Dog

Overview Every 12 years the Dragon shows up and rains on your parade. But take heart: At least you have one favorable month this year, as well as two others that are not so bad. In a year like this, timing is incredibly important. Plan your big events during those three months ... and keep a low profile throughout the other nine. You'll also increase your chances of success if you simply go with the flow. In a Water year, education, networking, communication and travel are favorable, so you'll have your best chance for success if you focus on these. A conservative approach is likely to be your smartest move this year, so hold off on risk-taking, exploring new areas or making major commitments. Career There's only one thing you need to remember when it comes to your career this year: Rock the boat. Last year you made some headway in your career, and now it's time to familiarize yourself with new responsibilities before placing your nose on the grindstone and making real progress. The Dragon will try to trick you into effecting sweeping changes, but with many unfavorable months this year, you're better off telling the Dragon to back off! By rising to challenging tasks this year, you can put yourself in a great position at the start of 2013. Relationships Your home life should be fulfilling this year, mainly because you'll want to lean on your loved ones a little more than usual. This is a good development for you, though, since you'll be able to find out who your true friends are, and whether or not love will last. The Dragon favors marriages and celebrations, so there might be something big looming on the romance front. If you're single, it may feel like progress is coming slowly; just keep in mind that success always follows a period of patient waiting. Date your heart out, but know that new romances may fizzle out fast. Use your time this year to work on yourself as you try to define what you really want in a partner. Health Anxiety could get the best of you when the chips are down this year. More than ever, now is an excellent time to start exercising if you've gotten out of the habit of doing so. Find a positive outlet for your stress and dive into healthy habits. Get clear about what you can give up when it comes to unhealthy eating, smoking, drinking and the like. You'll need your energy this year -- don't waste it away. Find some sort of meditation practice. It doesn't have to be religious or even spiritual; you can simply stare at the wall for ten minutes a day. Whatever you do, just give your head some space to be clear, as this will help you make better decisions. Wealth Did you overspend over the course of the last 12 months? If so, it's time to put a lid on it. Surely you can learn to do without a few things. While you may not get ahead this year, you can certainly make wise financial decisions. You may want to consider hiring a tax accountant or someone similar to help get your financial house in order. Stay close to home and avoid offshore investments or get-rich-quick schemes -- your best approach is to simplify. Create a weekly budget and have your spouse or best friend keep you accountable. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.