Tag: NewMoonGoalsReview

Review of Libra goals: two parts personal & one part professional development

03
Nov
2021

So we’re going to be entering the next new moon phase this week—for those within the US, it will be on Thursday, November 4th; and for others it could be on the fourth or the fifth. That means there will only be 58 days left in 2021. It seems that time is starting to ‘pick back up’ after ‘dragging’ last year. Though this reminder is a few days early—for those of us in the US, we should remember to turn our clocks back an hour before going to bed on Saturday.

The next new moon will be within the Scorpio constellation, but before looking ahead to setting up goals for the Scorpio new moon, I should look back at the goals I set for the Libra new moon and see how I did with each of them.

The goals that I’d set for the Libra new moon included:

  1. Unplugging at night. I’m basically going to try to set a boundary of not being on the computer after eight pm.
  2. Continue to work at regaining my identity; slowly work at resolving/healing the unhealthy diet/exercise mindset that I’d developed voer the past couple of decades.
  3. Figure out how to launch a freelance/remote/contract business. This is facing a ‘fear’ and would start first as a freelance/remote/contract writing business before adding in possibly data analysis, project management, and/or product management.

So how did I do with each of them?

In terms of trying to unplug at night:

I’m starting to get a little better at ‘unplugging’ from the computer around eight every night. Usually I will quickly check my email, and then various social sites and depending on whether or not there are messages/comments to respond to—I will put the computer to sleep for the night.

I’m still working on trying to ‘unplug’ for part of the weekend. It was easier the past week or so when our modem and router were dying and the Wi-Fi signal for the house sucked. Now that things are starting to work better, I will be devising a better plan for ‘unplugging’ on the weekends.

In terms of resolving/healing my unhealthy diet/exercise mindset—baby steps are being made. It isn’t like a ‘switch’ can be flipped and I no longer feel guilt or ‘beat’ myself up over not following a workout schedule or slightly overeating at lunch or dinner. I’ve realized the areas I need to work on: getting more protein in during the day, eating more fruits and veggies (that I actually like eating), hydrating enough, and figuring out a fitness plan that I can actually ‘stick with’.

I’m getting better in terms of the protein—I’m trying to start varying what I have for breakfast (as this is the meal that I usually don’t get enough protein at), and figuring out protein-rich ideas that aren’t also heavy in the cholesterol and bad fats.

In terms of starting my own freelance/remote/contract writing business—I’m in the beginning stages. I’ve decided on the three main ‘niches’ that I’d like to write within (personal/professional development, health/wellness, and science/medical education/communication), now I just have to decide on a few sub-niches to focus on, draft some examples, and start reaching out to potential clients.

I’ve already applied for a few freelance positions, but wasn’t selected for them—probably due to my pricing (I think that the particular group/company had a set budget and didn’t feel like trying to negotiate down to their price), and very small portfolio.

One goal now is to have at least two pieces within each major niche written and posted within the specific tab by February 2022 (that is three months from now). I’ll write other pieces that will be blog posts, but might ‘reference’ back to the niche page. I may also look into offering slide deck preparations as well.

There was progress made with all three goals from the Libra new moon. None were ‘full’ completed, because only one had a ‘finish’ line to cross (starting my freelance/remote/contract writing business), and the other two are a continuous journey with no ‘real’ end in sight. Therefore, I met my aim of ‘progress over perfection’ and slowly starting the next chapter of my life.

I’m starting to enjoy this windy and bumpy road that will lead me to a beautiful destination—will it be the beach, mountains, a city, or just a nice little apartment?

Where is your favorite working spot?

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Creating a ‘evolving’ vision and personalized self-care routine: looking back at Capricorn New Moon Goals

10
Feb
2021

So the moon will be transitioning into Aquarius this week, and marking the second new moon of 2021. While the year may not be totally mellow (the second impeachment trial of the orange waffle started this week), I’m hoping that it may start mellowing out more and be more tranquil than 2020 was.

So before I look ahead to the Aquarius new moon, it is time to look back at the goals that I set for the Capricorn new moon and determine how well I did with each of them.

So what were my goals for the Capricorn new moon?

Work on developing my vision of where I would like to be in say 3-5 years and what I would be doing. In the same note, write out very specific goals/milestones that will help me achieve said vision.

