What to Do During Moon Phases to Meet Goals, Boost Productivity, and Increase Energy

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This will sound a little woo-woo, but I’ve recently been experimenting with productivity planning using the Moon’s phases. Now stay with me here though articles like the one on Healthline say there isn’t enough scientific evidence to support the theory that the Full Moon influences human emotions, behaviors, and health; the Moon is a sign of constant change, and the phases are a great tool for planning. The Moon is also associated with feminine energy, which I love.

So far, I like using the lunar phases because (1) I’ve always been obsessed with anything space related, from the stars in the night sky to how nebulas are formed, and (2) it promotes creating a schedule to take different actions depending on the various phases. This system works best for longer-term goals and projects, but can, with a bit of creativity, help you determine how best to approach quick turn items. So regardless of your beliefs on the effects of the Moon on humans, focus on the different phases and see if you can use them to help you create a structure for how you plan your life and business.  

Lunar Cycle

When planning anything, you need a system to help you stay accountable. I like that the lunar cycle runs approximately every 29 days and contains eight phases, four major and four minor. The major phases are the New Moon, the First Quarter Moon, the Full Moon, and the Last Quarter Moon. The four minor phases weaved between the major phases are waxing and waning: Waxing Crescent, Waxing Gibbous, Waning Crescent, and Waning Gibbous. As you can see from the image below, the waxing is “developing” or getting more prominent and is often associated with energy. In the waning phase, the Moon is being cut or “shrinking” and often associates with rest and reflection.

Several entrepreneurs and lifestyle bloggers I researched use these phases to be more intentional with planning things like content and launches. They also use it for self-care to help them make time for things like self-reflection. If you decide to use the Moon phases for planning, you will hopefully find it enhances your intuition and helps you manage your energy levels.

As I’m a beginner at this, after some research (so much reading), I decided to stick with planning things out using the four major phases. I also don’t like anything too complicated, so I have attempted to make it as simplistic as possible and easy to follow. At some point, I will incorporate this into my Notion.

New Moon: Rest, Let Go, Dream, Plan

During this time, you should reflect and set new intentions to help ground you and get a sense of direction. Focus on shifting your perspective and visualizing new beginnings. Think of it as a cosmic rest. Introspection is typically done the day before, the day of, or the day after the New Moon.

• The New Moon happens once a month and is sometimes called the Dark Moon
• It is the start and end of each cycle
• The Moon’s orbit falls directly between the Sun and the Earth
• Though it’s technically a New Moon for a moment, some believe its energy lasts for three days

Action Items

• Reflection: What do you want to do more of and less of when you reflect on last month? Let go of what no longer serves you.
• Intentions: What do you want to bring more of into your life or business? Set intentions. Know that intentions may take several months to achieve.
• Goals: Clarify goals for the next 29 days. It’s a great time to start new projects.
• Productivity Ideas: Begin projects like product launches, start writing a new book, start a marketing campaign, create a workbook, begin a new exercise routine, start a house cleaning project, launch a new season of your podcast, create a vision board, etc.
• Waxing Crescent: Between the New Moon and the First Quarter Moon, you should be working on formulating a plan for whatever your goals and intentions are and making tweaks where necessary. You should also mentally commit to doing whatever you want to accomplish during this phase because a successful mindset is key.

First Quarter Moon: Plant Seeds, Nurture, Work

During this phase, obstacles or resistance may occur, and you must make decisions to help you overcome these challenges. It’s essential to be resilient and flexible during this phase. At this time, you need to have a strong sense of commitment, bring in the necessary resources to accomplish your tasks, and make sure you’re acting with clarity.

