My Look Back at 2013 + Your Favorite Posts

The blog world runneth over with “Best of 2013” recap posts today and here I am to add to the fun. I would like to start out by saying that overall 2013 was a good year for me. It wasn’t without its struggles (probably one of my personal favorite posts from the year) but one thing that I have learned over the past few years is that life isn’t perfect, I’m not perfect and neither are other people. It’s exhausting to hold on to the belief that perfect even exists. Starting to loosen my grip on that has helped with personal growth in many areas.

2013 was especially pivotal for me because I wished my twenties farewell and celebrated my thirtieth birthday. I won’t say “I feel so old” or anything like that but entering a new decade of my life definitely has made me ask myself some hard questions about where I want to be, where I want to go and who I want to be a part of my journey.

This year also brought a lot of change on the career front as I made the scary decision to spend more time on the things that light me up and that I cannot get enough of (teaching, writing, training) and less time on the things that drain me (all things management). I launched a personal website (which I plan to actually focus on in 2014) and announced my desire to start teaching workshops, teacher trainings, master classes and maybe even traveling (which all is SO happening in 2014).

My career evolution has really surprised me in the two and a half years since I left my career in marketing but more than anything I continue to be amazed by the opportunities that present themselves when I stop doing what I think is “right and safe” and trust the things that I am over the top passionate about. I am looking forward to sharing a big new project with you soon (details are being finalized) that came to me the Monday after I left my general manager role at Metro. If that isn’t the universe saying “follow your passion,” I don’t know what is.

I was also fortunate to do a lot of traveling this year. Trips to Punta Cana for a yoga retreat and a wedding, a girl’s weekend in Chicago, a week at Kiawah Island Resort and a getaway to Mexico were some of the highlights. I was also fortunate to really cultivate close relationships with friends. I finally took off my suit of amour and started to talk, feel, forgive and show up unapologetically as the real me. It’s broken my heart open more than I can express in words.

So that’s my personal take on 2013. Here is the statistical take. I wrote 305 posts in 2013 and these are the 10 that were the most read and commented on. You’ll notice a theme…recipes and workout topics are popular. I will definitely take note of that when writing for the year ahead and make sure to get you more of that.

1. Perfect Paleo Banana Bread

This Paleo Banana Bread features coconut and almond flour. It tastes amazing and has a great texture. This recipe alone has received nearly 100,000 page views! (But it really is that good…for a Paleo baked good!)

2. Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a wonderful substitution for carrot cake lovers with gluten sensitivities or for anyone looking to “health-ify” carrot cake. No refined sugars or flours!

3. Tips for Getting Into Crow Pose & Advanced Variations

This post features a video tutorial demonstrating how to get into the yoga arm balance crow as well as advanced variations of it. I also included written tips. I wrote a follow up post to this about side crow that also features a video tutorial.

4. Tabata Training 101 + 20 Minute Bodyweight Tabata Workout

Tabata workouts have been popular with you guys this year! In this post I share what tabata training is and provide a workout with video demoes. Check out this post and this post for two more bodyweight, at-home tabata workouts.

5. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I have been making these bars for years. Always a crowd pleaser and so easy to prepare!

6. CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Course: My Experience

I completed my CrossFit Cert in 2012 but didn’t get around to writing about it until 2013! This post details the certification weekend and gets a lot of Google search traffic from those wanting more info about the course.

7. Easy & Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

I made these granola bars to share with young athletes to demonstrate how easy it is to make healthy snacks at home but they’ve ended up becoming a favorite for many of you as well. They feature a short ingredient list and very easy prep. So great to have on hand for a snack.

8. My First Marathon Experience

The story of my first marathon was a big hit and I loved reading all the responses and hearing about your experiences too! You can read my second marathon recap in this post.

9. Simple Dumbbell Strength Circuit

I am always being asked for simple (but challenging) workouts that people can do in the gym on their own. This post includes a workout with some of my all-time favorite movements as well as a video demoing all of them.

10. BodyPump 85 Review

My BodyPump 85 review was a surprise hit. I included a video of the plyometric step jumps in the lunge track that received almost 5,000 views on YouTube.

So there’s 2013 for you. I’m all ears for suggestions and feedback on what you want to see more of/less of/new topics/new series/etc. Cheers to all of you! Happy new year and here’s to an INCREDIBLE 2014!