Moon Fish of Action

Creating Your Moon List

Get a piece of paper. I think this is important. It is important and helpful to have this list on a piece a paper you wrote out yourself, not something you typed into your device.

Write down a list of things you would like to get done. Some things may be dreams, big stretch ideas like going back to school, others should be smaller and very actionable tasks, like “clean the hall closest” or “paint the kitchen” or “take that class on watercolor painting”. Some goals are small and actually doable in a few hours, others may require larger life changes with multiple steps like going back to school, or career changes.

1. Write out a list of goals, new habits, projects, hobbies, things you’ve been meaning to do but just haven't done.

2. Group them into smaller goals and larger goals.

3. Select your top 5.

4. If needed, write down 3 possible smaller items that seem likely steps toward the main goal.

5. Select no more than 5 goals or tasks or affirmations. Most people find a balance of 2 short-term tasks, 2 mid-length goals and one stretch goal.

Memorize your Moon List

1. Count from one to five with your fingers. Some people start with their thumb for one. Others start with their index finger. However you do it, just remember your preferred order starting with “one”, and get to “five”.

2. Now, slowly count from one to five with your hand. One deep slow breath for each number.

3. Repeat this action.

4. Now, go through and assign a goal to each finger and thumb. The first goal goes with the preferred first phalange (finger or thumb), second with the second finger, third, etc.

5 Repeat this exercise 3 times.

6 Repeat this exercise each day until you get your list memorized.

7. Each day, take 5 minutes to sit and breathe the 5 deep breaths and review your goals. Maybe first thing when you wake up, maybe on the bus ride to school or work, maybe at work, right after you parked the car. Whenever works for you.

As you complete a goal that is on your list, keep it on the list until the next Full moon, but you can move it to the bottom of the list. Each time you come to it after it is completed – you re-enforce your “win” at having completed that task/goal.

Full Moon Review and Kickoff

As near the Full moon as life allows, review your list, remove the completed ones, and add new ones to replace them, so you are back to having five on the list. Celebrate in some small but meaningful way, your success in completing some of the goals or tasks. Its totally fine if you did not complete all 5, just keep the un-completed ones on your list.

Make it a Party!
Add an accountability partner or 2 or 3. Bring refreshments, light some candles, have a Moon List Review and Kickoff party!

Life happens

Sometimes, life gets busy. It is perfectly normal to be intentional about the Moon List for a few weeks, and then life gets busy. Suddenly, you may step outside, look up, and see that the Moon is full. You remember your goals and your list. That work got busy, family life got busy, and you dropped the ball. Important: Don’t beat yourself up for forgetting, simply just pick right back up where you were.

3 Lunar cycles List Review (3 month review): Re-size or Toss the no-action ones

The Moon List can be updated whenever a goal has been reached or a task completed. At least every third full moon, if not sooner, review your list. Is there a goal or task that is just sitting there, nagging you for action, but you haven’t taken any steps toward it? After three lunar cycles, if you haven’t taken any action, then its time to either toss the goal as perhaps you just “think” its what you want, or break the goal down into smaller chunks.

Dream Goal management:

The one goal that is a real stretch, a big change, something that seems pretty big, maybe the first month its on your list, you are just trying it on in your mind, and beginning exploring your options. For example, if its go back to school as an adult, the goal this lunar cycle may be to call or email the local community college and make an appointment with an advisor. Or, make an appointment with a personal trainer at a gym. Or a goal to get help starting saving money for the big goal. Whatever you Dream of doing, someone else has done something similar, and they are willing to talk to you about it. You don’t have to perfectly execute the Dream all on your own, you just have to ask for help, and then take the next indicated step.

Tracking your progress with the Moon

Some nights when we look up at the moon, it is full and bright; sometimes it is just a sliver of silvery light. These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits Earth, it cycles through eight distinct phases. The four primary phases occur about a week apart.

Phases of the moon

The moon, like Earth, is a sphere, and it is always half-illuminated by the sun. As the moon travels around Earth, we see more or less of the illuminated half. The moon's phases describe how much of the moon's disk is illuminated from our perspective.

New moon: The moon is between Earth and the sun, and the side of the moon facing toward us receives no direct sunlight; it is lit only by dim sunlight reflected from Earth. A new moon doesn’t have any bright areas reflecting light towards us on Earth. Sometimes, you will be able to still see a big round dimly lit sphere.

Waxing crescent: As the moon moves around Earth, the side we can see gradually becomes more illuminated by direct sunlight.

First quarter: The moon is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky and is half-illuminated from our point of view. We call it "first quarter" because the moon has traveled about a quarter of the way around Earth since the new moon.

Waxing gibbous: “Waxing” means “growing”
The area of illumination continues to increase. More than half of the moon's face appears to be getting sunlight.

Full moon: The moon is 180 degrees away from the sun and is as close as it can be to being fully illuminated by the sun from our perspective.

Waning gibbous: “Waning” means “Going away” or “diminishing” or “decreasing”
More than half of the moon's face appears to still be getting sunlight, but the amount is decreasing.

Last quarter: The moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position. The sun's light is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the moon.

Waning crescent: Less than half of the moon's face appears to be getting sunlight, and the amount is decreasing.

New moon:
Finally, the moon is back to its new moon starting position. Now, the moon is between Earth and the sun.