So, the moon will be entering the Capricorn constellation over the weekend, and the first new moon cycle for 2022. Though before looking ahead to the New Year and new moon, I should take a look back at the goals that I set for the Sagittarius new moon and see how I did with each of them.
The goals that I set for the Sagittarius new moon included:
Develop a ‘fluid’ daily/weekly schedule for getting various things done
Setting up a goal list/bingo card for 2022 (working semi from the larger 150+ goals in 2002 days challenge)
Starting to work through various e-courses
Setting up different ‘stations’ in the bedroom: work, craft, and meditation
So how did I do with each of them?
In terms of my first goal:
In terms of the ‘fluid’ daily/weekly schedule—I think I’m going to try a larger bullet journal that will be dedicated to being a weekly/daily planner and journal all wrapped into one. I’ve already set up a larger yearly planner/tracker (I just need to finish drawing in all the squares—but I’ve gotten all pages labeled for the entire year), and the weekly/daily will be based roughly on the larger yearly one.
I’m also going to have a separate journal for dealing with my oracle card drawings, reflecting on the card, and possibly even sketch them out into a short story (weekly spread, perhaps).
In terms of the second goal:
I’ve set up several bingo cards for 2022—an ‘overall’ yearly bingo card, an non-fiction reading bingo card, an intentional movement bingo card, and an e-course bingo card. The yearly one is similar to the one I set up for 2021—but this coming year, I’m hoping since it is in the ‘main’ habit-tracking journal I’ll look at it more often.
In terms of the third goal:
Working through the e-courses didn’t happen that much—though I did join an accountability group to help try to ensure a transition to a remote writing position sometime during 2022.
In terms of the fourth goal:
The semi-dedicated meditation area has been created, but the dedicated work and craft stations haven’t been created (yet). I’m hoping to get the dedicated workstation created over the weekend (I just have some rearranging of things to finish), but the dedicated craft station is on hold for a few months (until I have the funds secured for buying the desk/storage unit).
All in all—I’d say that I managed to meet possibly fifty percent of the goals (the schedule is in the works, and I created the bingo cards). The others are in the works (mainly creating the workstation and having set up a semi-dedicated meditation area). This past year, may not have gone the way I planned—but I did manage to accomplish numerous things (the top being—still self-isolating and currently not having contracting the SARS-CoV2 virus).
The next new moon is this weekend, and also marks the start of 2022. Here is to more progress forward towards the goals of transitioning into a remote writing position, reworking/rebranding the blog/website, and creating a copywriting/blogging business by the end of 2022.
So we’re going to be heading into May’s full moon within the next twenty-four hours, and hopefully the weather will improve. This full moon is also suppose to be lunar eclipse as well–but we’ve been having rainy/cloudy weather for the past few weeks, so there is a chance that I won’t be able to see the eclipse in the morning due to possible overcast conditions.
Therefore, before looking Sagittarius full moon, I should look back at the goals that I set for the Scorpio full moon and see how I did with each of them.
The goals for the Scorpio full moon included:
Finish 21-Day Fix Real Time and then start 21-Day Fix Extreme Real Time
Spend more time reflecting and set at least one ‘long-term’ goal (personal or professional) that is at least 5-10 years down the road
Finish setting up my 12-month plan (based semi off the ‘long-term goal’; bonus–this would be finishing up a past Aries New moon goal as well)
Continue with daily evening meditations
So how did I do with each of them?
In terms of the two fitness programs–I decided to concentrate more on ‘intentional movement’ and then started LIIFT4 for the third time. It isn’t that I didn’t like 21-Day Fix & 21-Day Fix Extreme Real Time, but I just wasn’t in the mood to listen to the ‘lectures’ on ‘proper nutrition and eating’ as I’m still trying to improve my relationship with food. I will do these programs, but once I feel like my relationship with food has improved enough that I’m not worried about falling back into the mindset of restriction.
