5 ways to help your business thrive during Mercury Retrograde
Photo credit: Inspired Stock Shop
Mercury Retrograde isn't all computer crashes and flight delays! I'm learning that it can actually be a very positive time for you and your business. In this post, I'm sharing 5 things I'll be doing as a solopreneur to help my business thrive during Mercury Retrograde.
Even if you're not into astrology, I bet you've heard of the infamous Mercury Retrograde and how it can wreak havoc in your life -- especially when it comes to technology, travel, contracts, business partnerships, and communication.
As a solopreneur, that can sound pretty ominous and downright scary, since it has so much potential to negatively impact your business.
But the good news is that when Mercury goes retrograde, it can actually be a positive time and opportunity for your business (and all aspects of your life)!
I'm no expert on astrology or Mercury Retrograde — I’m a student and a seeker on a mission to learn as much as I can.
With Mercury Retrograde being one of the first big astrological events of this year, and with its reputation for being a troublemaker, I decided to learn more about what it means for me and my business as a solopreneur.
Read on for tips to help you and your business thrive during Mercury Retrograde.
Tips to help you and your business thrive during Mercury Retrograde
First, what is Mercury Retrograde?
From a technical standpoint, it's when the plant Mercury appears, from Earth, to be moving backwards. It's an astronomical occurrence, but it's really just an illusion based on the planets' orbits.
Mercury goes retrograde three to four times a year. It happens every 88 days, and each retrograde period lasts three weeks. (1, 2).
In astrology, the planet Mercury rules communication, contracts and agreements, transportation, and travel. (3)
And so, when Mercury goes retrograde, mayhem tends to happen in these areas during the three week retrograde period. Things like computers crashing at a critical point, flights being delayed or cancelled, and regrets resulting from contracts signed or purchases made during the retrograde period. (3)
As solopreneurs, this can be an especially anxiety-inducing time. Not only do you not need any extra worries, but as a one-woman-shop, you're also the one who has to handle any problems that come up during the retrograde (and who has time for that?!).
It also seems like a time when things could be stagnant in your business, since it's advised that you don't sign contracts, start new projects, make big purchases, or make major decisions while Mercury is retrograde. Basically, try not do anything that moves your business forward.
But I've discovered there's SO much more to Mercury Retrograde than just these troublemaking aspects!
Why Mercury Retrograde can be good for your business (and you)
Mercury Retrograde is actually a time to stop pushing forward (very hard for us entrepreneurs) and instead be still and take time to reflect, reset, and revise.
When I'm seeking spiritual advice or guidance, one of my go-to sources is Kari Samuels. She's an AMAZING intuitive counselor and has such an awesome positive energy that I just love.
Kari says despite the frustrations that can occur during Mercury Retrograde, it can be "a peaceful, productive time of reflection and growth." (2)
In fact, she says that those frustrating delays like computer crashes and delayed flights are actually designed for our benefit. They help us slow down and do the reflecting, reviewing, and revising that needs to happen in our business and life. And also to RELAX, which is a key theme of this retrograde time.
I'm liking the sound of Mercury Retrograde more and more (especially that relaxing part)!
Side note: Kari has a really awesome Numerology Guide for Mercury Retrograde that will show you how to calculate your Life Path Number and use it to help you navigate the Mercury Retrograde. You can download it for free here. I found it super interesting and insightful!
Similarly Jennifer Racioppi, an astrologer whose work I really like, says that she LOVES Mercury Retrograde and sees it as an auspicious time to be celebrated.
That's right, she CELEBRATES Mercury Retrograde.
I like her style.
Interestingly, words starting with “RE” are what characterize the positive aspects of Mercury Retrograde. They'll give you clues to how you can thrive during the time retrograde period for Mercury.
Words like . . . review, revise, reflect, relax, review, reconnect, and release, to name just a few.
So when in doubt about how to spend your time or what to focus on during Mercury Retrograde, just turn to a word starting with “RE” and you'll know you're on the right track.
On that note, here are specific ways for solopreneurs to tap into the positive aspects of Mercury Retrograde so you and your business can thrive.
How to thrive during Mercury Retrograde as a solopreneur
Mercury Retrograde is a time for looking back, recharging, and getting ready for the forward movement that will return at the end of the retrograde period.
As Jennifer Racioppi says, "I see it as an opportunity to make wiser decisions, follow my gut instinct, and clean up issues from my past so I can align more with the present--and obtain clear directives on what to execute next."
Based on all of this, here are some ways I'll be using this slower moving and reflective time to help my business thrive during Mercury Retrograde -- hopefully they'll help you, too!
1. Reflect, Review, & Revise
At its core, Mercury Retrograde seems to be a time for reflection. It's also a time when your intuition is extra strong. So make the most of this energy by doing the deep thinking about your business that your normal hectic schedule doesn't allow for, and listen to what your intuition tells you.
As a solopreneur, when was the last time you were able to spend time just thinking about your business? Thinking about the success you've achieved in your business, mistakes made and the lessons learned from them, what's working in your business and what's not, how you'd like to improve those things, and so on. It's so important but so easy to put off when things get busy.
