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CAREER: With the holidays over, you stagger into January wondering what this year has in store for you at the workplace. Revenues are down, expenses are high or maybe interest is flagging. Near the 21st, you find brilliant new ways to retain customers and clients. With big enough signs, you'll attract new business as well. Three weeks into February, you've mapped this trend to the point of building a schedule. Just don't let your ambitions exceed your carrying capacity: Stopping to retool may cost you valuable momentum.

In late March, the final drag of uncertainty disappears. New campaigns begin in earnest. Raises and promotions may be involved. Your optimism spreads into other sectors, and many profit from what you started. Late in April, expect reviews and audits. They're inconvenient, but you have nothing to fear from them. While waiting, you catch a glimpse of someone's trade secret. Forge new alliances on May 15th, but be honest about your motives. Offer something extra to the people that you're so obviously using. Between the 15th and 30th, circumstances help you put others' hurt feelings and thwarted ambitions into healthy perspective.

By the end of June, competitors gain momentum. Those basking in the glow of recent success aren't prepared when the underdog makes a victorious comeback. Your own job may be safe, but you should consider the company's health. Strong leadership emerges in late July. Even if the white knight soon reveals his or her true colors as an egomaniac, it's a small price to pay. Idea people need to think inside the box in late August. Changes that concern you personally are irrelevant to what must be done in the weeks following Labor Day.

Between September 24th and October 23rd, every meeting has crucial consequences. Front-load your efforts, and some of the later decisions will be easier. Expect turbulence in the weeks preceding and following Halloween. Associates play dirty, and it's tempting to get involved. After November 8th, watch out for hostile takeovers or palace coups. Dramatic resignations and terminations are possible. After the 23rd, changes abound, promising a month of healing and renewed vision. It's the final harvest time to store up your nuts for Winter. After December 23rd, the situation stabilizes and becomes much more calm.