In terms of goals 2 & 3–I’m still in reflection mode and contemplating ‘long-term’ goals, and still trying to flesh out the ’12-month’ plan as well. Though I did create a personal/professional board game over the past few weeks that could be tied to both of the goals. I’ve realized over the past few weeks that in terms of trying to set ‘long-term’ goals I keep hearing conflicting viewpoints. The viewpoints go from ‘yes, everyone should have at least one long-term goal to strive for’, and to ‘if you’re focused on a specific goal, you might miss an opportunity because it doesn’t align with your goal’.
These conflicting opinions, made me realize that I’m ‘afraid now’ of setting long-term goals for several reasons: 1) I tried that with grad school/post-docs (had thought of trying to obtain a professor position) and it didn’t happen; 2) I’m having ‘troubles’ seeing myself ’15+’ years down the road doing something (since I’m worried about possibly being on the ‘wrong track’ again); and 3) I’m striving to still find that ‘balance’ between different areas of life (since I know I have the habit of becoming laser focused on one thing to the determent of everything else).
But I’m working my way slowly away from the ‘fear’ by creating and playing my own personal/professional development board game. It is giving me the power to decide what I’m doing, what I’m studying/reviewing, how far in-depth I’m going, and how I’m going to showcase what I’ve learned.
Meditation at night is going more or less smoothly–the only time I ‘skip’ it is if I’m either not feeling well, or something has totally messed up my evening routine (say a water heater spewing 20-30 gallons of water into the room). It hasn’t quite become a fully ingrained habit yet, but I’m making progress towards that end goal. It does help improve my sleep, and I think I’m going to also try morning meditation as well this summer.
So I may not have been totally on target with the Scorpio goals, but I also didn’t fall totally off target either. I’m slowly embracing the fact that productivity/health/life is all cyclic, everyone has good days/weeks and then bad days/weeks. The mark of improvement and progress is making sure that you strive towards getting back towards the good days/weeks instead of wallowing in the bad days/weeks. Also noticing what your productivity ‘cycles’ are can also help, in terms of wondering where you might need to have ‘fewer’ goals or when you can possibly add ‘more’ goals to your list.
I’m slowly starting to figure out my productivity cycle (it looking like peaks are beginning and mid-fall, slow climb/fall, ‘bottoming-out’ twice a year [April/May and possibly Oct/Nov]), but will continue to tract to be sure. A new ‘goal’ will be to try to limit the ‘fall’ and start the ‘climb’ quicker (only two months bottoming-out instead of the possible four).
So question: What are some of your favorite productivity trackers?
So April is almost over, and that means that we will be heading towards the fourth full moon of the year on Monday. It seems taht time dragged by this time last year, but is speeding by this year. I’m not sure if it’s due to having a competent federal administration (at least at the executive level) and/or getting the pandemic slowly under control. But before I can look ahead to the next full moon, I need to look back at the goals that I set for the Libra full moon and reflect on how I did with each of them.
While it wasn’t a ‘goal’ per-say, I did managed to get a picture of the moon with my camera and longer lens (not the greatest, but not bad for the first time either):
March’s Libra Super Full Moon
So now back to the goals that I set for the Libra full moon? They included:
Working on my focal points (idea from the book ‘The Renaissance Soul: How to make your passions your life–a creative and practical guide’ by Margaret Lobensteine). Either ‘focus’ them more (making them more specific) or at least have my ‘whys’ added to them.
Create the ‘April brain-dump’ page; basically try to get all ideas and thoughts for the month of April onto paper. Giving me some direction for the month, plus allowing me to see what posts/pages I would like to create.
Continue working through various personal and professional development courses. Probably wouldn’t hurt to develop at least a rough draft of a personal/professional development plan.
So how did I do with each of them?
In terms of working on my focal points, while I didn’t make them any more specific, I did add my current ‘whys’ to each of them.