Read (or finish) at least two non-fiction books that I have on my curated 2021 to-read list.

Finish at least one e-course from my curated 2021 e-courses to-complete/watch list

Work on getting better at self-compassion.

So how did I do with each of them?

In terms of my vision–I decided that to have an evolving vision for two reasons: 1) I’m still working my way out of my ‘burnout’ hole, and 2) I’m still not ‘locked in/on’ an path for my industry transition. Currently my long-term vision moving forward is:

I’m moving forward in life with vitality, inner harmony, and openness. I am achieving those goals through curiosity in spirituality, creativity in learning, and knowledge that I’m embracing growth and transformation in both personal and professional aspects of my life. While I know that I still have more ‘stairs’ to climb to totally get out of my ‘burnout’ hole, I’m making progress and steadily climbing upwards (sitting to catch my ‘breath’ as needed so I don’t go tumbling back down).

To project a vision further than the next staircase is to almost undo the work I’ve put into the journey from the bottom of the ‘burnout’ hole to my current position–resting after making up the first staircase.

When I shared this vision in an group, I was asked what I would write/construct for a vision for the present, and after thinking on it I came up with the following:

If I had to think of a vision for the present, it would be knowing that I’m making my way up the staircase, but taking a ‘rest’.

The ‘rest’ is sitting at a table, surrounded with books, paper, pens, and a laptop. I know that to continue going up the staircase, I need a direction as I see several different staircases around me. I’m researching my options, and leaning towards one of the two that look to both converge at the next ‘rest’ area.

As I’m thinking of what I would like to do with my life–I’m leaning more towards the remote/freelance aspect, but as more of a generalist with a slightly touch of specialist sprinkled in. Therefore I’m pondering the different things I like and attempting to see what type of puzzle or picture I can make out of them that will keep me learning, engaged, but at the same time bring in money to pay the bills.

In terms of the reading, I managed to finish 3 non-fiction books from my curated 2021 to-read list and they were:

Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising strategies to up your earnings and change your life by Barbara Stanny

Badass Habits: cultivate the awareness, boundaries, and daily upgrades you need to make them stick by Jen Sincero

I should hopefully be getting small book reviews of all three up on the blog within the next two weeks.

I also managed to watch 3 short e-courses off of Skillshare and they were:

Powerful Storytelling today: strategies for crafting great content

3 ways often overlooked to get traffic to your blog

Finding your inner creative

Reviews for these three can be found here: on December 2020’s review of Cancer Full Moon goals.

Improving/increasing my self-compassion is something that is always ongoing and evolving. There is never a one-and-done with any aspect of self-care. I’ve been trying to catch and reword/rephrase any negative self-talk. This has been difficult (as I’ve realized that most of my negative self-talk is on such a quiet loop), that unless I actively pay attention–I miss most of it. I have been trying to be more understanding with myself, and once I realize that I am doing something that is not helpful (such as looking for split-ends constantly), I start figuring out a way to reduce doing that habit/mannerism (such as braiding my hair).

So in terms of the goals–the quantitative ones were the easiest to keep track of, since I have a list of both books and e-courses that I would like to finish this year. The other two were a little harder to measure and keep track of.

I decided that it was easier to create an evolving vision currently, since I don’t have a job position (or even title) that I’m currently leaning towards. I wanted something that showed I was moving forward, but at the same time acknowledging that I am still a little uncertain of the path forward.

I have also realized over the past year that self-compassion and self-care are two things/areas that I’ve always slightly ignored growing up, going to school, and trying to set out on my career path. I also realized that once I decided on graduate school–I started ignoring different aspects of my life (the parts where I enjoyed doing various things and learning about various topics), to focus on an single aspect–getting my advance degree and trying to set out on the academic path.

Everyone’s idea of self-care/love is different. I’m trying to incorporate typical ideas (such as reading a good book, taking a bubble bath, and working out) with some of my own ideas (such as meditating by candle light, reflecting on oracle cards, deep breathing/stretches before bed). While some of these I do daily–they’re not done with the idea of taking care of mental/emotional or spiritual health–they’re just something I did. Now I’m trying to be purposeful in doing them–honoring my health (in all aspects).

