Man, 2019 was wrapping up and I felt pretty much stuck in a rut with my job, you know? Just grinding away, day in and day out, not really seeing much going on for myself. I was doing my usual late-night internet scroll and somehow landed on one of those horoscope sites. It popped up with something like “Your Pisces Career Horoscope 2020: Best Moves for Workplace Success!” and honestly, I just clicked it out of pure boredom, really.
I wasn’t a big believer in all that astrology stuff, never really was. But as I skimmed through it, some of the “moves” it was talking about actually sounded pretty reasonable, even without the zodiac spin. Things like “listen to your gut,” “connect with others,” “show your creative side.” I remember thinking, “Alright, what’s the worst that could happen?” So, I figured, why not actually try to put some of these ideas into practice? Not because of the stars, but just as an experiment, to shake things up a bit at work. I decided I’d actually keep a record of it, see if any of it made a lick of difference.
Starting My Little Experiment
First thing I did was grab a cheap notebook I had lying around – you know, the kind with the flimsy cover – and a pen. I jotted down “2020 Career Moves” at the top of the first page. My plan was simple: each week, I’d try to focus on one or two of these “best moves” it hinted at, and then just write down what I did, what happened, and how I felt about it. No fancy charts, no complicated tracking, just raw notes.
- The “Connect with Others” bit: This was one of the first ones I tackled. Usually, I’d just stick to my desk, get my work done, and barely chat. So, I pushed myself to actually talk to more people in the office. Not just about work, but like, “How was your weekend?” or asking about their kids, you know, just small talk. I’d try to have at least one genuine, non-work chat every day. I wrote down who I talked to and what came out of it.
- “Show Your Creative Side”: This one felt a bit tricky for my job, which felt pretty mechanical. But I interpreted it as “don’t just follow the instructions, suggest better ways.” So, if I saw a process that felt clunky, I started jotting down alternative ideas. I even spoke up in a meeting once, suggesting a new way to organize a shared drive. My hand was shaking the whole time, but I did it. I noted that down too.
- “Trust Your Intuition”: This was super vague, but I tried to apply it to decisions. Instead of just going with the first solution or what everyone else was doing, I’d pause. I’d think, “Does this feel right?” If a project felt off, I’d try to dig deeper or ask more questions, even if it meant a bit more work up front. I remembered one time I almost went with a default setting on a report, but my gut said to double-check. Turns out, it would’ve messed up the whole thing. Big relief there, and I wrote it all down.
- “Be Adaptable to Change”: Man, 2020 really threw a wrench in things, didn’t it? This move became super relevant. When all the WFH stuff hit, instead of just complaining, I tried to embrace it. I set up a dedicated little workspace at home, figured out the video call quirks, and just rolled with the punches. I even volunteered to help others get set up with new tools. My notes for this period were full of frustration, but also little victories of adapting.
The Ups and Downs of My Tracking
Some weeks, the notebook was sparse. I’d be swamped, forget to write things down, or just felt too tired to bother. Other weeks, especially after a good conversation or when an idea actually got picked up, my notes would be pretty detailed. I wasn’t always successful, definitely not. There were times I tried to “connect” and just got blank stares. Or my “creative” idea got shot down flat. I wrote those down too, because those were just as important lessons.
I started noticing patterns. When I actually made an effort to talk to folks, the general vibe at work felt a little better. People started greeting me more, small things. When I pushed myself to think differently, even if the idea wasn’t a winner, it felt like my brain was actually working more, you know? Like I was exercising a muscle I hadn’t used much before.
By mid-year, the notebook became less about “following the horoscope” and more about tracking my own growth and efforts. It was a tangible record of me trying to be more engaged, more thoughtful, and more proactive in my job. It wasn’t about the stars anymore; it was about the small, deliberate choices I was making every day.
What I Got Out of It All
When 2020 finally ended, I went back through that messy notebook. It wasn’t a neat, perfectly organized journal, but it was mine. I saw a record of all the little steps I took, the awkward conversations, the ideas that flopped, and the few that actually stuck. Did I get a massive promotion? Nah, not directly because of this. Did I suddenly become a workplace superstar? No way. But what I did get was a feeling of being more in control, more intentional. I felt less like a cog in the machine and more like someone who was actively trying to steer their own ship, even if it was just a tiny boat in a big ocean.
The biggest takeaway for me was that by actively seeking out those “best moves” – even if they came from a silly horoscope – and actually recording my attempts, I forced myself to pay attention. I became more aware of how I was interacting with my job and the people around me. It wasn’t magic, it was just showing up and trying different things, and having a place to see that effort laid out in front of me.
