So we’re already into 2019, and the first new moon is tomorrow. I’m hopefully that 2019 will go better than 2018 did. So in terms of starting off the new year, lets look back at the goals that I set during the last new moon of 2018 (which was when the moon had transitioned through Sagittarius).

This was the time that one should have been both counting their blessings, and at the same time trying to get their finances in order (at least for me as it was moving through my second house).

So what was my mini list of goals for the last new moon of 2018?

They included:

1. Doing better at keeping a money log, and setting up some financial goals for the New Year.
2. Working on the transition plan (namely narrowing down the biotech hubs and professional lifestyle that I want)
3. Working through different e-courses (taking notes for different posts).

So how did I do with each goal?

In terms of trying to keep a money log for December—I was good for the first few days of the month, and then I quit doing it (and actually I quit writing in my journal basically after the first few days as well). I did set up some goals for 2019, which include getting the credit card debt down to less than $500 a month (which would also allow me to pay off each credit card in full each month). This is an ongoing goal for 2019 (it probably won’t happen for a few months, as the end of 2018 was expensive and it will take a couple of months of paying everything down [especially since I was getting snacks almost daily last month and put it on the credit card as well]). Another goal related to that one is not purchasing snacks on campus (and if I do get snacks pay with cash, or if it goes on the credit card not doing it more than twice a week). In addition I want to try to get my saving account up at least another 5-7K before a potential move in the late summer or early fall.

In terms of the transition plan, I think I have an idea of the professional lifestyle that I want to live—I don’t mind the occasional long day in lab (as long as I’m being compensated for it, and it isn’t everyday), I also wouldn’t mind traveling to the occasional conference or meeting (but I don’t want to be traveling weekly). I want a job that keeps me curious, learning, and not bored. I also realize that I need to be starting to read more both in the business side of things (so I have something to talk about when going to both informational and actual interviews in terms of why I want to be working for that particular company), and trying to read more in certain scientific areas (I’m hopefully going to be making a list of different areas that interest me, and then downloading and trying to read one to two papers a week in different areas).

In terms of the biotech hubs, I’m still trying to figure out what the third (and possibly fourth) hub would be. I know that I’m going to be looking around the Boston area, and possibly Washington DC area. I think I should also try to figure out a biotech hub in the Midwest (either St. Louis or possibly Chicago) and maybe the Pacific Northwest (though that more expensive than the east coast, and I’m not sure how their public transportation systems are).

In terms of working through the different e-courses that I’ve bought over the past year and a half—I didn’t get through really any of them. I did finish two small courses on linkedin related to job searching/career development—but they were free courses. So this is something that I need to get better at in 2019 so that I can move forward in both the job transition and then within whatever company I join.

So I did fairly well with last months new moon goals–not perfect, but I at least focused on some of the areas, and I have a plan for moving forward into 2019. If the industry transition happens this year–it will be an expensive year (moving & setting up a new place isn’t cheap), but that is why I’m trying to start planning for it now. So it’s time to roll up the sleeves and slowly start edging out of the comfort zone and see what I can get accomplished this year.