Now I’ve realized that I can’t ignore those parts of my personality–that I actually do focus better when I can make the choice to put one project down and pick up another-or just pause one while working on the other. This is what I’m going to be focusing on moving forward in 2021–growth, creativity, curiosity, which will lead to happiness and hopefully prosperity.

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Some routines are working & some need tuning: Review of the Virgo new moon goals

15
Oct
2020

We should be heading into October’s new moon tomorrow night (though depending on where you are in the world, the timing may be tonight instead). I’m trying to get better at posting on the blog—I’m slightly behind in the photography challenge, not that I don’t have pictures to post, but the stumbling block is actually trying to get something written about the picture (and hopefully with more than 100 words). Truthfully, before trying to blog I never really paid that much attention to how many words were in a particular writing assignment.

So before looking to the next new moon, I should look back at the goals that I set for the Virgo new moon, see how I did with each one of them, and where I can still work on improvements.

So what were my goals for the Virgo new moon?

  1. Take inventory of various aspects of life and try to develop a working schedule that will allow me be both productive, but at the same time enjoying time outside as well.
  2. Continue with daily workouts (currently it is a combo of Yoga Booty Ballet with LIIFT4).
  3. In combination with #1—organize the schedule, possibly alternating days that certain things are done on (for example networking on Mondays & Wednesdays, but following up with people on Tuesdays & Fridays).
  4. Continue with nightly oracle card readings and also try to spend at least two to three minutes meditating (either before or after the reading).

So how did I do with each goal?

In terms of taking an inventory of my life and developing/organizing a schedule—still working on it. I’ve realized that one of my major problems (and possibly the number one trigger of my anxiety) is that I try to put way to much stuff on the plate for any particular week or day.

I think that I have to work on all aspects of life constantly—for example I’m doing a daily workout (getting back into a fitness routine), trying to work through various e-courses, read, network, brainstorm ideas, spend time on crafts, and keep my sanity.

I think that the best thing will be developing the schedule and alternating days of doing things—make the small steps each day/week towards the goals but alternate what goal I’m working towards any particular day. I’m thinking of limiting it to no more than 2 to 3 goals a day, and no more than 4 to 6 goals a week. This way I’m focusing on 2 to 3 areas of life (fitness/nutrition and then personal and professional development).

In terms of continuing with the daily workout—I’m into week 4/5 of my combo calendar. It would be starting week 5 of Yoga Booty Ballet, but basically ending week 4 of LIIFT4. I should be done with this combo mid-November and then going on to 10 Rounds (which is another resistance/cardio combo program).

I’ve already touch a little on how I’m really going to try to break up tasks and try to focus on certain things on certain days (trying to hopefully keep the anxiety and nerves under a little more control).

In terms of nightly oracle card readings and meditations—I’ve only missed a couple of nights (usually running behind on everything else and I just want to turn off the lights and unwind for awhile before heading to bed). I’m really getting into one of the new sets of oracle cards I got recently and should hopefully be putting up a review of it on the blog in the coming weeks.

It’s nice to see that even when I don’t have a clear question for the universe, I’m still being shown that I am on the right path.

While there are many people who didn’t agree with my decision to quit my job in December to do some much needed soul-searching and reflection—I needed to do it for me, and no one else.

I’m coming closer to figuring out my path—I just have to remember that everyone feels like a fraud from time to time, everyone makes mistakes, and that no matter how small the steps are if I keep moving forward long enough, once I turn around to judge my journey I’ll be impressed with how far I’ve come.

But I am also going to be keeping the following quotes/phrases front and center as well:

 “Progress over Perfection”, “You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one”, and “Not caring what other people think is the best choice you will ever make”.

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Review of Libra New Moon Goals

26
Oct
2019

So the moon will be transitioning through it’s new phase again this weekend and it will be going through the Scorpio constellation. Somehow we have less than a week left of October, and then only sixty-one days left in 2019.

So before I think of addressing the Scorpio new moon (and it’s goals)—it’s time to look back at the goals I had made for the Libra new moon.

Those goals included:

            Meditate nightly—I have some nature CDs on my iPhone that I bought via iTunes—they’re calming (at least for me) and no one is talking.