My evolving focal points plan
While I decided to keep the focal points semi-vague, I added in my ‘strengths’, core values, and my current ‘whys’ for each fo the five focal points. Keeping the focal points slightly vague was an attempt to try and keep my inner critic/imposter syndrome in check. I had spent a couple of weeks staring at the focal points and trying to make them more specific, but then I remembered this passage from ‘How to be everything: A guide for those who (still) don’t know what they want to be when they grow up’ by Emile Wapnick:
“When you lose interest in something, you must always consider the possibility that you’ve gotten what you came for; you have completed your mission. […] That’s why you lose interest: not because you’re flawed or lazy or unable to focus but because you’re finished”.
I felt like this passage could almost sum up the past twenty years of my life, and I wish I had spent more time in my 20s trying to figure out my life, instead of just going with the flow. Going with the flow can either lead you in the right direction–or carry you so far off your path, you have no choice by to start foraging a new one. Truthfully, I find myself in the second category–having to forage a new path to try to connect back to my ‘original’ path that I deviated from decades ago.
I created my ‘April brain-dump’ page almost as soon as I finished writing the Libra Full Moon post. In terms of making use of it–only a few things have actually been crossed-off/highlighted. I think this was due in part to the weather slowly warming up–I like to spend time outdoors when it is nice, and the other part were the more subtle ways of my inner critic/imposter syndrome pulling me back into my comfort zone.
While I have noticed different ways that I ‘self-sabotage’ myself at times, and with even having ideas on how to deal with those issues–I still fell into those habits this past month. I spent way too much time either surfing social media and/or amazon, plus reading various fiction books (I was pretty much binge reading the Fatal series by Marie Force to get ready for State of Affairs that came out on the 20th).
I’m going to actually try and make use of the one ‘time-management’ app that I downloaded earlier this year (it is called Self Control), and see if I can get more things accomplished in May than I did in April. As I sit here writing this post, I realize that I probably should have been making use of the app for a couple of months–but I allowed my inner critic/imposter syndrome to keep me from activating it with their best ‘lie’: ‘what if there is another webinar or whatever being announced, if you have the site ‘inactive’ you’ll miss hearing about it’. Well–I’m going to take that risk that I will miss out on hearing about something right away.
In terms of working through any personal or professional development course–yeah, that didn’t happen this month. Again it was a combination of the weather getting nicer (therefore wanting to be outside more), and having managed to work myself in a decent anxiety attack with trying to develop a personal/professional development plan (therefore having then ‘shut down’ for most of the month).
I’ve realized that I’m still struggling with trying to define any type of long term goal (basically where do I see myself in ‘X’ years), both professionally and personally–which makes trying to create any type of long-term plan difficult. While I can keep most things vague–I realize that I should try to make a semi-focused long term goal of say 5 years (which is something that I’m slowly working on), and also realize/embrace is the fact that the goal can (and probably will) slowly start changing as I really start figuring out what I really do enjoy doing on a daily basis.
So while I only had three goals set for the Libra full moon, I managed to meet (at least in part) two of the three goals. I added my ‘whys’ to my focal points, and did a ‘brain-dump’ of ideas for the month. I also realized that I tend to start having ‘problems’ getting more things done once the weather starts getting nice and I want to be outdoors more than I want to be indoors. This means that I will need need to try to get all the computer work done in the morning/evenings, or set up an ‘outdoor’ space for working. I will also start making use of the ‘self-control’ app to keep me from scrolling through various sites all day instead of working. Though as I look at what I’ve managed to accomplish (and what I had hoped to accomplish) this month (and year) to date–I realize, that I can ‘start’ the year over at any time. So that is what I will be trying to do: I will use this last week of April to reflect and plan for a ‘new year’ and May will become the new starting point.
This is allowing me to keep with the following quotes: ‘Progress over Perfection’ and ‘You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last chapter’. Progress, no matter how small will add up over time, and will carry one forward–the biggest hurdle is just getting started.
**Disclaimer** I am not in the healthcare profession, if you
are in need of medical (or mental) help—please see a licensed healthcare
professional. The following are just my thoughts, feelings, and ways I think I
can deal with my issues. Again—if you have issues, please see a licensed
healthcare professional**.
