Man, I was stuck. Really stuck. Not just a little bit of creative block, but the kind of stuck where you look at your bank account and your calendar and realize you’ve been doing the same dumb routine for three straight years without getting anywhere. I needed a jolt, but I didn’t want the usual motivational crap.
I was cleaning out my old desktop files—the digital junk drawer—and I tripped over this screenshot. It was dated January 3rd, 2021. It was the headline for that Virgo career horoscope. I remembered seeing it back then, maybe reading the first two lines, then just closing the tab because I thought astrology was a load of nonsense. But seeing it now, two years later, I figured, why not? Let’s see what opportunities I supposedly missed out on.
The Retrieval and Initial Punch in the Gut
The first thing I did was pull up the exact article again. I used the key phrases from the screenshot and managed to track down the original text. I printed the damn thing out, just to make it real. I needed to see what the universe was yelling at me when I had my fingers in my ears. I sat down with a cheap pen and started to read through the predictions, section by section.
The core message for early 2021 was clear: “An unusual collaboration will present itself near the 15th, urging you to shed dead weight and transition into a more independent role. Focus on mastering a new digital communication platform.”
I stopped dead right there. My stomach dropped. I remembered January 2021 perfectly. What did I actually do? I didn’t shed dead weight. I doubled down on my soul-crushing corporate job because it felt ‘safe.’ And that “unusual collaboration”? Oh God, I remembered it. A former colleague, someone I really respected, called me up on the 18th asking if I wanted to co-found a small remote consulting gig. I told him I was too busy polishing spreadsheets for my boss.
I physically slapped the desk. I blew the biggest opportunity of my adult life because I was scared of change and ignoring the signs—even the silly cosmic ones.
My Retroactive Practice: Reversing the Damage
I couldn’t time travel. But I realized the opportunity wasn’t just about that specific call; it was about the theme—independence and adapting to new platforms. My practice became an attempt to salvage the spirit of the missed 2021 advice and implement it immediately, right now.
My workflow for the last week looked like this:
- I analyzed my current workload and ruthlessly cut the tasks that were just “dead weight”—stuff that didn’t pay well or move my career forward. I started saying “no” to clients who wasted my time.
- I contacted that old colleague again. I figured, what’s the worst that happens? He says no? I apologized for my fear two years ago and asked if he had any small projects I could contribute to remotely.
- I immediately signed up and started learning the communication platform the horoscope hinted at (which, retrospectively, was clearly something focused on asynchronous project management that I had ignored). I spent three hours a day just messing with it, figuring out its quirks.
- I plotted out a six-month exit strategy from my current stagnant role, drafting the business plan I should have written back then.
The Payoff and The Lesson I Learned
I didn’t immediately become rich, obviously. But the energy shift was instant. The practice of digging into that old horoscope and seeing exactly where I veered off course gave me a furious focus. It wasn’t about believing in the stars; it was about realizing that when opportunities present themselves, they often align with a deep internal need for change that you are actively suppressing.
The colleague? He laughed about 2021, said no hard feelings, and kicked over a small project that perfectly fit my newly acquired skill on that digital platform. It’s not the big co-founder role, but it’s a foot in the door, exactly the independent work I needed to transition into.
This whole ridiculous exercise taught me something critical: sometimes you have to look backward to figure out why you’re stuck forward. If the universe—or a random horoscope writer—is pointing out a massive window of opportunity, maybe you just need to listen, even if the source is absurd. I’m not waiting two more years to read my next career forecast. I’m keeping my eyes open and my schedule flexible. If the advice is “jump,” I’m jumping this time. No more sitting around and letting fear steal my damn income.