            Practice yoga—there is a little yoga in one of the workouts that I’ll be doing over the next few weeks.

            Regain my identity—this doesn’t have anything to do with unhealthy co-dependency issues (unless you consider all my jobs to this point have been in an academic setting)—but try to figure out whom I am and what I want to do with the next half of my life.

So how did I do with these goals?

In terms of meditation—I only really managed a few minutes (especially since I didn’t feel like always having my cell phone and ear buds out right before bed). I know it is a slightly silly reason—but I am trying to avoid using my phone after I turn off all lights. I do have a white noise maker, so that helps a little; but mainly I need to quiet my thoughts and emotions (usually anxiety and stress) so that I can focus on my breathing. So again—this is an on-going practice and something that once I get better at it, will help with the anxiety, stress, and depression.

In terms of practicing yoga—this didn’t happen. I have the hybrid workout schedule all made up, but by the end of the day—I don’t feel like doing anything. Now I know that it can basically be considered mind over matter, and that I will probably feel better once I start to workout—but right now, the more lazy thought pattern is winning over the productive thought pattern. I am at least striving to hit my step goal for the day and week—and will be hitting my yearly step goal again this year. Negative thought patterns are easy to identify, but rather difficult to break—so this is something else that I’m working baby steps towards again.

Regaining my identity—I’m slowly working on this (I actually have at least one blog post almost ready to share on the topic). As I’ve told a couple of people—I have several ideas of what I may enjoy doing—I just need the time to focus and work through things (hence one of the reasons for the reboot break). I’ve also realized that I currently feel like a boat adrift in the sea (no working motor or sails), and the reboot break is going to feel like I’ve found an island that I can land on and slowly start fixing my boat—then I can be in charge of the direction I go in life, instead of just allowing myself to be pushed by the currents of others.

Things haven’t been perfect, and some things haven’t moved forward at all—but there has been progress in each area. That progress has been as little as admitting that there are roadblocks and that I need to develop an better plan to either remove said roadblocks or find a way around them.

As I move into the last two months of 2019, I’m going to keep with the mantra: Progress over Perfection.

No Comments AstrologyNew Moon GoalsPersonal Development

Slightly Late: Review of Virgo New Moon Goals

02
Oct
2019

So the moon is entering it’s new phase again, and has transitioned through Libra over the past weekend. This means that we’re almost down to the last quarter of the year—Monday was the last day of September, and then there are only 92 days left in the year.

So before heading into making my goals for the next new moon—it’s time to review how I did with my Virgo new moon goals.

My short list of goals for the Virgo new moon period included the following:

  1. Taking an inventory of my life—work on scheduling my reboot break, and other things
  2. Try to get back into a workout routine (probably Country Heat)
  3. Get organized (try to set up various calendars in regards to exercise, working on the blog, networking, job searching, and so forth).

So how did I do with the three goals?

In terms of taking an inventory of my life—I need to finish up my rough draft of my reboot break. I have an general idea of how the first two weeks or so will go (mainly trying to get my storage unit in order), but in terms of trips—those haven’t been planned yet (need to also do some work on my transition plan).  It is time to take control of the direction of my life, and while totally scary—I think it will be a fun trip, as long as I remember to enjoy the journey of getting to where I want to be (which means I still have to have an idea of the end point).

In terms of getting back into a workout routine—I’ve made (though I need to modify it a little) a hybrid calendar that if I start it on Monday will take me through the rest of the year (and possibly the first week or two of the new year). Currently I’ve been trying to make sure that I at least get my steps in during the week—and if I can go over 14K enough, I don’t feel too bad about the days that I fall short of the goal. I know that working out will help me sleep better at night, therefore I need to push myself into the habit again of working out after feeding the dogs (and doing other chores) and try to get it done before dinner.

In terms of getting organized—since I haven’t found a planner that I really like, and while I like my bullet journal—I don’t like how limited the space is for creating calendars. Therefore I went and bought some graphing paper (already hole-punched) and will be using that to hopefully create a large enough monthly calendar that I can at least put more than one thing on each day. I can also have normal paper behind it with lists and have those referenced to the calendar. This is something that I’m hoping to put into effect for October going forward.

