“Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” – Paul Brandt

Tonight*, treat yourself. Step outside. Admire the full moon, the May full moon which is known as the Flower Moon. The name comes from the blooms that appear in North America around this time. Tonight is the ideal night to look upwards.

The post-pandemic, return to ‘regular’ schooling has meant a return to the incessant bell schedule, that harsh Pavlovian conditioned response of ‘hears bell, moves to next task’. What if I told you that there was a more natural, much gentler way to guide you from one task to another? What if the antidote to those abrupt, pre-scheduled bells was looking down at you from above?

It has been suggested that the phases of the moon offer a more cyclical, intuitive way of living and perhaps a slower, more natural way to guide your goal setting. As we seek to move away from a reliance on tech, and move closer to nature I propose that we set ‘Moon Goals’.

With four distinct phases of the moon each month, you have four gentle nudges every 28 days, one lunar cycle, to guide you towards your goal. As the moon grows (the waxing stage) you work towards completing your goal. After the full moon, the moon face disappears (the waning stage) and you complete and reflect upon your goal.

Let’s take a closer look at this:

New Moon** – As the Moon comes into view, get creative. Think about what you specifically plan to achieve over the next 28 days. Make notes, share your intention with friends and family and declare your goal.

First Quarter – You can see the entire right side of the moon. As the moon continues to grow, you make strides towards achieving your goal. This is a time for motivation and focus. This is when you will identify potential obstacles and formulate a strategy to overcome these obstacles. Your journey towards success is indicated by how much of the moon you can see.

Full Moon – This is when you should be at your most productive, reaping the benefits of your creativity from earlier in the month. The Moon is fully illuminated and shines upon your completed goal. Things that couldn’t be seen before are now clearer in the moonlight.

Last Quarter – As the moon disappears from view, think about how successful you have been. If you were unsuccessful in your goal, what changes need to be made for next month? If you achieved your goal, you can move forward with confidence. Reflect on what you have achieved and the things that you put in place to ensure that success. This will set you up perfectly for the next lunar cycle, and your next goal. Your new goal will start to formulate as the next new Moon comes around.

Setting goals with the phases of the moon can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery, aligning intentions with natural rhythms for deeper consciousness and goal achievement. This #microblog introduces you to the power of #MoonGoals

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I challenge you to set a new goal, a #MoonGoal in time for the next new moon and allow nature to guide you towards a better version of yourself.

You can monitor the Moon phases with this beautiful, award-winning app.

You can also purchase, as I did, these sweet moon phase prints from Amazon.

*This post was posted on Friday May 5th, a full Moon in the US.

This microblog post (originally posted here) was a featured post in #slowchathealth’s #microblogmonth event. You can search for all of the featured posts here. Please do follow each of the outstanding contributors on social media (including Andy Milne, the author of this post) and consider writing a microblog post of your own to be shared with the global audience of slowchathealth.com

Pair this blog post with the following:

A Poem About Stories by Amy Dawson

Haiku in Health & PE: Mindfulness in Motion by Allisha Blanchette

The Power of Good Nutrition: Does Your Behavior Match Your Goal? by Jim Davis

Have you read the latest Book of the Month recommendation?