Spent part of the weekend doing some serious reflection, and
have come to the realization of several things:
I need to
get better at time management (especially on the weekends, when I really don’t
have my day structured that much). I realize that I could have the traffic
coming to the blog higher, if I actually got posts written and posted on a
regular schedule—instead of the semi-regular, sporadic schedule I’ve been
doing.
Also having
better time management, means that I could probably also be looking at
different career tracks that are in the free-lancing and consulting areas
(instead of looking for the just general nine-to-five jobs).
I would
also have the time to dedicate to crafts and other projects or things I want to
get accomplished.
I have also
become my own worse enemy in terms of getting into the best shape of my life. I
have allowed myself to use just about any excuse for not doing my workouts in
the evenings, and before anyone comments that I could be doing them in the
mornings—right now I’m barely getting my seven and a half hours of sleep, and
therefore I’m not sacrificing that just to get a workout in first thing in the
morning.
This one is
also tied into the time management need as well—there are only so many hours in
the evening before heading to bed, that I probably could be making better use
of them, then how I’ve been using them.
I also need
to find better ways of dealing with my stress and anxiety. I have found myself
going to the little market on campus and buying several different sweets and
candy bars (that will either last me the day, or a couple of days depending on
my stress/anxiety levels).
The stress
and anxiety have been issues that I really should have been dealing with years
ago. I have a pretty good idea where a lot of my anxiety issues (tests,
driving, and to some extent social) have come from (childhood can suck at
times), and the stress is due in part to internalizing how I feel instead of
just letting it out (probably would have had more issues in school if I vocalized
how I felt at times). So those two issues have probably lead to some health
issues (indigestion and upset stomach) that I also need to find better ways of
dealing with (then taking over the counter medications and trying to ignore
them).
So how can I start to address and manage these issues (I
won’t say overcome and get rid of—because I know that having that mindset can
set me up for failure)?
In terms of time management—I need to ask myself what
tasks/items am I doing (or can I be doing) that are (or can be considered)
beneficial for the future me.
Also I probably should look into the different apps/web
pages that allow you to block certain pages to help increase productivity (I
know that I do spend way to much time on social media).
Also I should ask myself—what tasks am I doing during the
day at work that are actually going to be helping me move forward (and not
actually helping move someone else forward). This might be a little more
problematic, as I’m sure that there are at least one or two people that won’t
be happy if I start to figure out other things to do that I deem more important
then they do. In other words—I really need to start working on my
individualized development plan (or my reboot break/transition plan).
In terms of getting back on track in terms of fitness and
nutrition—there are several things that I can do:
Have my
bedroom clean and the workout equipment off to the side. That way once I’m done
with a few evening chores, I can put on my workout clothes, stream the workout
program and get it done.
Not compare
myself to others. This has been a hard one for me (especially the last few
years that I’ve gained the weight back and the negative mind set).
If I need
to take a walk at lunch (due to stress or anxiety), I will try to have my small
digital camera on me so that I can practice my photography skills (instead of
going to spend money on candy).
Also when
needed—take my journal and go for a walk; then find a quiet area where I can
sit and reflect on what is potentially causing my anxiety or stress to occur.
Sit and try to write for at least five to ten minutes and then head back to the
lab. Hopefully this will help me get a handle on the stress and anxiety.
Get back
into the habit of trying to mediate for at least three to five minutes every
night before reading.
Try to pack
my shakeology (and supplements) to take to work and have it as either part of
lunch or a snack. This will help me work back up to having it as part of
breakfast.
So I know what I need to do in order to get myself back on
the correct trail—patch some things that weren’t working, and rework some other
things. I’m now going to picture my journey moving forward in one of two ways:
I’m hiking and I will need to look for things to help me on my way; or I’m on a
boat at sea, and I need to find unique ways of patching little holes in the
boat to ensure that I can make it to the next island/land formation.