So I’m slowly working on moving forward with things (no matter how scary they are)—I’ve more or less given my resignation with my current position (just need to write the resignation letter), and then will have the time to focus on figuring out what I want to do with my life. I’m slowly getting back into a workout routine—while it goes hand in hand with nutrition, I’m going to currently focus on getting back into working out daily. Once I have that has a daily habit, then I’ll also focus more on the nutrition (and that isn’t saying that I’m ignoring nutrition—but I’m not freaking out over calories or macros currently). I’ve decided that the word diet is gone from my vocabulary—and I’m also thinking of striking the words organic and anti-GMO from my vocabulary as well (possible future posts on this topic).

But I have been remembering: Progress over Perfection—I may not be reaching all of my goals for the year—but I’m making progress towards them.

No Comments AstrologyNew Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional development

Review of my Leo New Moon Goals

31
Aug
2019

So the moon is making its transition into Virgo (either today or tomorrow depending on where you live). The transition today will make it a new moon in August (and fairly late at that—since tomorrow is the 31st). This also means that there are only four months left in the year. It also means that it is time to look back at the goals that I had set for the Leo new moon and see how I did with them.

So what were my goals for the Leo new moon?

  1. Continue planning/outlining my reboot break/pause time.
  2. In part with #1—plan at least one trip (either total mental break or a combination mental break/networking/job searching).
  3. Work on creating more content for the blog and getting back into creative writing.
  4. Continuing with the photography challenge
  5. Work on my daily meditation practice (try to get back to meditating 5-10 minutes a night).

So how did I do with each goal?

In terms of my reboot/pause break—the only thing I know for certain is that I will be spending a good week or so going through my storage unit and getting it in order. I started doing it last year, when I rearranged everything—but I know that I have at least half a dozen boxes that need to be repacked. I’d also like to maybe go through a few of the boxes and maybe get rid of some stuff if possible.

I’m thinking that for at least the first week or so my day may look like this:

            Get up, have a cup of coffee (or tea) and feed the dogs.

            Go for a morning walk at Boomer Lake and take some nature/wildlife photography shots.

            Breakfast, and then up to the storage facility to work on my storage unit (for at least an hour or two).

            Then back home for lunch.

            Go through at least one e-course (taking notes).

            Read/share at least two articles from a biotech/biopharma news site on linkedin and twitter

            Spend at least forty minutes responding to messages and/or sending out connection requests on linkedin.

            Read for an hour (personal/professional development) and journal for an hour (answering questions from personal/professional development book).

            Workout

            Feed the animals

            Dinner and evening routine

In terms of planning a trip—I haven’t quite decided if I’m going to try to make it the ASCB national meeting in December or not (and that would take a minor chunk of money). If I decide not to go, then I’ll probably start planning a trip (or two) for the spring (towards March or April), when hopefully there isn’t as bad of weather (blizzards and such) that could wreck havoc with air travel.

In terms of writing more—this is something that I feel short on this month. I’ve realized that my “writer’s block” is partially procrastination, and then partially being tired all the time and poor time management (see being tired). As I told someone the other day—I’m not an early bird, or night owl—I’m a perpetually tired day pigeon. I need to get my sleep schedule worked out and once that is on an even keel, I’m sure everything else will fall into place. Though with the reboot break coming up—I should also schedule in the time for writing and brainstorming.

I took a mini hiatus from the photography challenge this month—I just couldn’t decide on photographs to share, and it was one of the weeks when I was just really irritated with the world in general. But I got back to this last week, and I think as long as I get a weekend walk in—I should have photographs to share (though the themes are repetitive—the pictures aren’t), but I am also going to try to do some architecture photography this fall as well. That means hopefully some new pictures/themes.

In terms of meditating nightly—I’ve managed that, though most nights it has only been for two to five minutes. I’m still quite a bit off from doing nightly five to ten minute meditations. When I was doing my five to ten minute meditations—it took me about two to three months to get up to that time. So I’m on target to get back to five to ten minutes a night—I just have to keep up with the routine (and some nights that is a challenge).

So I was probably at about fifty to sixty percent on hitting my goals during the last new moon phase—which is on target with how I’ve been doing all year. I’ve been able to meet at least half my goals (sometime more, and once or twice a little less). But the motto for the last few months has been: Progress over perfection.

