Whether or not you are Asian, Chinese New Year is a good time to make some Feng Shui changes in your home to assure that positive energy, good fortune, and harmony will fill your surroundings during the coming year. The days leading up to the actual start of the New Year are the most significant, since they represent new beginnings and setting intentions. That makes it a perfect time to get rid of all kinds of clutter in your home, including financial clutter and mental clutter, to allow for reflecting and renewal. Here are four Feng Shui steps you can take in the days before Chinese New Year to make your home ready for the coming year.

1. Clean your home thoroughly. A clean home symbolizes a fresh start, and gives you the opportunity to symbolically “clear out” any residual negative energy from illness, unpleasant situations, or sorrow from the previous year. Go room by room and make sure you clean in those places that usually get overlooked, like vacuuming under the bed and dusting above the refrigerator. Change your linens, wash your windows, clean your stove, and change the furnace filter. Most important, be sure to fix anything that is broken around your home by practicing my “Rule of 3Rs.” That is, replace, repair, or remove anything that isn’t working.

2. Resolve conflicts and settle accounts. It’s best to enter the new year as debt-free as you can, so if possible try to pay off credit card balances and personal debts before Chinese New Year starts. This is also a good time to get your tax documents in order so you can easily file your return early in the year, and hopefully get a large tax refund this year.

3. Lighten your load. It’s a good Feng Shui practice at the start of the year to get rid of any possessions that you don’t like, don’t want, and don’t need anymore. In Feng Shui, we believe that “nothing new flows into your life until you make room for it.” That means when you get rid of those unnecessary objects that are cluttering up your home, you make room for new and better things to flow into your life to take their place. Donate those items that are still in good condition, recycle what you can, and then take the rest out to the trash so they are not cluttering up your surroundings.

4. Take care of your health. Chinese New Year is the best time to take care of small health issues to ensure they don’t turn into big issues during the coming year. Make an appointment for your annual physical and dental exam early in the year, try to get more exercise and walk more in the fresh air, and consider adding a few new healthy options to your diet.

Beyond its association with renewal and new beginnings, Chinese New Year is also made up of traditions designed to influence the future, and one of these traditions involves food. Two customs include eating tangerines to represent wealth, and oranges to symbolize good luck. The colors red and orange represent wealth and good luck in Feng Shui, so you can also display a bowl of these fruits in your kitchen during the holiday. Steamed dumplings are another Chinese New Year tradition, so whether you make them yourself with the whole family, or order them from your favorite Chinese restaurant, be sure to add some pot stickers to your celebration as a tasty way to usher in the coming year.

Want more free Feng Shui tips? Click here to sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter, the Feng Shui For Real Life E-zine

Join my Feng Shui For Real Life page on Facebook where I post advice, tips, articles, and other Feng Shui information. Click here to link to www.Facebook.com/FengShuiForRealLife.