• Also known as Half Moon
• If you’re in the northern hemisphere, the whole right side of the Moon is illuminated due to the Sun and the Moon being side by side
• It occurs one week after the New Moon and one week before the Full Moon
• Often known to represent a growing abundance of energy

Action Items

• Intentions: Make sure your decisions align with the intentions you’ve set.
• Goals: Commit and start turning them into reality and set realistic milestones.
• Productivity Ideas: Start putting plans into action by planting seeds about your new endeavor, scheduling meetings, organizing content, setting up your calendar, updating your website, finalizing plans, shopping for necessary supplies, etc.
• Waxing Gibbous: You should be completing or delegating tasks to accomplish your goals between the First Quarter and the Full Moon. This is go time! Make sure you are consistent and deliberate.

Full Moon: Share, Complete, Reevaluate

Now, two weeks after the New Moon, it’s time to do things like launch projects and celebrate any intentions or goals that have been met. For the items still in work, take the time to reevaluate actions going forward to make sure you’re still on track. Like the New Moon, Full Moon energy can be honored the day before, the day of, and the day after the actual Full Moon.

• It occurs roughly two weeks after the Full Moon
• The Sun illuminates the entire Moon, and the Sun and Moon are in opposition, meaning that they are farthest apart in the sky, on opposite sides of Earth (Sun→Earth→Moon)
• Though it’s technically a Full Moon for a moment, some believe its energy lasts for three days
• The Full Moon is linked to relationships, love, romance, and passion; heightened instincts

Action Items

• Intentions: Take note of how you feel. How do you want to feel the remainder of the Moon cycle?
• Goals: Celebrate wins and reevaluate items that still need to be accomplished.
• Productivity Ideas: If you have completed one or more goals, pat yourself on the back. It can look like taking yourself out to dinner or visiting your favorite stationary store (or is that just me). This is the time to look at your plan along with the milestones and actions you’ve created for longer-term goals and ensure you’re on track. If not, make tweaks where necessary. The same goes for your intentions. Did you start eating healthy? If not, why? What do you need to change to get back on track?
• Waning Gibbous: Between the Full and Last Quarter Moon is a great time to tie up loose ends and remind yourself of what you committed to during the New Moon. Review, clarify, and declutter business and life intentions and goals. You may move slower since you put in so much work at the beginning of the phase, but that’s ok!

Last Quarter Moon: Harvest, Integrate, Finalize, Reflect

This is when you begin finishing things up, and you may, at this point, need to give yourself a pep talk to get you to the finish line. You should also rest before the next phase and ensure you have enough energy to accomplish your new or continuing goals and intentions. This phase is known for taking time to renew, withdraw, and rest.

• Also known as the Third Quarter
• The Last Quarter Moon comes roughly one week after the Full Moon and one week before the New Moon
• If you’re in the northern hemisphere, the whole left side of the Moon is illuminated due to the Sun and the Moon being side by side

Action Items

Intentions: Evaluate how you felt during this phase and if your intentions brought you joy.
Goals: Complete final tasks and determine what needs to be carried over.
Productivity Ideas: This is a great time to clean your home and office (declutter), organize your digital footprint, reflect in your journal, release that product or project out into the wild, determine if that marketing campaign made a difference, review metrics, etc.
Waning Cresent: Between the Last Quarter and the New Moon, you can begin the reflection phase as you finish up some intentions and goals. What worked and what didn’t? Gratitude and thank you lists are also sometimes created during this period. This is when you begin to think about what will carry over to the New Moon and what you will leave behind.

Final Thoughts

If you have any tips or questions, please add them in the comments. I use Notion currently to track all the things, and I’m in the process of weaving in the lunar phases. I will update this post as I continue experimenting with using the Moon’s phases to achieve goals, boost productivity, and increase energy. Regardless of your system or process, the key is having a positive mindset, taking action, and being consistent with personal and professional goals.

Resources

• Moon Phase Calendar by Almanac.com
• Moon Phases Lunar Calendar by timeanddate.com
• Navy: Astronomical Applications Department (primary phases of the Moon data)
• How Long is Each Moon Phase by Sciencing.org (they have several great articles)
• Moon in Motion by NASA
• Dark Digital Notebook – Celestial (great for notetaking and design is on theme!)