No Comments New Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional development

Cancer New Moon Goals: Review

30
Jul
2019

So tomorrow, the moon will be entering another new moon phase, and it will be the second one for the month of July (and is also considered a black super moon—aka the second new moon in a month), though for some it will actually fall on August 1st. This means that July is basically over, and there are only a little over 150 days left in the year. It also means that it’s time to look back at the goals that were set for the Cancer new moon, and see how I did with them.

So what were my goals for the Cancer new moon?

1) Review, edit, and update my 12-month goals/plans for the different areas that I set out back under the Aries new moon.

2) Meditate nightly (even if it’s only for a couple of minutes).

3) Do a daily tarot/oracle card reading (even if I don’t share on social media right away).

4) Read at least one more non-fiction book (two-three would be great)

5) Start working through some of the different e-courses that I’ve bought over the past two years.

So how did I do with each one?

  1. I’m still reviewing, editing, and updating my 12-month goals/plans especially since I’m going to be starting a reboot break/pause towards the end of the year. I’m slowly figuring out what I want to do in life (I have several ideas brewing), and I know that the goals that I set out a few moons ago are in need of constant adjustment.
  2. I’ve managed to do this, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I’d like to be able to get back to where I was meditating for five minutes or more, but I know that I can get there—it will just take daily/evening work to get there.
  3. I have been doing daily oracle/tarot card readings, but I’ve only been sharing maybe once a week on social media. This is because I feel like some of the readings are a little too personal for social media (or at least the messages seem that way). I will try to share at least twice a week (if not more often).
  4. I managed to finish two books during the new moon period. One was about decluttering and the other was about pausing (taking a break) to help figure out one’s life.
  5. I’ve tried to start some of the e-courses, but only manage about ten minutes here or there. I know that I should schedule time for doing them (and I may try to do it the last hour or so of the workday).

So I managed to do pretty well with the goals for the Cancer new moon period, though I might not have gotten as much done with a few as I would have liked—a little progress is better than none. Also in terms of the e-courses, while I have numerous ones—I may start with the ones that I feel could be the most beneficial at this time, work through those and then move on to the next set of courses. It has only taken me almost thirty-nine years to realize that I really haven’t been steering my ship, I’ve been adrift on the current but now I’m slowly starting to readjust the course of the ship.

No Comments AstrologyLifestyle ChallengesNew Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional development

A review of Gemini New Moon Goals

02
Jul
2019

So we’re halfway through the year, and the moon will be transitioning into the Cancer constellation today and tomorrow and starting a new moon phase. July is going to be an interesting month, as there will be two new moons—today (which was also a total solar eclipse—but one you had to be in South America to see), and then again on the 31st.

So it is time again to look back on the few goals that I set for the Gemini new moon phase and determine how I did with each one, and what I can do to continue striving for improvement in those areas.

So my goals for the Gemini new moon include:

            I’m going to put making a financial plan back on the list. I’ve realized that I’m not getting any younger, and that there are still things that I either want to do (travel more for leisure) or will need to be doing (moving for a new job) that will require having a decent amount of money saved and/or invested.

            Try to get back into meditating nightly (I got out of the habit last month, and I need to try to get back into it again).

            Read at least three more non-fiction books (out of the large list that I have going).

So how did I do with the goals?

In terms of making a financial plan—I’m trying to put about half a paycheck into the savings (which accounts for about 1 paycheck a month), though sometimes it isn’t quite that much. I know that I need to speak with a financial consultant about my meager retirement account (especially what to do about it when I leave my current job), and also how to go about getting it a little higher.

I’ve realized that I don’t need to be making seven figures a year to be happy—I’m pretty sure that I’ll be happy with a nice low six figure income that covers my monthly bills (and it may include a mortgage for an small house or an condo), and still leave me enough to save/invest and even travel.

I’m trying to get into the habit that less is actually more (especially when it comes to certain things like clothes, movies, and similar things). So one long-term goal is to get my belongings down to where I could live comfortably in a small apartment.

I still need to make a better long term financial plan, one that will hopefully account for one move, travel, and living in a decent size city.

