Business Planning for Mercury Retrograde Cycles

INTRODUCTION

In every business, we navigate a myriad of changing variables that can influence the outcomes of our work. Anticipating countless factors and conditions, we respond by developing guardrails and control mechanisms. Painstaking lengths are taken to plan the work, work the plan, and mitigate risks.

Within this planning, seasonality is often a measurable factor. Whether it’s the seasonality of the industry, product, workforce, or service, we’ve come to expect (and plan for) the influences that drive ebb and flow. Look around, and you will find a litany of business resources focused on managing and controlling variable dynamics, including risk management, change management, project and program management, KPIs, dashboards, and performance triggers (to name a few).

As a retired Financial Services Learning & Development Executive, I now provide one-on-one executive coaching to leaders in the moments that matter most: growth, change, and transformation. Most of my time with clients is spent discussing the variables that help, hinder, or hijack their goals. The seasonality of business and life is factored into a future they can be genuinely excited about, and for which I can help co-create accountability.

In addition to my nearly three decades in Corporate Learning & Development, I am also a seasoned Astrologer. This bit of information I kept on a need-to-know basis until my recent retirement. I’m not sure why I worried about what others would think, given that colleagues who did know had been coming to me for over 20 years in search of guidance and insights related to important topics, such as contracts, real estate purchases, event dates, and, yes, partnership compatibility. In my personal life, I’ve leaned on this skill to make decisions and plan my own partnerships (including my 29-year marriage), large purchases, cross-state relocations, and investment selections.

You see, at its core, Astrology is the study of seasonality…And it can help all of us plan a future filled with greater potential and productivity – if we are willing to open our minds.

MERCURY RETROGRADE OVERVIEW

Mercury Retrograde (RX) is one of the most well-known (and maligned) seasonal astrological influences. Let’s cut through the meme-driven noise and break down the facts, fictions, and functions of the RX.

FICTION:

• Mercury spins in reverse, setting life ablaze, sling-shotting us into what feels like a cursed Bizarro World.

• RX cycles, variables, and impacts are unpredictable and out of our control.

• Disruptions are fated and permanent, so we should just try to weather the storm.

FACTS:

• Mercury is not moving backwards (retrograde), but its orbit moves in a path that is known scientifically as an apparent retrograde motion. From Earth, it appears to move backward.

• Mercury RX cycles happen 3-4 times annually and last around 3 weeks. RX influences are also active 1-2 weeks before and after the actual retrograde. As such, I typically plan for a 4-6 week impact cycle.

• Mercury influences various aspects of life, including (but not limited to): communication, learning, linguistics, contracts, technology, logic and reasoning, writing, scheduling, logistics, and local travel.

• Each RX aligns with a sign of the zodiac and specific themes that compel us to go back and reflect, revisit, reconnect, reconsider, repair, review, revise, reimagine, recommit, refine, and reengage.

• The RX does not alter free will, independent thought, or control over our actions.

FUNCTION:

• SLOW DOWN,

• REFOCUS on existing matters…

• Before inviting new matters.

NECESSARY ITERATION & EVOLUTION

Life and learning are not mutually exclusive, nor are they linear. Since the dawn of time, our species has evolved and adapted through the never-ending process of trial and error. Mercury RX cycles play a role in this process by drawing us back to matters, decisions, processes, places, knowledge, and skills that require refinement. As such, these seasonal events can be a meaningful part of business planning. Consider these cycles adjacent to business functions, such as process management, Agile development, re-skilling, deep learning, communication routines, and content revisions.

WELCOMING THE GHOST OF BUSINESS PAST

Often, external events and/or conditions prompt a revisit to old matters. In the business environment, prior bodies of work (projects, policies, decisions, deployments, communications) thought to be complete bubble back to the surface. There is a need for attention, review, and revision.

As Mercury retrogrades in the sign of Capricorn (which I lovingly call the sign of "The Boss"), we can expect to refine matters related to executive function and development, organizational alignment, authority levels, decision matrices, risk models, operational controls, and government contracts. Capricorn delivers insights that improve discipline, efficiency, responsibility, and ambition.

Any disruptions we experience moving forward are intended to redirect us back to existing work related to matters above. Take this nudge from the universe and lean into the opportunity to improve.

This is an excellent time to:

• Revisit, revise, and document responsibility and authority for policies, procedures, standards, and executive protocols.

• Review and refine organizational leadership structures, performance expectations, government contracts, and operational constraints (bureaucracy).

• Reskill, retrain, and reiterate risk controls, regulatory requirements, compliance obligations, and operational excellence.

On a personal note, now is not the time to wing it. Be thoughtful and intentional about how you can grow and evolve through this cycle.

• Revisit and clarify your boundaries: work/life, relationships, responsibilities, commitments.

• Review your ambitions and get real about where you are and where you want to be.

• Reassess and remove factors that create inefficiency and derail progress (social media, inconsistency).

• Recommit to the disciplined behaviors that improve executive functioning: restful sleep, proper nutrition, physical movement, and mental breaks.