2012 has been one heck of a year. It’s hard to believe that one year ago I was writing resolutions to love myself and others more. I’m actually pretty happy with the outcome of that, despite the fact that this has been another rollercoaster of a year emotionally. I’m slowly beginning to be more comfortable in my own skin, and improving my ability to relate to others in a compassionate way. I’ve started a spiritual journey that I think will greatly affect my perspective on life, and I’m hoping that I’ll continue to become more positive and less judgmental of myself and others as time goes on.

That said, there has been a lot that has happened in the past 365 days, both professionally and personally.

I got CrossFit Level 1 Certified in January with the intention of coaching, but then I was hired to be the Content Manager for ChrisKresser.com, which has been such an awesome opportunity. Working with Chris and assisting with his research has been incredibly educational – I’ve seriously learned more this past year about nutrition than I could have ever expected. I can’t wait to apply this knowledge in a future nutrition practice.

I tried quitting coffee and I began eating more carbohydrates. I had an amazing time at PaleoFX, which y’all helped me attend with your generous donations. I’m not sure I’ll be able to attend this year, so I’m really glad I had a chance to go in March. I met so many of my ‘nutrition idols’ and had the chance to start edging my way into the upper echelon of the Paleo community. That sounds a bit snobby, but in the nutrition field it helps to have friends in high places when looking to get new clients! It was also great to make new friends.

Of course, I can’t forget my Paleo Women Are Phat post, which has had over 50,000 views and is consistently my biggest traffic driver. I’m pretty proud of that post to say the least! I stick by my sentiments with that too, and I’m hoping that those of you who have found the blog via that post have gained some body confidence from reading it. I’m still struggling to not judge myself based on my fitness, but I’m slowly getting better at focusing on my more worthwhile traits. It’s a constant journey for me and this body image thing, but I’m glad that I can help others as I figure it all out.

I gave a presentation on Ancestral Nutrition at my gym in New Jersey, and was interviewed by Heba at My Life in a Pyramid. I started and finished a 3 month internship at the InterFaith Food Shuttle and learned a ton about food insecurity and food justice issues, which was a valuable experience for me.

I attended the Ancestral Health Symposium in Boston as a volunteer for the Weston Price Foundation, which was really fun and very informative. Again, it was great seeing all the familiar faces from PaleoFX, and Diana’s dinner party was inspiration for my future wedding (if that ever happens!) I also got to attend the Weston Price Wise Traditions conference as a volunteer, which I enjoyed immensely. I love making contacts and getting my name out at these events, since I really want to be considered a go-to resource for nutrition counseling in the future. We’ll see if these contacts pay off in the future!

As for my personal life, this has been another year of incredible growth. I’ve gained several new friendships that I’m really happy about, and have fallen in love with the Triangle area of North Carolina. I’ve also been challenged and disappointed, but have come out stronger and wiser from these experiences. I’m learning more and more about myself and my interests, and learning what makes me happy and what I want out of my life. I’ve committed myself to learning more about God and His plan for my life.

So I won’t be making any resolutions for 2013… disappointing, I know. I’ve just realized that there’s nothing special about the new year starting, and that my life is in a constant state of change and growth.

I will set an intention, though. My intention for 2013 is to live more in the moment, and stop worrying so much about the future or ruminating about the past. I’ve realized that I tend to do both far too frequently, and I end up missing out on all the blessings I’ve been given in the present. So I won’t beat myself up about mistakes I’ve made, and I won’t constantly daydream about what might happen in the future. I’m going to do my best to live my life day-to-day and remember that God has a perfect plan for me, and He won’t let me fail. This year will have ups and downs for sure, but I know I’m moving towards something wonderful.

Here is the “Holstee Manifesto” to help inspire us all to live more deeply this year. I can’t wait to see what I’ll be writing about on December 31, 2013!