I love seeing so many people sharing their recap of 2013!

Some people don’t see a point to treating the new year as anything special, but I personally love the chance to reflect back on what each year meant for me. What I accomplished, who was a part of the journey, and everything in between.

This is the second year of recapping, and you can read my 2012 recap here. 2013, like past years, was amazing and challenging in it’s own unique ways.

Here are some highlights from this past year…

I moved from Hawaii back to Denver, CO. This is something I never thought I’d do, as I absolutely LOVE Hawaii. It will always have a piece of my heart, and I’ll always call it home, but it was time to leave. I’m so glad I listened to my intuition on this one, coming back to Denver has been exactly what I need right now. It’s presented me with some amazing opportunities, and allowed me the space to make some much needed adjustments in my life and business.

I traveled to Oregon and Missouri. I was so thrilled to be able to attend the World Domination Summit this past year in Portland, OR. It was an amazing experience and I got to spend the weekend with some awesome people. Additionally, I road tripped through Kansas and into Missouri to meet the boyfriend’s family. It was a lot of fun and I even got to see the St. Louis Arch!

I ran the Great Aloha Run in February. Out of the 8.1 miles, I’d say I ran 7 of them (albeit, very slowly), which for me is HUGE and I was so excited!!! It wasn’t easy, and I obviously didn’t make it without walk breaks, but before this I had never run so far at one time (I didn’t really train) and I felt so accomplished for doing it.

I started blogging for Positively Positive. This is something I’ve wanted to do since discovering the site in 2011! Such an awesome space and it’s allowed me to connect my writing to so many more people who need it. I have loved reading the comments, the new followers in my audience and the opportunity to be posted alongside major inspirations and mentors of mine. Such a blessing.

I learned to “never say never” because the Universe takes it as a challenge to prove you wrong. Seriously. This has been such an unbelievable year for me, I’ve found myself doing many things I said I’d never do. I’ll be sharing more on some of these changes soon, but each and every one has been a part of the process of hitting the reset button on some big areas of my life and business.

I got a tattoo. It was something I considered for quite awhile, and finally being back in the greatest vegan city (Portland, OR), I knew I had to jump at the chance to get some vegan ink. I wanted a simple wrist tattoo with the word “Create” and my signature heart. It may seem silly to some, but I absolutely need the constant reminder of why I’m here. I’m here to create, which is why it’s on my right hand… the hand I write, design, paint and CREATE with. It’s served me time and time again!

I worked with so many amazing clients. I started offering my 8-week one-on-one coaching package late in the year, but coaching these amazing individuals has been one of the highlights of my year! I never used to think I’d like coaching… being on the phone is, well, not my thing. But holding space for someone to realize their passions and brilliance, then giving them the guidance, tools and support to build a life and business around it… this brings me tremendous joy and fulfillment.

I ran my signature program twice more this year. Foundations for Unshakable Joy™ is my baby, a program that literally poured out of me one day when it could no longer stay contained inside. I love this program, and I’ve refined it each time I’ve run it, learning more about what people need most and how to best support them. I love to see that transformations that my members make and I’m so excited to continue offering it in new ways that make it more accessible to those who need it.

I created a video training series. Video is not really my thing either… I’m a writer, introverted and I just don’t really do it. But I really wanted to put three of my best tools into a training series that would really help people start to make changes in their lives. Part of my second Foundations launch this year included my very first video training series! It was a lot of work, the lighting wasn’t awesome, and I totally winged it when I filmed myself talking, but I’m proud of myself for doing it and got some really great feedback. I might consider more video for this coming year… 😉

I spent Thanksgiving with my family in New Mexico, and Christmas with my family in Hawaii. I consider both places my home, and it was really nice to spend so much time with my family. I really do love being back in a major mainland city where it’s easier to travel, or take a road trip, to awesome places. 🙂

I really, truly learned how to live in the moment. I’ve been working on this since 2010, when I first went to Rich, Happy and Hot in New York. Getting out of my head and engaging fully in the moment I’m in has absolutely transformed my life, business and relationships. But this last year? I seem to have taken it to a whole new level. I’m just where I am, doing what I’m doing, engaging with whoever or whatever is in front of me. This makes life so much more peaceful, easy, graceful and amazing. Sometimes it makes me feel like maybe my emotions are broken, because I’m pretty even keeled, but really, I think this is how life is supposed to be. 

I’ve gotten more vulnerable. With sharing my truth and stories on this blog, sharing my thoughts with my audience, Instagramming, doing video trainings, working with amazing coaches and mentors, and in my relationships. Bringing more vulnerability into my life, work and relationships has been hard and amazing, all at once. It’s setting me up for a pretty amazing 2014, as I intend to go even deeper.

I started taking walks, joined a boxing gym, and took a break when I needed it. Learning to do things differently was a big part of this last year. I have the bad habit of “powering through” when things clearly aren’t working, rather than taking a step back and trying an alternative. This year, listening to my body and resting was a big one. I fell in love with boxing (and deepened my love for running), but when my body told me it was too much (aka, a three week cold), I stopped. I took a break and fell in love with long walks outside, yoga and rest days.

I started making mixed media art again. My fondest memories in my life so far are the days when I was in middle and high school and I would just lock myself away in my room and make stuff. Drawings, paintings, collages, poetry, essays, clothing designs, and whatever else I felt compelled to create. I recently completed two mixed media art pieces and have made random, “pointless” creativity a priority again.

Overall, this was an amazing year.

It was also a year filled with change, new beginnings and a lot more change. I’m stepping deeper into my purpose, learning to better honor my intuition and truth, and finally making changes that need to happen in my life and business.

Honestly, it’s kind of been a blur of a year, but such an awesome one at the same time. There’s so much more I can share in this list, but these are some that really stood out to me. It was also a year that seemed to not go anything like I planned, yet was exactly what I needed and hoped to gain. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

I’m so, so, so excited for 2014.

For one, my business is taking on a whole new model and I’m really shifting things in a way that combines so many things I love to do, all while serving one clear purpose and audience. I’m settling into a much more secure space financially, and finally taking care of things that need to be taken care of, which includes setting up the necessary structures in my life to support the growth I want to see this year.

As I’ve said in previous posts, my words for this year are truth and release.

I want to release everything and everyone that no longer serves me in order to create the space for the things and people that do. I want to release all the final bits and pieces of my “past lives, loves and losses,” so that I can move forward in a more powerful way. I want to step more deeply into my truth and purpose. This means so many things… speaking my truth, living my truth, fully embodying my purpose, doing the work I’m meant to do, sharing and leading more vulnerably, following my whims, and doing the things that feel right for ME in each and every moment.

Your turn!

I invite you to write a recap of your 2013.

Whether it’s on your blog, in your journal or just taking the time to remember all that was amazing about it, it’s such a beautiful thing to do. Honestly, I’d forgotten many of what happened this past year that was really impactful and significant, until I took the time to write this post. I would love to share in your wins, revel in your realizations, and hold the space for what you want to create next year with you.

Share with me in the comments below… what happened in 2013 that you want to celebrate, remember, or learn from? I’d love to know. 🙂