Libra  (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)We’re taught the old cliché “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” It’s actually not a bad philosophy, most of the time; few truly valuable goals can be achieved without persistence and determination. However, sometimes it’s preferable to realize that you won’t be able to accomplish something, and just to give up, so you can apply your time and energy to more useful and productive pursuits. This is a tough judgment call; very little is truly impossible. However, being realistic about just how much effort something will take to succeed, and how much you’re willing and able to give it, will keep you from, quite simply, wasting your time.Scorpio  (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)Try not to obsess about the negative aspects of your pretty-good situation, even though they’re likely to be especially obvious and annoying this week. Although they’re making themselves bigger and more obtrusive than usual, you should concentrate on looking past them, focusing on all the stuff that’s great, and how best to bring the good things back to the forefront. That won’t be easy right now, but next week you should have some good opportunities to make things golden again—provided you’re not too hung up and bitter about the shit that went down this week.Sagittarius  (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)While you could construct an exciting, unique, and quirkily fashionable wardrobe out of your deconstructed home furnishings, you don’t really need to. Part of me mourns the wonders you’d create from your lampshades, curtains, and couch upholstery, but I’d rather you focused on the important work you’ve already begun, rather than getting sidetracked with a fun but mostly frivolous project, such as is likely to present itself this week. Don’t be tempted by it. That doesn’t mean you never need to do it–just that this is probably not the right time. Capricorn  (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)A tree hoping to weather a storm has two possible paths of survival: either be flexible enough to bend, rather than break, when buffeted by harsh weather, or be so massive and deep-rooted that even the highest winds and heaviest rains can’t topple it. You’re faced with similar options. Unlike a tree, which can’t choose which shape it takes, you can pursue either route—the important thing is to commit completely to whichever you select. Down the middle road lies only ruin, since if you can’t bend with the weather or stand firm against it, you’ll just break.Aquarius  (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Aquarians don’t have the same reputation for being addicted to their routines as Taureans or Leos, but you’re just as likely to get tripped up by changes to things you’re accustomed to. An annoying new distraction could severely disrupt your concentration, so much so that all you’d think about is getting away from or rid of it. Unfortunately, that’s not likely to happen anytime soon; for now, this is something you’re going to have to put up with—which means getting used to it so you can still be productive in spite of it. Sorry, but that’s just how it is. Better get started.Pisces  (Feb. 19-March 20)While it would be great if you could simply tell yourself to be motivated to do the things you know you ought to, it’s not usually quite so easy. In fact, cracking the whip and getting those tasks done is one of the hardest challenges for you Pisces. Sometimes the only thing that works is telling yourself that if you don’t do it, you’ll have to do something you dread even more, then hold yourself to it. Usually you’ll find your innate resistance evaporates, in situations where caving to it would result instead in having to do something you despise. Aries  (March 21-April 19)When you’re crushed by disappointment, concentrate on springing back. One of your finest qualities is your hopefulness and how excited you get about things you’re looking forward to. Naturally, sometimes you’ll be let down, but you need to resist becoming bitter or jaded. Remember that most of the time, things actually work out pretty well. Of course, if you’re determined to see a gloomy black cloud of bad luck hanging over your head, you can certainly make one appear. But in reality, most of the stuff you hope for actually happens. When the occasional setback occurs, get up, dust yourself off, and cheerfully keep that in mind.Taurus  (April 20-May 20)There may be a million excellent reasons for someone to like you, but just one or two compelling grounds for dislike can negate all of them. Obviously, you can’t please everyone, and there’ll always be some people who just don’t like you, and there’s nothing you can do about it. However, in this case, some of the tiny negatives are unduly eclipsing the overwhelming positives, just because of someone’s limited perspective. This week, do what you must to help them see the big picture. Sure, it’s self-serving, but since once they do they’ll want you around, it’s ultimately a win-win.Gemini  (May 21-June 20)Some people get cosmetic surgery that’s so over-the-top, it’s almost like getting their faces tattooed with permanent clown makeup. Of course, you and I will never really be able to understand people whose motivations have diverged so wildly from our own. Nevertheless, we should still try to make an effort to interact with them—first of all, simply because they’re fascinating. Second, because it’s required by the choices you’ve made about the kind of person you want to be. Don’t laugh at the clown-faces and their ilk—instead, try your best to see things through their eyes, and thank goodness you live in a world that’s full of so much mind-blowing weirdness.Cancer  (June 21-July 22)Most people are skimmers. You can take pains to give someone detailed written instructions, and the average person will miss half of the important information you’ve included. Unfortunately, you have to account for this laziness or obtuseness when dealing with people you don’t know. They’re used to having vital information pounded at them, repeatedly, from multiple sources, and it’s made them thick, sluggish, and immune to subtlety and nuance. It’s not in your nature, but you need to be obnoxiously persistent, borderline insultingly repetitive, and completely obvious this week if you want to be properly heard and heeded.Leo  (July 23-Aug. 22)While you may fancy yourself a maestro of a magnificent orchestra, you may occasionally find yourself conducting a quartet, or even performing a solo; in such a milieu, the grandiosity that might be acceptable in front of the Philharmonic would be embarrassingly inappropriate. While one of your strengths is to be so big and bold, it can occasionally be a weakness, as you know. You need to be aware of the contexts in which you find yourself this week, and occasionally tone down the aspects of your personality which can sometimes skew larger-than-life. This won’t be as easy or obvious as it sounds, so when in doubt, aim for key words like “modest” and “subtle.”Virgo  (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)You can get a cat to play in the middle of the day, but you’re much more likely to see a livelier, more spirited cat in the evening, when your nocturnally oriented kitty is more naturally alert and awake. This week, try to pay attention to the natural rhythms and tendencies of those around you, and work with them whenever possible, rather than trying to impose your own arbitrary timetables. This may seem like quite a bit of effort, but really the hardest part is just paying attention. Once you do, you’ll find that not only does everything become a bit easier, everyone becomes a bit happier, too.