This morning, Mercury and Saturn align in Pisces, giving a serious, thoughtful cast to the day. No matter how much you want to relax, you’ll probably struggle to put your problems out of your mind. So instead of trying to ignore the hard stuff, give it your full attention instead. With today’s combination of imagination and pragmatism, you might come up with surprisingly effective solutions.

When you’re unsure of how to go about something, it’s tempting to just put it off. You imagine that your future self will be smarter and more capable, much better equipped to take care of whatever it is you’re avoiding. And sometimes it actually does work out this way, but not always. There are some situations you’ll never feel truly qualified to handle, some chores that will never feel easy — but you’ll have to do them eventually, so if you’ve been procrastinating, try to finally get them out of the way today.

You know people who always get carried away by their most fantastical ambitions — but who seem to have no idea how to make them happen and no interest in putting in the necessary work. You’re careful to do the opposite, making sure not to dream beyond the scope of what you can realistically achieve. Today, though, remember that just because you don’t have the skills or resources to bring a project to life now, that doesn’t mean you never will. Don’t limit yourself to what’s possible in the immediate future: Think long-term.

You don’t like recognizing that you have limitations; you want to believe that anything is possible if you work hard enough. But the fact is that everyone is operating within constraints. It’s not a failure on your part to admit that you only have so much energy or so many hours in the day. Today, try to be honest with yourself. If you can acknowledge your personal limits, it’ll help you see the choices that are available to you more clearly and make it easier to plan your next step.

If you reflect on your life today, it could be easy to convince yourself that nothing you do actually matters or makes any difference in the world. You try hard to be a good person and live purposefully, but that hardly seems to matter in the face of life’s volatile unpredictability. Try to remember that things likely seem worse to you right now than they really are, and you’re likely to judge yourself unfairly. Make an effort not to get dragged down by your pessimism: Your efforts are more impactful than you realize.

Sometimes you get tired of explaining yourself. Instead of having to constantly tell your friends what’s going on in your head, or needing to justify why you feel a certain way, you wish they just knew. You might even start to think that if the people in your life truly loved you, they’d understand you better. But today, consider that nobody can read your mind — regardless of how much they care about you. If you want to be understood, you’ve got to communicate, so don’t bottle it up.

As much as you value honesty, there are times when it seems wiser to simply avoid tough conversations altogether. Maybe you worry that nothing good can come of delving into sensitive topics, or maybe you assume that you already know how someone will respond, so there’s no use in trying. You don’t have to engage in the discussions you think will be frustrating or painful — but if there’s a part of you that isn’t satisfied to avoid them forever, today is a good time to gather your courage and go for it.

You sometimes imagine that work doesn’t really “count” unless it’s incredibly difficult, that you aren’t doing enough unless you feel stressed and exhausted. But today, remember that running yourself into the ground won’t actually help you get results — at least not in the long term. Taking things one step at a time might not feel like much, but trust that you’re slowly getting closer to where you want to be. You don’t need to push yourself to exhaustion; you just need to keep going, little by little.

Your mind is probably firing on all cylinders today — but this could have contradictory effects. On one hand, it means you’re filled with new ideas and fresh insights, but on the other, it makes it easier for you to overthink every source of stress in your life. The key is to make sure you’re not living solely in your head. The more you get out in the world, interact with other people, and actually act on your ideas instead of ruminating, the better you’ll feel.

When progress toward your goals seems slow and you start to get impatient, it can be tempting to seek out quick fixes. It’s not exactly that you’re looking for a shortcut; you just feel that there must be a better, more efficient path than the one you’re currently on. But today, don’t pay attention to prospects that seem too good to be true — trying to jump ahead will only set you back in the long run. Some things simply can’t be rushed; trust that you’re moving at the right speed for you.

Even if you’re only brainstorming, you don’t want to sound silly or impractical, so you often wait to share your thoughts with others until you’ve got something worthwhile to offer. Today, though, make an effort to open up even when your thoughts are vague and uncertain. Nobody else expects you to be perfectly polished every moment of your life, so stop holding yourself to unreasonable standards. It’s enough just to test out different ideas until you find one that works.

You’re likely to feel smart and capable today. Your head is full of good ideas, and you’re confident in your ability to tackle any problem that comes your way. This is a great opportunity to make useful changes in your life — but be mindful not to try to fix anyone else’s life. While you might be feeling practical and solution-oriented, that doesn’t mean that everyone else is on exactly the same page. Your friends might not want advice right now but simply somebody to listen.

At times, you feel like you have no control over your life, and you just have to ride the waves the best you can. Today, though, you’re likely to swing in the opposite direction, feeling empowered, clear-headed, and ready to take charge of your own future. Try to put this energy to use by making plans or tangible changes to your routines. At the same time, though, remember that you still can’t control everything. Do your best and don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go exactly according to plan.

Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.