Man, 2017. What a ride, huh? Looking back, it feels like a whole different era. I remember starting that year, like most years, just trying to figure things out. I’m a Virgo, right? So, you know, I tend to overthink things, plan too much, and then usually everything just goes its own way anyway. But I did get into this habit of checking those daily career horoscopes, just for a laugh, sometimes. Didn’t really believe in them, not truly, but sometimes they’d just hit different, you know?
I kicked off 2017 feeling a bit stuck. I was in a job that was okay, pays the bills, but it wasn’t really sparking anything. I remember thinking, “Is this it? Is this what I signed up for?” The routine was mind-numbing. Every morning, I’d drag myself out of bed, make coffee, commute, sit down, stare at the screen. Repeat. I was really looking for something to shake things up.
Around March, something started brewing. My boss pulled me aside. I braced myself for the usual, some extra grunt work or a new impossible deadline. But instead, he floated this idea about a new project, something completely outside my usual duties. It was a bit risky, uncharted territory for our team. My first thought was, “No way, too much work, too much stress.” But then I remembered one of those goofy horoscopes from that week, something about “embracing change” and “stepping out of your comfort zone.” Like I said, didn’t believe it, but it made me pause.
I went home and really chewed on it. My wife, bless her, told me to go for it. “What’s the worst that can happen?” she asked. And honestly, she was right. What was the worst? So, I walked back into work the next day and told my boss I was in. I committed to it. It felt good to actually decide something, you know? Not just let things happen to me.
That project became my entire world for the next few months. I dove deep. I had to learn a ton of new stuff, basically from scratch. I spent evenings reading up, watching tutorials, trying to wrap my head around concepts I’d never even considered before. There were days I wanted to throw my computer out the window. Seriously. So many bugs, so many roadblocks. I remember one specific Tuesday, I was pulling my hair out over this one glitch, and I swear, that morning’s horoscope had said something like, “Patience is your greatest virtue today, Virgo. Overcome obstacles with steady determination.” I just laughed, but then I took a breath and actually stuck with it, and eventually, I cracked it. It was a small win, but it felt huge.
By summer, the project was really starting to take shape. I was talking to different departments, collaborating with people I usually only nodded to in the hallway. I was presenting my ideas, defending my choices. It was terrifying at first, but each time I did it, I felt a little more confident. I was doing things, not just maintaining them. This felt like real growth.
Then came the big presentation to the higher-ups in late fall. My hands were shaking. I prepared for days. I wanted everything to be perfect. The night before, I couldn’t sleep. I just kept running through my slides in my head. The presentation went… okay. Not perfect, not terrible. They had questions, some tough ones, but I had answers. I walked out of that room feeling utterly drained but also incredibly proud. I had pulled it off.
The year wrapped up with that project getting the green light for further development. I wasn’t suddenly CEO or anything, but my role changed. I was now leading a small part of this new initiative. I had new responsibilities, a new team to manage, and a whole lot more on my plate. It was exactly what I had been unconsciously looking for at the start of the year: a shake-up, a challenge, something to make work feel meaningful again.
Looking back at 2017, it wasn’t just about the project. It was about pushing myself, learning to deal with the messy parts of creation, and realizing I could actually handle a lot more than I thought. Those silly horoscopes? They were just background noise, but sometimes, a little prompt, even a random one, can make you think twice. It was a year of really digging in and finding what I was capable of. A real turning point for me, career-wise.
