Waxing Crescent: Is This Really the Time to Take Action?

What Research Actually Says About Taking Action

There is a famous study I think about all the time. Researchers at University College London tracked 96 people trying to form new habits, and what they found changes everything about how we should approach waxing crescent (Lally et al., 2010).

First, the headline number: it takes an average of 66 days to build a habit. But here is the part everyone ignores - the range was massive. 18 to 254 days, depending on the person and the behavior.

But wait - the most important finding for anyone who has ever felt like a failure for missing a day: skipping a single occasion had no measurable impact on habit formation.

Read that again. Missing one day does not reset your progress. What does derail people? Guilt-spiraling after missing one day and quitting entirely. The perfectionism trap claims more manifestation practices than any missed moon phase ever could.

What Waxing Crescent Energy Actually Feels Like

Here is how I like to think about it. New moon was planting the seed. Now, during waxing crescent, that seed is just barely pushing through the soil.

It is not a full plant yet. It is not even a visible sprout. It is just the beginning of movement - fragile, hopeful, needing protection more than pressure.

This is why "bold action" often backfires during this phase. You are trying to force a sprout to bear fruit. The energy is not there yet.

This seven-day window is not about doing everything. It is about starting something you can actually maintain when the energy shifts, the kids get sick, and life happens.

The 5-Minute Waxing Crescent Practice (For Real Life)

Okay, let us get practical. Here is my actual waxing crescent approach - the one I can do while my coffee is brewing, while waiting for school pickup, or hiding in the bathroom for a moment of peace.

This is how sustainable change actually works. Not through one week of heroic effort followed by collapse. Through small, repeatable actions that build their own momentum.

Small Actions That Actually Work (By Life Area)

Here are minimum viable actions I have actually maintained during waxing crescent - and that have grown into bigger things over time.

Notice the pattern? These are not impressive actions. They will not get likes on social media. But they are actions you can actually take on a random Tuesday when you are exhausted and nothing feels possible.

That is the whole point.

But What About "Bold Action" and "Striking While the Iron Is Hot"?

I know what you are thinking. "Jenna, what if I actually want to do something big? What if I have the energy and the time and I want to go all in?"

Fair question. Here is my take: if bold action feels genuinely aligned and not like you are performing productivity for an invisible audience, go for it. Some people and some moon signs thrive on big pushes.

The problem with bold action is not that it never works. It is that it often leads to all-or-nothing thinking. You either do the big thing perfectly or you do nothing at all. And for most of us, most of the time, "nothing at all" wins.

Small actions protect you from that trap. They give you something that counts on the days when bold is not possible.

Your Simple Seven-Day Waxing Crescent Plan

If you want a structure (and I know some of you do), here is a gentle framework for the waxing crescent week:

By day 7, you will have done something toward your intention 5-7 times. Maybe more. That is not nothing - that is the beginning of a habit.

And here is the beautiful thing: that emerging habit becomes the foundation for bigger action during first quarter and full moon phases. You are not behind. You are building.

The Real Meaning of Waxing Crescent Action

Let me tell you what I have learned from years of trying to fit manifestation practice into a life that includes sticky counters, unexpected deadlines, and children who do not care about lunar phases.

Taking action does not have to mean dramatic transformation. It does not have to be visible or impressive or Instagram-worthy.

Sometimes taking action means choosing hope again. Trying one more time. Moving one inch forward when the path seems impossibly long.

That is the energy to embody right now. Not dramatic action. Not transformation in a week. Just showing up, a little more each day, trusting that small things become big things over time.

You do not have to be bold. You just have to begin.