My best friend once described me as a “look-at-the-moon person.” If I am outside at night, and I see the moon — no matter the phase, no matter the brightness — I will say, “Look at the moon!” Without fail. I can’t look away.
I guess I’ve always had a fascination with the moon. As a kid, I painted my bedroom to look like the night sky, complete with sponge stamped stars and a crescent moon wall lamp. In college, despite my communications major, I picked two astronomy courses to fulfill my science requirements. And I can’t wait to go camping next month so I can stare up at the moon from the side of mountain, away from city lights.
So it shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that back in April, I signed up for a monthly subscription box called Lunarly, or as I’ve affectionately dubbed it, “my moon box.”
What I think is wild, though, is that this box has actually changed the way I think about my goals. Every month, right before the New Moon, my box arrives filled with self-care and personal growth goodies. And by growth, I mean each box has a real-life plant inside!
All of the items are tailored to that month’s moon (for example, August is the Corn Moon!), but more importantly, they’re designed to help achieve your goals for that month.
On the night of the New Moon, the Lunarly journal asks you to set your intentions for the month, big or small. Then, during the First Quarter Moon, you think about actionable steps to make your intentions a reality. For the Full Moon, you evaluate and release that which is no longer serving you; let it go! And for the Third Quarter Moon, you celebrate your accomplishments and take note of your gratitude.
This might sound a bit “woo-woo,” but I’ve honestly come to really value my Lunarly journal and the habits it instilled in me.
As someone who is constantly looking up to at moon, I’ve started to see more meaning in each phase. No matter when I look up, I have a visual symbol motivating me toward my goals. Plus, the box is lovely because while I’m stuck inside, I also have a growing collection of house plants to remind me of my intentions.
A final thing I really value from my moon-based routine is that I’ve let go of the constraints of my calendar when it comes to my personal growth. The moon’s cycle is not on the same schedule as the calendar year, so I don’t feel myself thinking, “I’ll start over on Monday,” or “I’ll fix my habits on the 1st of the month.”
Instead, I feel like every day is a new day to start fresh. And that is a huge win for me.
How do you keep track of your long-term personal goals?
Jule Gamache 