In terms of meditating nightly—I probably managed it about eighty percent of the time. There were just a few evenings, where I was running behind on doing things and decided just to chill and read for a while before bed instead of meditating for a few minutes and then reading before bed. It does help my sleep at times when I do meditate—so a goal for July will be to hopefully meditate before bed every night.

In terms of reading (or finishing) at least three non-fiction books—I managed to finish one. The one I finished was related to finances and was called “The Latte Factor: Why You don’t have to be rich to live rich” by David Bach and John David Mann.

It’s a book that shows you how to focus on what you’re spending your money on—that way if you know what you’re spending money on, you have ideas of where you can start saving money. A book review will be coming in the next few weeks.

Over the past year, I’ve been keeping track (more or less) of how I spend money and I know where I splurge. My goals now are to 1) figure out a better way of dealing with stress (that doesn’t involve buying candy), and 2) reminding myself that I should work through several of the different little e-courses that I’ve bought over the past two years before I buy any more.

Reading has always been a pastime of mine—now I just need to figure out a way to incorporate more non-fiction books into the reading mix (lately I’ve been going with fiction as a escape tool against reality).

While I did okay on my mental and financial goals during the Gemini new moon period, I’ve realized they’re things that I should be constantly working on, so I’m going to try to focus on my mental and financial health during the next new moon period.

No Comments HealthLifestyle Challengesmoney saving challengesNew Moon Goalsno spend challengesPersonal Development

Review of Taurus New Moon Goals

02
Jun
2019

So the moon is transitioning into Gemini tomorrow, as it marks its new phase. We have entered the last month of the second quarter of the year. Somehow June is a month that both crawls and speeds by at the same time. Now it’s time to look back on the goals that I set for the Taurus New Moon.

My list of things to try to focus on during the Taurus new moon included the following:

            Making a financial plan. I’ve realized that I’m not getting any younger, and that there are still things that I either want to do (travel more for leisure) or will need to be doing (moving for a new job) that will require having a decent amount of money saved and/or invested.

            Continue working on my transition plan—since I know at least one or two of the cities that I’m willing to relocate to (Boston, and maybe Washington DC, Chicago, or St. Louis) now I need to start looking for say three to four companies within each area that I think I could work for and start trying to network for informational interviews.

            Try and finish the following two books: “Next Gen PhD: A Guide to Career Paths in Science” by Melanie V Sinche and “Reboot Your Life: Energize your career and lie by taking a break” by Catherine Allen, Nancy Bearge, Rita Foley and Jaye Smith.

            Box (or bag) up the t-shirts that no longer fit well for donation (or selling online).

            Get back into a workout routine (go between weight training and cardio).

So how did I do with each goal?

In terms of making a financial plan—I have a decent amount in my savings. I’m leery of putting money (other than what my employer does for my retirement account) into the stock market, due to the current political climate. What I need to do is look into a short-term investment (CD or bonds) and decide how much to invest into something like that. I want to be comfortable whenever I retire (not super rich, but not struggling either), and that means I need to find the time to focus on that in the coming months as well.

In terms of the two books: “Next Gen PhD” and “Reboot Your Life”—I finished both of them (though I do need to go back and finish some of the exercises in each one. But by finishing “Reboot Your Life”, I’ve realized that I’m in dire need of a “reboot break”, and that one will be occurring at some point this year (possibly before my current job contract is up).

Working on my transition plan—this is going to be getting melded in with my “reboot break”. I’ve realized that currently I don’t have the time or the energy to focus on doing the job search/transition correctly. I know I will need to travel (in part to show that I am willing to relocate, and also to network), but I need to be strategic in where and when; currently I have no idea on the companies that I would like to possibly work for. This makes it difficult to strategically network for informational interviews. So I need to get my mental and physical health back on track, and then the job search/transition should fall into place.

The getting back into a workout routine and de-cluttering my clothes (and other possessions) are also going to be getting melded in with my “reboot break”. I’ve let stress and irritation from work overwhelm me to the point that I’m close to hitting either my low or just a point where I don’t really care anymore about certain things.

