"We look to the stars for everything from guidance on our love lives to finding the Gilmore Girls character who’s most like us, but did you know you can also look to the stars to determine how to smash through your to-do list, too? While some zodiac signs have no problem diving headfirst into work (we’re looking at you, Capricorns and Virgos), some other signs need to get a little creative when it comes to staying on task. Thankfully, harmonizing your zodiac sign with its most effective productivity strategy is the quickest and easiest way to achieve your goals. Here’s how to maximize your productivity, based on your zodiac sign.
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The Productivity Strategy You Should Try, Based on Your Zodiac Sign
Aries: Set bite-sized daily goals
Aries has a reputation—and a tendency—to get distracted jumping from one thing to the next. As an Aries myself, I know this to be true. We love to start and launch projects, but the follow-through is where you can lose us. Writing down a list of a few quick and easy tasks to complete keeps us on our toes and ready for the next thing. And the satisfaction of crossing each item off our list? It’s the little things that motivate us. Try breaking down a larger project into smaller, achievable tasks in your to-do list. Before you know it, you’ll have completed the whole thing with little wins along the way.
Taurus: Reward yourself with self-care
Taurus and self-care go hand in hand (and we love that about them). They love the finer things in life and pampering themselves with everything showers, little treats, splurging on a cozy cashmere sweater, and the like. Taurus, use this to your advantage by treating yourself after completing a long day of work to inspire you for the following day. Crush that big presentation? Take yourself on a little walk for some self-care time after. Get through a long day of back-to-back meetings? That calls for a relaxing bath and glass of wine. And if something major happens, like a big promotion or raise, add that cozy cashmere sweater to your cart.
Gemini: Turn on Do Not Disturb
Geminis are the communicators of the zodiac, so I know that this tip may seem counter-intuitive. However, the twin sign needs to find the balance between sending countless TikToks to their closest friends and getting their work done so they can run off to happy hour with their coworkers. Gemini, mute your notifications, throw on some T Swift, and put your head down and it’ll be 5 p.m. before you know it. If an all-day phone blackout isn’t in the cards, set yourself alarms for designated TikTok time throughout the day.
Cancer: Set intentional boundaries for your day
Cancers love to give, give, give—whether it’s for their colleagues or their closest family members. But they have a tendency to put themselves (and their own priorities) on the back burner. Before you start your day, make sure to remind yourself that it’s OK to say no and put yourself first. Set yourself to “busy” on Slack or Teams, block out time in your calendar for heads-down work, and don’t take on more than you realistically have time for. If you have some extra time on your calendar once you’ve tackled your to-dos, then you can give back to your team.
Leo: Practice affirmations
Leos, while arguably the most confident sign of the zodiac chart, tend to look for outside validation to motivate themselves. So, you could guess that it could be a challenge to find the self-motivation to keep their mind focused at work. Leos, give yourself some self-love and write empowering affirmations on a sticky note to put on your desk, or better yet, practice saying them to yourself in the mirror before you start your day.
Virgo: Plan out your week on Sunday nights
Virgos thrive off of organization and are practically born to be productive, so they can rely on themselves to get the work done. Knowing you, Virgo, I’m sure you’ve tried every productivity method under the sun. But have you tried planning out your entire work week during your Sunday reset practice? Set some time aside—and avoid the Sunday scaries—by combing through your planner and writing down 3-5 goals you’d like to accomplish each day of the week. Future you will be so glad this step in their daily planning process is already done.
Libra: Try the Pomodoro method
Libras are in a constant state of seeking balance in their life and this productivity method is just that. The Pomodoro Method breaks down your work into 25-minute chunks followed by 5-minute or 10-minute breaks. You continue working in this cycle until you’ve hit four intervals—usually equaling about two hours of work—and then you take a longer 20-minute or 30-minute break. Libras, to fully lean into your strengths, use your breaks to either socialize or help your coworkers with a task to feel like you’ve truly taken a break from work.
Scorpio: Tackle the hardest task first
Scorpios are very passionate and work well under pressure, so beginning their day by crossing off their hardest task first will give them as much satisfaction as finishing the last page of a thriller book. Once they’ve gotten over their biggest hurdle of the day, they’ll keep that same high-intensity energy throughout their smaller assignments.
Sagittarius: Must, Should, Want method
The Must, Should, Want Method plays into Sag’s free-spirited and energetic nature, yet allows them to get serious and focus on what’s most important first. For this productivity method, you’ll want to break down all of your tasks into three categories: Musts, shoulds, and wants. Musts are non-negotiables, shoulds are things you should prioritize if you have the time, and wants are items you would like to focus on either just for the fun of it or to get ahead of schedule. Sagittarius should focus first on their musts before anything else. If they have time, they can dip into their shoulds and wants once they complete their musts.
Capricorn: Take a 30-minute break
Since Capricorns are so work-focused, they tend to forget to take a moment for themselves, putting them at major risk of burnout. Caps, keep your burnout at bay by taking your lunch (and no, not at your desk) or throwing a coffee chat with a coworker to catch up. If taking 30 minutes seems too daunting on a hectic day, even just setting aside shorter breaks at different points in the day will do wonders for your mental health and help you stay at your peak productivity level.
Aquarius: Morning pages
Aquariuses are known for their philosophical and out-of-the-box thinking, so if they write down their big ideas on paper, they’ll set themselves up for success for the rest of the day. Whether they dedicate this time to thinking through and working out a solution for a big challenge at work or simply braindump to clear their mind for the day ahead, committing to this daily practice can help keep Aquariuses on task throughout the day. Aquarius, keep a notebook at your desk and give yourself 10 minutes of writing time each morning while you sip your coffee.
Pisces: Give yourself 15 minutes a day to brainstorm
Dreamy Pisces can often be found daydreaming which can sometimes pull them away from projects, but this isn’t necessarily a weakness. Pisces, allow yourself daily brainstorming time to let yourself drift away and think from a different perspective on a task. Oftentimes, you’ll find that you’ll come to an answer or idea faster if you lean into this strength of yours.