'Flip or Flop' Star Tarek El Moussa Calls 2016 the 'Biggest Defining Year' of His Life

In a touching Instagram video posted Saturday, Flip or Flop star Tarek El Moussa reflected on the lessons he's learned throughout 2016 — a year that saw his seven-year marriage to wife Christina end

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Tarek El Moussa has learned a lot “along the broken road.”

The Flip or Flop star is looking back at 2016 — a year that saw him split from his wife Christina after seven years of marriage.

In a touching Instagram video posted Saturday, filled with photos of his two children — daughter Taylor, 6, and son Brayden, 1 — and set to Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road,” El Moussa reflected on the lessons he’s learned throughout the year.

“Today signifies they end of another year,” El Moussa wrote. “It’s a time where we all reflect on our own personal journey. Looking back we must ask ourselves what we did right and what we did wrong. It’s a time to look back and ask ourselves if we took advantage of the year we will never get back.”

“For me… 2016 was the biggest defining year of my life,” he continued. “It was a year that will change the destination of my life and I’m ready for the ride.”

El Moussa said he’s used the “crazy ride of 2016” as a opportunity to learn a lot about himself.

“Going into 2017, I’ve learned I’m much stronger than I ever thought possible and the lessons I learned in 2016 will stay with me through the rest of my life,” he said. “I truly believe in all these words and I urge everyone to look back and ask yourself what lessons can you take from 2016 to make 2017 the best year ever!!”

The El Moussas announced they were ending their marriage on Dec. 12 in a statement to PEOPLE, and addressed an incident where police were called to their Yorba Linda, California, home back in May.

“Like many couples, we have had challenges in our marriage,” the former couple said in the statement. “We had an unfortunate misunderstanding about six months ago and the police were called to our house in an abundance of caution. There was no violence and no charges were filed.”

They’ve been living separately since — with Christina, 33, living in the couple’s home.

The parents, who are in the midst of their sixth season of the reality design series, concluded their joint statement by sharing details of how they sought counseling to “sort out” the relationship but have since decided to separate while evaluating “the future of our marriage.”

They added, “During the process, we are committed to our kids and being the best parents we can be. We will continue to work through this process civilly and cooperatively, and plan to continue our professional life together.”

As PEOPLE had previously reported, both Christina and Tarek have been dating other people since their separation. Christina is dating a fellow design professional and Tarek had a brief fling with a nanny he had hired to watch his two children, though they’ve since split up.

A source previously told PEOPLE that the couple chose to keep their separation private because it “was nobody’s business at the time.