I’ve documented how I’m not a huge fan of starting the new year in January, so I took last month and prepared for the months to come. As someone who use energy levels as an indicator of what to do and when to do it, I actually find I’m more in rhythm with how the Chinese New Year works.
We’ve just entered The Year of The Horse, and 2014 is specifically The Year of The Wood Horse. I did a little bit of digging on what this year might mean astrologically, and here’s a sample of what I found:
“The Wood Horse year is a time of fast victories, unexpected adventure, and surprising romance. It is an excellent year for travel, and the more far away and off the beaten path the better. Energy is high and production is rewarded. Decisive action, not procrastination, brings victory. But you have to act fast in a Horse year. If you are not 100% secure about a decision, then don’t do it. Events move so quickly in a Horse year that you don’t want to gallop off in the wrong direction.” — via Susan Leviitt
I’m not a huge believer in astrological theories, but much of what is mentioned above resonates with me. It’s not that I’m for being 100% secure in my decisions – I’d rather execute and tweak afterward then remain stagnant for too long — but I do think that without having some form of plan in place you can “gallop off in the wrong direction” and it can take a lot longer to find your way back with all of the things we’ve got on our plates.
I took last month to plan things out.
- I scaled back on some projects, either adding them to my seldom-used “Someday/Maybe” context or eliminating them altogether.
- I themed the remainder of my calendar months after that.
- I took some time to outline what habits I really wanted to build in the months ahead, like getting in shape, and then formulated a plan to make that something I could connect with easier.1
- I also rested…a lot.
Then I got ready to move forward with my next move.
That’s where I find myself right now. I’ve got plenty of moves lined up. Some of them could very well be the next move I make, while others are going to have to wait their turn. The thing is, no matter what move you make next, you are going to have to make it. And if you have prepared accordingly for it, both in terms of planning and mindset, then it’ll move you forward.
The next move isn’t always the best move, but it has a much better chance of being so when you take the time to plan accordingly.
Photo credit: OeildeNuit via SXC.HU
1 By the way, I’m one week into the Focus T25 program and I’m liking it…so far.
