Somehow tomorrow marks the beginning of September—that means we’re down to the last four months of 2020. If it were any other year, I’d crack some type of smartass comment—but since it’s 2020, I’m not going to. The next full moon is within a couple of days, so it is time to look back on the goals that I set for the Aquarius full moon and see how I did with each of them.

So what were my Aquarius full moon goals?

The goals included:

            Photography—while it will mainly be backyard bird watching, I can still try to improve my skills.

            Journaling—this is actually for multiple fronts: getting back into the habit of writing daily (I mean if I’m going to try to be a freelance writer, I should be trying to write daily), work through various personal/professional development questions, and as a way of working on keeping positive mental health going.

            Other personal/professional development: crafts (try my hand at cross-stitching, maybe get a new sewing machine and fabric, create some jewelry), reading, and working through e-courses.

So how did I do with each of them?

            In terms of photography—I managed to take pictures almost every day. I’m getting better at using manual focusing—though I haven’t totally started playing with the other features (which is slightly sad, since I’ve had this particular camera a little over 2 years). One thing I’m going to try to start doing is actually using the tripod and zoom lens and maybe try to get a picture or two of a full moon.

            In terms of journaling—I’ve managed to write in the journal every day, even if it was just to write down the weights for that particular workout (or even just logging the workout). I have several ideas for how I can improve on my journaling, and also expand into possible blog posts.

            In terms of working on other personal/professional development: I’m almost through one of the professional development courses I’ve bought (I have one video and the test for the 5th module and then the final module), though I still need to download python (the data analysis coding language program) and start learning actually how to use the programming language. While I had hopes that I managed to get a good deal on a sewing machine—it turned out to be a scam (I managed to get my money back though), so now I’m waiting to see if/when sewing machines become available again through Joann Fabric’s store. I have also bought a couple of books to help me further my ability with photography and jewelry making (just in case I actually want to start selling the jewelry)—so I just need to read through those books and start implementing the ideas and suggestions.

Overall I’m happy with how I did with each goal—yes, I could have written more in the journal, or worked through a couple more e-courses but I’m currently striving for progress and not perfection. Also, I’m trying to be kinder to myself and acknowledge that sometimes not doing anything is just as productive (at least mentally) as striking everything else off the to-do list.

All three of these goals are goals that I’m going to continue working on going forward into the rest of 2020 and on wards. The reasons are simple—I want to become a better photographer, writer, and continue to learn and grow. I may have stubbornly taken a hiatus from actively learning after a couple of the positions—but now that I know my strengths that I can use and also what other traits I can improve—personal and professional development are becoming fun again. In addition, currently I can make my own hours.