Man, 2016. That was a year, for sure. I remember feeling really stuck right at the end of 2015, just drifting along at my desk job, staring at spreadsheets, wondering if this was it. Every single day felt like Groundhog Day. I was a Virgo, always heard about us being organized and practical, but my career felt anything but. I was looking for something, anything, to tell me what was coming, what I should do next.
I started this weird little habit then. Every morning, before even checking my work emails, I’d pull up one of those free daily horoscopes online. Specifically, the career section for Virgos. Not that I truly believed in it, you know? But it was a ritual, a little shot of something different to kick off the day. Sometimes it was super vague, like “Expect opportunities for growth” or “Handle communications with care.” Other times, it felt strangely spot on, like when it said “Beware of minor conflicts with colleagues” right before Brenda from accounting started giving everyone the stink eye over printer paper.
The Daily Grind and the Whispers from the Stars
I remember feeling this push to do more. I was grinding, hard. My boss dropped this massive project on my lap, something way outside my usual role, and I just bit my lip and dove in. I was working late, reading everything I could get my hands on, trying to figure out all the moving parts. The horoscopes sometimes felt like a little cheerleader in my pocket. One day it said something like, “Your efforts are building towards something significant.” I remember chuckling, thinking, “Yeah, building towards a massive headache, maybe.” But it kept me going, fueled a bit of that inner push.
Then came the mid-year slump. Everything hit a wall. That big project I was running? It had some major roadblocks. Client was being difficult, internal teams weren’t cooperating. I was pulling my hair out. The horoscope for that week was all about “exercising patience” and “navigating turbulent waters.” I just scoffed at it. Patience? I was about to lose my mind. I actually snapped at a junior colleague one afternoon, something I never do, and instantly felt like a total jerk. Later that day, I remembered the horoscope and thought, “Huh. Maybe there’s something to that ‘handle communications with care’ advice after all.”
A Fork in the Road
The turning point, or at least one of them, came in late summer. Out of the blue, my old college roommate, who was working at a completely different company, called me up. He said their team was expanding, they needed someone with my exact skillset – someone who could manage tricky projects and untangle messy situations. He just laid it all out there. “We need a fixer,” he said. And suddenly, my whole world, which had felt so stagnant, just opened up a crack.
This felt huge. I wasn’t actively looking, but here it was. A real opportunity. I remember checking the horoscope that evening, almost expecting it to say something prophetic. It just said, “Trust your gut feelings, dear Virgo. A significant decision looms.” Talk about generic, right? But in that moment, it felt like the universe was winking at me.
I spent weeks weighing it all. My current job was safe, comfortable, if boring. This new one, it was a leap into the unknown, a bigger role, more responsibility, but also way more potential. I talked to friends, family, even my cat. Everyone had an opinion. But deep down, it was my call. The horoscopes were just a fun little diversion, a daily prompt, but they weren’t telling me what to do. I had to step up and make the decision myself.
Taking the Leap
I went for it. I actually took the leap. I told my boss, gave my notice, and started prepping for the new role. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. The last few weeks at my old job felt like a blur. Saying goodbye to colleagues, wrapping things up, downloading all my personal files from the cloud. I remember the very last career horoscope I read from that old daily email was something like, “Embrace new beginnings, for they hold untold promise.” Again, pretty generic, right? But it felt like a nice send-off.
Starting the new job was tough, as expected. New faces, new systems, entirely different company culture. But I jumped in head first. I threw myself into understanding everything, meeting everyone, trying to make an impact right away. It was a grind, but a good grind. A productive grind. It wasn’t about waiting for my “work fate” to unfold anymore; it was about me getting in there and making my fate happen.
Looking back at 2016, those daily horoscopes were a fun little side quest. They offered a moment of reflection, maybe a gentle push, or sometimes just a laugh. But my “work fate” wasn’t written in the stars; it was written by the hours I put in, the tough conversations I had, and ultimately, the guts I mustered to step into something new. It was a year of taking charge, not just reading about what might be.