So today marks the full moon for May, and it is actually
passing through the Scorpio constellation. So I guess that I will be doing a
double Scorpio goal period (since that is how I treated last month).
The questions that I would need to be answering are the same
ones that I answered last month, but I think that my answers now are actually
slightly different from what I had written last month.
So looking at the book “Moonlogy: Working with the magic of
the lunar cycles” by Yasmin Boland, for questions that one should be asking
themselves during this time the questions would include:
Have I been jealous, vengeful, suspicious, or otherwise
behaved toxically?
Have I been living out of fear rather than joy?
Have I been brooding and dark: focusing on the negative
rather than the positive?
Have I been cruel or cunning?
Am I having the sex I need to feel good about myself? (Of
course, some people need no sex at all!)
If I were to number the questions one to five, my answers
would be:
This
depends on what how one defines toxic—towards other people or toward oneself. I
don’t think that I’ve been acting toxically towards other people—I try to be
polite and cordial at work and at home (yes, I probably have unfriendly
thoughts towards others, but I try not to act on them). Have I been acting
toxically towards myself—I’d have to say unfortunately yes I have been. I know
that I should be eating better and working out more, but I haven’t been and
I’ve been allowing myself to use really lame things as excuses for both bad
behaviors.
Depending
on how you would define both terms—but yes, I have been living out of fear
rather than joy quite often. I know that I should probably just quit my job so
that I have more time to focus on job searching (namely networking and figuring
out the exact path that I want to pursue), but I haven’t since most people
usually try to have the replacement job lined up before they quit their current
one.
With
the way the world is currently going, it is sometimes hard not to dwell on the
negative. I do try to look for the positive daily, though sometimes this is
hard to do (especially when one is in a job that is less than fulfilling).
No
I haven’t been cruel or cunning—that takes too much work and effort. Currently
I’m more apathetic and at times I really don’t care too much about what is
going on—I just try to get through the day without losing my temper or my cool.
This answer hasn’t changed at all from last month.
As
the second statement says—Some people need no sex at all to feel good about themselves.
I’m in that boat currently—I have no time for a relationship (especially since
I’m planning on leaving the state & I really don’t have the time to try to
do a long distance relationship), and I’m not really the type for just having
random hookups. Again, this answer hasn’t changed from last month either.
So this month marks the moon moving into Scorpio, and
actually moving into my first house as well—this is our image zone. This is
where one can reflect on both one’s personal and professional lives, and
determine if there are things that could be worked on and changed. Getting to
go through this zone “twice” is helpful, as I need the reminder that I should
be trying to put myself first every so often, and that there really aren’t that
many people looking out for my best interests (job wise and personal life
wise).
So goals for this full moon period are going to be slightly
similar to the ones from last month and include:
Getting my fitness and nutrition routine back on track (I haven’t done a full week’s worth of workouts in over a month, and I need to start cutting back on the sweets, this will also help me save money as well), but also remember that I only need to try to be better than yesterday—progress over perfection. Hopefully I can figure out better ways of handling stress than buying sweets on campus, and since the cable/wifi problem has been fixed I should be able to stream my workouts in the evenings.
Professionally
I need to continue working on both my professional transition plan, and my
“reboot break” plan. I’m also going to try to finish reading “The Renaissance
Soul: How to make your passions your life” by Margaret Lobensteine &
“Designing Your Life: How to build a well-lived joyful life” by Bill Burnett
& Dave Evans. Having finished reading “Reboot Your Life: Energize your
career & life by taking a break” by Catherine Allen, Nancy Bearge, Rita
Foley, & Jaye Smith I’ve realized that taking a break is needed and needs
to happen before the end of the calendar year.
Continue
trying to work on a daily meditation and tarot/oracle card reading. I’ve
noticed that these do help with trying to wind down at the end of the day, and
I sometimes sleep better after having done them.
So the goals are similar, but a little different from last
month—sometimes the major difference is just acknowledging that we are in a
self-destruction loop and trying to step off that track just a little to
readjust ourselves and get back to the healthier habits.
