This week I got an email that made me smile because it had Jupiter in Sagittarius written all over it. Here’s an excerpt:
“As I reflect on 2018 and the goals I set, one thing stood out to me as something I have to change going into 2019 goals. I didn’t aim high enough.
I want to be real clear about one thing up front. I did not hit ALL my goals for end of the year, and that’s OK. But what is most important are the goals I did hit, and even some of the ones I didn’t. What would have happened if I set them HIGHER?
You see, the lesson I learned this year that I wanted to share with you is that goal setting isn’t about checking things off a list. Goal setting is about aiming so high that even when you come up way short, the results are amazing!!”
-Kenny Rueter
Jupiter in Sagittarius unthrottled is like Tigger in full form – exuberant, positive, and resilient. We all have access to some of that optimism right now. You can hear it in Kenny’s words with the idea that if we believe “the sky is the limit” we might miss out on the getting the stars too. So why not aim for the stars and then be thrilled when we get the sky?!
That’s a great Jupitarian sentiment, but there’s an obvious reason this isn’t always the best advice: sometimes when we aim to high, the disappointment of not even coming close to our goal is disenchanting and discouraging.
Another negative outcome of setting the bar too high is that we feel immobilized by the prospect and fear stops us from stepping onto the first rung of the ladder towards our goal.
Goal setting is an important component of success. But skillful goal setting is key. When we set goals we know are achievable, the gratification we feel on reaching them keeps us moving forward towards the next stage.
But Kenny is onto an idea that’s perfectly timed with Jupiter’s time in Sagittarius. Sometimes we set our goal TOO low because we don’t feel like it’s possible to achieve more – or worse, some part of us feels unworthy. Jupiter asks us to aim for the stars and reminds us that we can’t win if we don’t play. Because sometimes there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
So while Jupiter is in Sagittarius this year, ask yourself – have I set my goal too low? How would it feel to raise the bar, even a little?
One approach to goal setting is to set every goal with three levels of possibility: the reachable goal, the dream goal, and the pie-in-the-sky goal.
The reachable goal is based on what you KNOW you can accomplish. For instance, if you’re a writer and you know you can write 4 pages in an hour, and you have 8 hours a week to write, you can set a reachable goal of writing 128 pages in a month (4 weeks). The reachable goal is just basic math. It’s what is really possible.
The dream goal is what you THINK can accomplish if some of the known variables loosen up a bit. For instance, you have some extra-productive days where you write more than 4 pages an hour, plus time frees up for you to write even more. Maybe you set your dream goal at 160 pages in a month. The dream goal is what’s possible if everything works out better than planned.
The pie-in-the-sky goal is what you can achieve if there is ample flow in addition to some magic, luck, and unforeseen opportunity. In this practical example we’re using, perhaps you get some bonus time off from your day job that you didn’t see coming. And in addition you find yourself so inspired and energized by your subject that you’re able to consistently crank out 5 pages in an hour, beating your average. Maybe your pie-in-the-sky goal is 200 pages in a month. This goal is based on what you hope you might achieve if angels jump in to help out.
Going through this goal-setting process helps you take stock of what you know is possible, while not limiting yourself and also allowing the possibility for some magic to happen. Sorry Saturn, but there are other planets who get a say, and magic does happen! Life isn’t only toil, hard times and trouble. Grace happens too, and luck, and abundance.
It’s true that Saturn will also be in Capricorn all year, so the whole story involves a balancing act between these energies.
And speaking of magic, the entire year while Jupiter is Sagittarius it will be squaring Neptune three times! Under this aspect, we need to keep in mind that “all that glitters is not gold.” I’ll be writing another blog post about this in more detail, but one piece of practical advice is that in addition to skillful goal setting, we may need to question the goal itself…
If we do some Neptune work with our Jupiter, meaning get out of our own way and tap into source/muse/guidance, we might discover there’s a goal that’s more suited to our mission – one that we were blind to because we were enchanted by the sparkle of someone else’s dream…
Take care until next time.
Jupiter in Sagittarius Dates
- November 8, 2018–December 2, 2019
Jupiter Square Neptune Dates
- January 13, 2019
- June 16, 2019
- September 21, 2019