So the Taurus new moon period wasn’t the greatest in terms of reaching my goals—though I did finish two books and came to the conclusion that a break is needed (how long of a break—that is still undecided). I’m sure that there are people who will be shaking their heads saying that it doesn’t sound like anything has changed—but little baby steps (or even crawling) is better than nothing—it means I haven’t totally given up. Anxiety is a bitch to deal with, and my has been at a record level the past couple of months—so I’m happy with the little progress I’ve made and the fact that I’ve admitted to myself, that stopping to take care of myself for awhile probably isn’t that bad of an idea.

The moon will be in Gemini tomorrow, and that will be time to set some new intentions and goals for the beginning of June. The biggest intention is going to be to continue moving forward, no matter how slow it seems to others.

No Comments AstrologyHealthNew Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional development

New Moon Goals in Review: Update on the Aries goals

03
May
2019

So the moon will be moving into Taurus this weekend (as a new moon), and we are somehow in May and the year is flying by. We’re a third of the way thorough the second quarter of the year, and that means it’s time to look back on the goals that I set for the month of April (in terms of the new moon).

So my small list of things to focus on during the Aries new moon included the following:

            Making a 12-month plan. This is going to encompass both personal and professional area of my life.

            Recommit to a workout program

            Work on my eating habits (I do know that quite a bit of my bad habits stem from both stress and poor sleeping). Notice I didn’t say diet—but habits. I’m trying to work on basically having things in moderation and working on serving sizes.

            Read a book on positive thinking (I’m pretty sure that I have one or two on my large to-be-read e-pile; but I’ll look at amazon and see what I either have or I will purchase a book or two).

            Then finally, continue to try to mediate nightly. I’ve realized lately that my mind still races a little too much when I do try to mediate and I call it quits after about two minutes. Also I’ve realized that my racing thoughts have also made it a little difficult to do an accurate and decent tarot/oracle card reading—I may need to meditate for a few minutes before attempting to do a reading.

So how did I do with each one?

The 12 month plan is somewhat made, and will be continuously revised throughout the year. I’ve realized that I overthink things, then try to make numerous lists to help with the overthinking and that just puts me in the middle of a massive week long anxiety/stress attack. I’ve also realized that when it comes to deciding on my career—I need to start looking towards different companies—I can’t keep saying that I’m going to be a research scientist in “X” years or months if I don’t have an idea of where I would like to work.

I managed to make it a week with a workout program last month. Part of the issue was that another dog in the house (and one who likes it if everyone is in the same area at the same time), and I wasn’t always certain how the wifi/internet were going to be holding up. I am going to start back with a program (though it may be going between different DVD workouts if possible—our wifi/internet service can be spotty at best lately).

My eating habits are slowly getting better—though I spent way to much money again on campus this month, and I bought way to much sweets. The weight is slowly going down (I did weigh myself and I am down compared to the beginning of the year; but I’m still at one of my heaviest at the same time). I do know that I need to start eating more veggies during the day (when I managed to drink my shakeology daily I was getting a good amounts of veggies in that), and it probably wouldn’t hurt to eat a little more fruit either during the day.

The one book that I finished reading this month could be slightly on positive thinking—it was actually on how nice it can be to slowly declutter your life and realize how few things one actually needs to survive. This is something that I’ve slowly been starting to do, and it does take time and constant evaluation of things to ask yourself if you really need to spend money on “X”, “Y”, or “Z” and if you need the thirty or forty different t-shirts you have hanging in your closet.

In terms of meditating nightly—this is something that I am still working on daily. Some days are better than others in terms of being able to quiet my mind. I know that isn’t the total point of meditating, and that I should just be able to acknowledge my thoughts and let them pass—but sometimes I’ve found that I sleep just a little better if I can try to quiet my mind before bed. So there are times when I’m then meditating again after reading before falling asleep.

All in all, I think that I may actually have a plan (more or less) in place for trying to get things accomplished over the next coming year. I’ve realized that every April/May/June I fall into a mild bout of anxiety/depression and while I can usually pull myself out of it—it also has a habit of potentially causing other problems (namely not working out and eating too much junk food). I’ve also realized that I need to do the search for companies to work for on a smaller scale (so that I can keep my anxiety under control), and have decided that I’m going to aim for three to six at a time—have several documents/pages of notes on them so that if I get to the point of interviews I know what I’m talking about.

No Comments Fitness ChallengesNew Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional development