This post was not edited. So I apologize for any crazy spelling, grammar, or jumbledness. Just written straight on Christmas Day from Noon-1:20PM while drinking a green tea and listening to Rascall Flatts in the background.
The year is almost up and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for hanging out with me on the site and especially to those of you that have reached out to connect with me through email, phone, or in-person. This past year as been full of change, struggle, and personal growth for me. If I had to theme this past year I would call it the year of Awakening.
I always thought I would have it all figured out by the time I was (cough) thirty-two (cough) (cough). I figured I’d be married, sitting at a desk in some kush job and generally going with the flow. Well, it definitely hasn’t turned out like that.
This post is a quick year in review. What went right, what went wrong, personal milestones and where this site and myself are headed in the future. If you haven’t done so already I highly suggest taking a day for yourself and carrying out a yearly review. If you need help you can use the exact format I lay out here.
Before I jump in I just want to say that this site started out as therapy for me. I started writing some health and fitness articles early last January but didn’t really launch this site until March or April I believe. It basically came about because I generally wasn’t happy with my life and the direction it was headed. I was disappointed in myself for letting go of a belief I had help onto for so long as a kid and even held onto throughout high school. The belief that anything is possible and that you can live a life without limits if you just learn how to get out of your own damn way.
What went right/What went wrong
A lot went right and wrong this year for me. I continued my pursuit of adventure with skydives, bungee jumps, Crossfit competitions, learned to surf (not well) learning to dance (and continuing), wine tasting, and continuing holistic health and wellness education by earning certifications through Precision Nutrition, Paul Chek, Charles Poliquin, and Crossfit.
Did some volunteer work with my friend Trevor for Habitat for Humanity again. Cut down my personal debt a little bit and undertook some pretty cool personal challenges like a one week mind and body cleanse, finally getting down the meditation habit I had been struggling with for so long, and some other smaller ones like taking cold showers daily to build up resistance to stress. I’m also well on my way to finishing what was my most important goal for this year and that being reading 52 books in 52 weeks.
I also left a job that I did not hate but one that I felt was not suited for who I wanted to be as a person. I was lucky enough to have that story featured on my friend Peter’s website The Change Blog and on The Take Flight Project. I’ve also been lucky enough to be a monthly contributor for Lifehack.org.
A lot also went wrong for me. My girlfriend, whom I dearly love to this day, and I decided to end things after almost three years. My income has been cut in half, I tore some ligaments in my ankle, lost a cousin, and made some terrible investments.
The most important thing I have learned through all of this is that every single thing that has happened (and I am sure I left out a few) has happened because of my decisions. I made choices that either led to the good or the bad. I have zero regrets with any of them. Only gratitude that I have been given the opportunity to make these choices as I see fit. I promise to continue to exercise this luxury until my days are numbered.
The Limitless Blog
There have been some pretty big posts on the site this year thanks to you all reading them and sharing them. Here are some of the most popular – the ones you all seem to have enjoyed.
Lifestyle
Living on purpose and why confusion is comfortable.
The 4 pillars of strength and how to achieve them.
I’m 32! Sh*t, 32 things I wish I would have known earlier.
Nutrition
30 truths in 30 days: The first 30 days of Paleo and what to expect.
Understand your carbs. They’re a food group too.
10 road blocks to bada** nutrition and how to overcome them.
Exercise/Fitness
DIY pull-up bar and superhuman pull-ups
Incredible Hulk bodyweight training
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses. The big list of excuses for being out of shape.
My favorite post
How music can make us happier and healthier
The big lessons I’ve learned
I’ve learned a ton this past year about not only myself but about the world, my place in it, and you 🙂
1. Relationships/Connecting It can not be understated how important this is. I have never placed a high value on my personal relationships and really connecting with others. I love people but i have always taken personal relationships for granted with friends, family, and other loved ones. People in your life choose to be in it. It’s not required. They choose to let you in. Be grateful for that.
2. Being yourself Nothing feels worse than not being who you really are. The quickest way to find unhappiness, stress, and anxiety is to live your life through someone else’s lens. If you are not sure who you are start asking. And remember, there is one certainty in life… change. If you don’t get comfortable with change you will struggle. What is important to you?
3. Do work that you love You will spend most of your life working. It doesn’t make much sense doing work that you don’t enjoy. Doing work that you love is not necessarily work but more a calling. However, it is hard. Very hard!
4. To get what you really want in life You have to be willing to educate yourself not necessarily so much through formal education but more so personal experience, reading, and trial and error. You have to be willing to evolve. You have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and the best way to do that is through small personal challenges. Most importantly you have to be consistent. Grind, grind, and grind some more.
Where I am going and where the site is going
When I started writing here is was nutrition and fitness based. I soon realized that I am way to in love with life and living to simply write about that all the time. So while I will continue to write about nutrition, Paleo fitness, and Crossfit I will be focusing more one the pursuit of getting better at being human.
Being healthy to me encompasses so much more than physical health. It is a cumulation of your life as a whole and how you live it. For me to truly consider myself healthy I would have to be a complete person in the following.
Physical health
Career/Purpose
Social relationships
Spirituality
Finances/Money/Wealth
Autonomy/Creativity
I’m definitely better in some areas than in others I as I am sure you are too. I’ve noticed because of certain weaknesses I have in some it can affect my “health” in others. It is my goal to bring up these weakness while still playing to my strengths so that I can get better at being human.
You’ll be seeing a lot of writing under these main categories after the new year and the site will reflect that both in design (changes ahead) and content. There will be some sub categories underneath these primary six that I will be focusing on such as; mindfulness, time management, positive psychology, leadership/self-development, relationships, and more.
What I want from you
I just want a promise. I want you to promise yourself and someone close to you that you will be committed to getting better at being human in the aspects of your life that are most important to YOU. I listed six of mine above. Maybe take the time for yourself to do the same.
Please do not be bashful. Reach out to me as I love to connect. What do you want to see more of on the site?
What are you struggling with and in need of help?
How can I be of more service to you?
Live limitless and happiest of holidays,
Justin