Here’s a truth that productivity culture often doesn’t share:
No matter how hard you work, how much effort you put in, or how talented or smart you are, you cannot override the laws of nature.
Culture may pressure us to hit the ground running on January 1, but nature tells us that planning begins in earnest with the new moon in Capricorn, which occurs at 20º44’ of the sea goat’s sign on January 11 at 6:57 am ET.
We will get a boost in the energy to support our planning when Mercury, planet of planning and communication, re-enters Capricorn on January 13.
Here are 3 ways to work with the energy of the new moon in Capricorn to help you plan your biggest goals and dreams.
(1) Structure, Persistence and Patience
Capricorn is the 10th sign of the zodiac. It is a cardinal sign, meaning that it initiates a season. It is also an earth sign, which gives it a quality that helps us take the ephemeral — our ideas — and bring them into tangible form.
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, and like its ruling planet, the sign is associated with structure, persistence, and patience to take action over a long arc of time. This is not a sign about instant results or immediate gratification.
New moons are times of seeding new ideas and intentions. Although it’s often thought that these seeds should sprout within a few weeks or months, the timeline is actually longer.
Each new moon is also the start of a new Lunar Phase Gestation cycle, which unfolds over a period of a few years.
The goals and dreams we plan now are meant to take form over a period of years, not months.
Resist the trap of instant gratification and the unrealistic expectation of instant result. Think long-term, and anticipate a long journey of persistence and patience.
Resist the trap of instant gratification and the unrealistic expectation of instant result. Think long-term, and anticipate a long journey of persistence and patience.
(2) Plan in Alignment and Integrity
The team at MoonOmens explains that in the Zodiacal wheel, Capricorn follows Sagittarius, a sign connected with philosophical exploration and self-discovery.
After the journey of self-discovery, the invitation of Capricorn is to build a life aligned with who we are now and what we value.
Consider what happens to a train when it isn’t aligned with the track. The train will eventually derail.
Setting goals based on what we believe we “should” want or based on expectations people have for us is a prescription for the train to derail — which is how we get “off track” in our days and in our lives.
As we plan our goals, we are the train, and the track is our values, beliefs, and our identity — the operating system of our lives.
Setting goals based on what we believe we “should” want or based on expectations people have for us is a prescription for the train to derail — which is how we get “off track” in our days and in our lives.
Who you are at this point in time is not the same as who you were last year or even 6 months ago. If you’re still pursuing the same goals, it’s likely you’ll derail.
Further Reading: The Biggest Mistake You Make in Planning Your Year
The first step to planning is to get clear on who you are and what you value.
Planning goals that are aligned with your truth allows you to create a life of integrity with who you are now, rather than living in compliance with the expectations of family, friends, and a culture that has conditioned you to be something else.
Further reading: Are You Planning Your Year Reactively?
(3) Build from a Solid Foundation
In the body, Capricorn rules the bones and joints — the essential structure of our physical beings.
In real estate, we always judge a house by it’s “bones” — we use the phrase “good bones” to describe a house that has a good structure and layout, even if it is in need of renovation.
When you have a good foundation and structure, it’s easier to build and expand — or to rebuild.
The same is true with the other parts of our lives. Whether you want to build or grow a business, physical strength, new relationships, having a solid foundation makes it easier and more efficient.
Good Bones = Your Daily Rituals and Practices
When it comes to our goals for life, business, health, and relationships, “good bones” are our daily rituals, habits, and practices.
Any goal can be broken down into the daily rituals and practices that will lead to the result we desire.
For example, if your goal is to write a book, a daily writing practice will be more effective than trying to fit in time to write “when you can.”
Setting big goals is pointless if those goals aren’t aligned with your values, and if you don’t have the structure, skills, strength, and support to take the necessary actions to achieve those goals.
If you want to improve your strength and fitness, a daily practice of movement, healthy eating, and quality sleep will give you a head start. You won’t need to find time to fit in your workouts if you already have them on your schedule.
Further Reading: The Secret to Sustaining Daily Workouts
When you already have have solid rituals and habits, it’s easier to take on new projects, grow existing projects, and expand your capacity to take on more because you have the structures in place already.
If you don’t have solid daily practices and rituals — if your structures don’t support you — you will find it difficult to build and expand.
Further Reading: The Power and Purpose of Rituals
Even worse, what you do build is more likely to fall apart in a storm.
Consider the difference between a mobile home and an old home built from bricks and stone, and how each fares in a hurricane or tornado.
Setting big goals is pointless if those goals aren’t aligned with your values, and if you don’t have the structure, skills, strength, and support to take the necessary actions to achieve those goals.
Shore Up Your Foundation to Support Your Goals
The Capricorn new moon is a time to shore up our foundational structure to support the goals we have.
As you consider your goals, also consider what daily practices and rituals you need in place to take you there, what skills you must develop, and what support you need to help you stay on track.
[…] Capricorn loves a goal, but it loves a plan even more. […]