Some very interesting challenges of your own choosing could confront you in the year ahead. Even if you know you are a match for what is at hand, getting involved could hinder some other very important areas of your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- It's never a good day to get involved in the financial affairs of friends, especially if you're asked to play the role of a banker. It's one of the quickest ways to break up a relationship.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Guard against talking about important things as if you've already accomplished them. It could cause you to be unrealistic about the chore at hand and let down your game just when you need to be driving to the hoop.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- There are two means of thinking that could hold you back: one is nursing self-defeating thoughts and the other is repeating a mistake that you've made over and over again.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don't pry too deeply into a friend's personal affairs, because you could uncover something juicy that you wouldn't be able to resist telling others about. Mind your own beeswax.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Be extremely careful about whom you choose to go to for advice; sometimes the people you like the most don't have all the answers. Make sure your adviser knows what he or she is talking about.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You should take care not to jump to conclusions when you don't have all the facts. Any decisions you make will be flawed if the information they're based on is worthless.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- There's a good possibility that you will be prone to taking risks both financially and otherwise, just because you want a long shot to pan out. This is no time to be an optimist.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Neither you nor your mate are likely to be very good at keeping promises made to one another. Be careful not to pledge something that you don't know how to make good on.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Avoid participating in office gossip and workplace scuttlebutt. Word might get back to the boss that you're the big mouth who is causing all the discontent.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Be extremely protective of your belongings and resources. Any carelessness on your part, such as leaving things unattended or out in the open -- even in a locked car -- will lead to a regrettable loss.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- There's a chance that you could be kind to undeserving people in hopes of changing them, while being tight with those who are generous and giving. Reverse that.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Although usually you base your evaluations on logic and practicality, you might ignore these factors and go with what suits you at the moment. This could prove to be quite unwise.

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