Along with reflecting comes reviewing. This means taking a close look at all the aspects of your business to make sure they're working well for you and in alignment with your values and goals.
This could be things like your . . .
goals and intentions
mission
branding
website copy
business systems
partnerships
email sequences
sales funnels
Try to look at them with fresh eyes. Are they working well? Are they still serving you? Could things be better?
One thing I've been reviewing and revising this retrograde is my business systems and client workflows. I knew there was lots of room for improvement on that front, and using this retrograde time is helping me identify the problem points and revise them so that they work better for me and my business. It feels so good to be getting this done (and to a nerd like me, it's also really exciting!).
2. Revisit your incompletes
I talked about this one in my post on how to prepare for the new year. Mercury Retrograde is another ideal time to work on this since it's a good time for working on or finishing unfinished projects (just NOT new ones).
By "incompletes," I mean any projects or tasks you started but then put on the back burner, left unfinished.
I'm pretty sure everyone has them. I have a TON of them.
It can be big things like finishing an e-book you started writing, completing an online course you let half-finished, or sending back that Amazon return that's only a few days away from the return date expiring.
These things create a subconscious drain on your mental energy. Even if you're not consciously thinking of them, some part of your brain is keeping track of all these things.
By taking this retrograde period to complete some of these incompletes, you're freeing up mental space and energy you can use to move forward with new projects after the retrograde. And you get the added bonus of feeling good about your accomplishment (even it was just sending off that Amazon return).
3. Release
Mercury Retrograde is an ideal time for releasing the things that are no longer adding value to your business (or life) or holding you back in some way.
It can be tangible things like . . .
some of those incompletes from #2 -- maybe you don't need to complete them at all, but just drop them altogether
clutter in your work space that's distracting you, taking up space, and draining your energy
old clothes that you don't wear or even like any more
outdated computer files that you don't need
old emails (it's a great time to clean out your inboxes, and that's definitely something I need to do during this retrograde!)
goals or intentions you set that are no longer working for you
Or intangible things like . . .
feelings of jealousy (I actually have a whole post about this) or comparing yourself to other entrerpeneurs
impostor syndrome
negative mindsets and attitudes
negative self talk
limiting beliefs
regrets
past hurts
4. Refresh
With all that done, it's an ideal time to refresh things in your business, like your . . .
office or work space (clean it out, get organized, rearrange, redecorate)
exercise, eating, and self care routines
goals and intentions
business systems
vision board
workflows
files
photos
5. Recharge
Taking the time to relax, rest, and recharge appears to be a key aspect of Mercury Retrograde (and the biggest reason why I'm now a fan!).
It's a prime time for slowing down, relaxing, and recommitting to your self care practice.
So make an extra effort to cover the basics like . . .
drinking enough water everyday
eating nourishing foods that energize you instead of draining you
moving your body throughout the day
setting aside down time to do whatever nourishes your spirit
being present and mindful in everything you're doing
going to bed early and getting enough quality sleep
It's also a great time for indulging in some special self care treats you might not normally take the time for, like a massage (or even better, an entire spa day!), energy work, meditating, or spending time in nature.
Recap
To recap, 5 things you can do to help you and your business thrive during the Mercury Retrograde as a solopreneur are:
Reflect, review, and revise
Revisit your incompletes
Release
Refresh
Recharge
Mercury Retrograde definitely requires a change of pace, especially in your work life as a solopreneur (where you're used to always going full speed ahead).
Obviously you can't just take off the three weeks of retrograde from your business (I wish!), so all of this will require some planning if you want you and your business to thrive during Mercury Retrograde.
This is all new to me and I'm still learning to navigate it, but here's what I did. At the beginning of the year, I put the dates for all the Mercury Retrogrades in my calendar, and set reminders so I would know well in advance when they're coming. This makes it easier to plan around so I can avoid things like starting a new project, running a launch, or making a big business-related purchase or commitment during that time. And I can plan ahead to add in some special things I might not normally do (I'm thinking of taking time off to spend a day at Disney, since I live less than an hour away but never get to go!).
I know there will be some snafus along the way. But, based on what I've learned so far, I'm seeing Mercury Retrograde as a positive time that will benefit my business and life as a solopreneur.
What will you do during the Mercury Retrograde to help you and your business thrive? Comment below and let me know!
And if you enjoyed this post, I'd love it if you'd share it on Pinterest. :)
References:
(1) Mercury is entering retrograde again. This is why so many people care. TIME.com
(2) Mercury Retrograde Guide to Do's and Don't's (KariSamuels.com)
(3) Everything you need to know about Mercury Retrograde (astrologyzone.com)
(4) Why you shouldn't fear Mercury Retrograde (JenniferRacioppi.com)
JOIN SUNDAY SOUL CARE
Every Sunday, I’ll send you an Oracle card reading and a message from my soul to yours to inspire and uplift your week. ✨