The Best of 2016 and 3 Things I’ve Learned This Year
Closing out the year with a recap of the most viewed posts from 2016 along with my personal highlights of the year and things I’ve learned along the way.
I can hardly believe that I am already writing my recap post for the year 2016 and looking ahead to year 2017! It’s almost like I don’t want 2016 to end because I feel that there is so much more that I wanted to do, but at the same time, I am really looking forward to the New Year and all it has to bring! I just have a sneaky suspicion that this upcoming year is going to be the best one yet!
But, before I get too carried away 2017, let’s focus on the fact that the current year is ending and how much amazing-ness has happened this year! Over the course of this year there have been so many things to celebrate and be grateful for. So much learning, so much growing, so many new relationships, so many new experiences… and a lot of it came from me taking a little leap of faith and starting this blog.
A lot of it came from letting go of what I thought others might think and just doing what ignites the fire within and truly lights me up every single day. I may not be anywhere close to {big time} when it comes to the blogging world, but I know that there are people out there who read my posts, who use my recipes for meal planning, and who engage and ask questions when they need advice on health related topics and that alone is motivation enough for me to keep pushing forward.
Now I’ve learned a TON over the course of the past year, but to I’d like to highlight just a few that I find extra important...
3 IMPORTANT THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS YEAR
1. Hard Work Will Pay Off
This working full time/running a side business/teaching at YogaFit/multiple other weekly commitments has me rethinking my choices in life multiple times a week. At times I am so overwhelmed and stressed out because I’m not sure how I’m going handle the coming week, but at the end of the day, I fit in what I can and the rest waits until the next day. I don’t do all of this extra because I’m forced, I do it because the reality is that all of my {other jobs} are where my true passions lie and they really don’t feel like work at all! I’ve just started to see a bit of return on investment in 2016 and I’m so excited to see what comes in 2017!
2. Patience Is A Virtue
While I may have started the year thinking my blog would have this gigantic following in just a few months, I quickly learned that growing an engaged, committed following is NOT something that happens overnight. This process takes months, if not years, because essentially you must prove that you are a trustworthy, knowledgeable resource for your follower and most importantly, you need to prove to them that you share things that they are interested in. Sometimes it can be tough to {make everyone happy} all within the same post, but it’s so important to cater to what they want and are consistent in your work, because then slowly but surely the followers will come. The more people who find my site, the more recipes they try, the more friends they tell… and it’s all just a big waterfall effect from there, This is another thing that is just at the tip of the iceberg and I hope to watch it gain some serious momentum in the new year.
3. 2 Heads Are Better Than 1
Meeting people and collaborating on projects with other creatives in similar niches has become one of my favorite parts of the whole {blogging world}. It is so much fun to get to know another person who understands that you need to snap a photo before even thinking about taking a sip out of that almond milk latte, who understands the struggle of rarely eating a hot meal {because photos} and who understands the frustrations of photoshop, SEO, email lists and SO MUCH MORE. The blogging community here in Minneapolis is BOOMING, as it is all over the world, and I cannot wait to make some new connections, put our brains together and produce some amazing content for our readers in the New Year.
Throughout the year, I’ve written a total of 65 {this makes 66} posts for Define Fettle and although this may not seem like a huge number, I’m extremely proud of each and every post and truly hope that you've enjoyed getting your hands dirty in the kitchen and creating some of my recipes throughout the year. I will admit that I am aiming for a much higher number next year, but for now I will focus on what I have accomplished so far with this blog and more specifically, what your favorite posts from year 2016 have been! Find the {Top 10 Posts of 2016} below!
TOP 10 POSTS OF 2016
TOP 5 EXPERIENCES OF 2016
This trip was SO amazing and I want to relive it every single day of my life! Basically, it was 2.5 weeks traveling from Seattle, WA to San Diego, CA. where we adventured through unfamiliar territory and explored all things possible! There was a TON of driving, I’m talking most nights we were in the car until after midnight and then up and on the road again right away the next morning. But, it was all worth it because the places we saw, the mountains we climbed, the memories we made are completely priceless. I promise I will write a full recap of this yet {in the near future} and post for you all to see!
{Fur}baby Joie
I have been wanted a mini golden doodle since I was in grad school and thought that it would be one of my first purchases after graduation, however that just didn’t happen. So, after getting completely settled into {adult life} here in MPLS, I began to do some research this past January about the breed I so highly sought and found the most perfect breeder through a referral! I followed the Whispering Pines Facebook page and watched like a hawk for photos of their latest litter to appear and then one day, it appeared… A litter of 7 with only 1 female pup! It took about 2.5 seconds for me to call the breeder and reserve her with a down payment, and the rest is history.
I’ve always loved dogs, but never understood some of these #dogmoms that I would see posting crazy stuff all over social media… well fast forward a year and here I am, Britany Schulz, the obsessed #dogmom. But how can’t I be? She’s just too cute! I could literally scream from the rooftops, {I LOVE MY DOG}... she’s literally the best thing ever!
Group Fitness Instructor Certification
I have always loved exercising, but over the past few years, group exercise became my absolute JAM! I started taking classes at all sorts of local studios including Physical Culture, Alchemy, Surge Cycle and YogaFit soon after I moved to Minneapolis and feel in love with the camaraderie and community that was inside of each studio's walls! Early this year, I decided to take group fitness to a whole new level when I enrolled in Life Time Academy’s: ACE Group Fitness Instructor Certification Program. After 12 weeks of in person classes and hours and hours outside of class spent studying, I passed the exam and officially became certified as an instructor! A few months later and I’ve made my way into the YogaFit family and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve literally been interested in teaching at this studio since day 1 because from the first time I stepped through their doors, I just knew that it was the right place for me. So now that I'm official, if you’re in Minneapolis, look me up and come sweat with me!
Define Fettle's 1st Product Release
This one was pretty recent, but just made the cutoff to be considered a 2016 {win}. I worked with the amazingly talented ladies {Emma + Lizzie} over at MAI-I Am Enough clothing here in Minneapolis to develop my very 1st Define Fettle product! My {Burpees Then Brunch} Tank launched just shy of 2 weeks ago and I couldn’t be more proud! I’m obsessed with the fabric, the fit and most of all, the super fun and unique saying that I created specifically for these tanks! Word on the street is that my followers {aka you} want to see some more athletic wear from DF, so we’ll have to see what happens in the new year;)
Northshore Camping
For 2 years now Austin + I have rounded up a group of friends and headed north to the shores of Lake Superior for a weekend of full out tenting it and I look forward to this time away so much! Getting rid of cell phones, computers, wifi, etc. and taking in all of nature’s beauty without distraction is one of my very favorite things to do, especially when it’s with some of my closest friends! My love for the North Shore dates back nearly 20 years now {how the hell old am I ?!?!?} since it was an annual vacation spot for my mom’s entire family each summer. We would spend hours watching ships come into the harbour, eat ice cream from Grandma’s Box Car and probably explored every single local attraction in the 4 years that we vacationed there. It was pure magic and to this day, every time I visit I feel the exact way I did at age 7… awestruck.
Chat with me!
What was your most memorable moment of 2016? Did you get a chance to make any of my recipes this year? If so, what was your favorite?
Wishing all of you a happy and healthy year 2017!
P.S. For more of Define Fettle’s favorite recipes of 2016 check out my {1 year Blogiversary} post.
P.P.S. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook//Instagram//Twitter//Pinterest and Snapchat [definefettle] to ensure you don’t miss out on healthy recipes, workouts, and daily inspiration.