s easily changeable.

Given these rules, I cannot say “I am a magazine editor.” That’s too easily changeable! Sure, I work at a magazine today — but what happens if I’m fired tomorrow?

That’s why I came up with this mission statement instead: “I tell stories in my own voice.”

Stories is the most important word in there. Nobody can take stories away from me. I tell stories in this newsletter, and when I consult, when I speak on stage, and in infinite other ways.

With this mission statement, I am telling myself: I have value, no matter what changes in my life.

Now think of your mission statement. Imagine how many possibilities it creates for you. You’re no longer anchored to a specific career or role. Now you see your transferrable value. Change is no longer disruptive. Instead, every change becomes a new opportunity to do what you do best.

Here’s how powerful this idea is.

I came up with that exercise a few years ago, when writing my book. (I devote a whole chapter to it.) Readers liked it, so I wondered: Should I do this at my speaking gigs?

This made me nervous. I’m usually speaking in front of experienced professionals. Would they find this too basic? Too silly? But I tried the exercise out, and it became the most popular part of my talk.

Seasoned executives would approach me afterward, eager to tell me their mission statement. They’d say things like “I help teams achieve greatness” or “I solve the most complex problems.” The CEO of a baking mix company, which was going through some big changes, told me: “We bring joy to people with sweet baked goods.”

These answers create resiliency. Teams always need help achieving greatness. Complex problems will always exist. People will always want joy — and it’s fine if they lose interest in baking mixes, because they’ll never lose interest in “sweet baked goods.”

This is true for you too, in whatever way you create your mission statement.

You have something that is always needed. You can always have value.

But the most memorable answer I heard came from a woman in Chicago — and when you hear it, you’ll change how you think about your entire career.

The all-encompassing mission
“I just want to thank you,” a woman in Chicago said after I presented this exercise, “because you helped me embrace the next phase of my life.”

Then she told me her story. She built a successful consulting firm, but recently put it on hold to raise her child full-time.

This change gave her an existential crisis. She’d spent decades thinking of herself as a consultant. Her work was her identity. And she doesn’t relate to being a “stay-at-home mom” — even though that’s what she’s now doing.

“I keep asking myself, who am I?” she told me.

Then it hit her: “I help people become the best versions of themselves.”

This mission statement doesn’t just describe her work — it connects the two major pursuits of her life! It’s the work she did as a consultant, the work she’s doing today as a parent. She can continue this work for the rest of her life, in whatever form she wants.

“Now I understand what I do,” she told me, “and it’s made me feel so much better.”

This is what change really looks like. It’s not about losing everything you have, and it’s not about losing yourself. It’s about knowing what you always have, despite whatever changes around you.

Picture a galaxy. You are the sun. You are the bright, burning mass that warms everything in your orbit. But some old planets fly away, and new ones appear. Some inch closer; some further. And no matter what, you continue to burn, bright as ever, because your value to these planets is constant. Because you are always needed. Because you know what you really are.

That’s how to do one thing better.

Peanut butter isn't bad.
It's not an ideal source of protein for protein sake.
It's a good mix of protein and fat for those needing to balance both with one convenient ingredient, especially for those who are plant based eaters.

I personally never eat it. I can't stand the smell, taste, texture, all of it. *hard pass
It's second on my dislikes list of foods, right after pineapple on pizza. 🫢

I also pay close attention to detail on fats. The majority of the calories I eat come from protein (lean sources like chicken, turkey, shrimp, lean ground beef) and carbs (yummm 🤘🏼), which leaves room for adequate fats in my diet. I don't have MUCH room for error however, before I tip the scales in a direction I don't want to go. (Meaning excess fat I personally don't want or need on my body, by choice.)

When thinking about what you want to eat
to get the most bang for your buck as well as goals, the post below gives a great thought exercise to follow.

Protein can be found in a lot foods.
Find foods that are • p r i m a r i l y • protein to make the job of balancing your macros much easier.

He uses chicken as an example.

👉🏻Much less calories involved in hitting protein goals with chicken vs trying to do it with something like peanut butter that is approximately 86% NOT protein.

I never eat just one type of food through the day for protein.
But I do break my foods/goals down into managable process steps I can easily follow in case I ever get off track. Which happens. It's how I account for all the pizza you see me eat and still look & feel great all year long 😅🍕

Balance is key.
Balance keeps you comfortable while you grow into who you want to be.
Balance keeps you from ever having to "bulk" or from "bulking" unintentionally. 👀

What struggles do you face with finding foods that fit your personal goals?
Questions? Lemme know! Always a message away. I love hearing from you.

Go be well, be kind, and always ask for help along the way. You got this 💪🏼🌱

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Image from Instagram 👉🏻 .matranga

Happy Taco Tuesday to you ✨️🌮🔥

I hope it's a fantastic day. If it's tough on you, rememeber: bo**ie out, chin up. You got this 💪🏼🌱

Gentle reminders to keep in mind as you consider beginning or continuing your efforts to live in strength and health ✨️

The instinct to do better for ourselves shouldn't feel like a fire alarm response, but a gradual momentum we build over the course of our short big lives.

👉🏻 From Instagram

Go be well, be kind, and read this twice. 🤘🏼