New Year’s is Months Old for Some People. Like Me.
Reading all these New Year’s posts of late has re-inspired me. I think of New Year’s as a three-fold holiday.
Many years ago, I started looking at my “new year” as beginning in September – when I celebrate my birthday. I usually pick one thing that I want to work on about myself for that year. I focus on something that hopefully makes me a better person. Like one year I worked on my listening. I noticed that I was often “talking” in my head when someone else was speaking to me and thinking about how I would respond to them. Now, I’m not saying that one year was all it took. But that year I saw some real improvements. I still work on it and definitely think that year helped me notice when I’m doing it these days. It’s a highly personal thing, so I usually don’t share what I’m working on. I feel like the focus helps me a lot and I do feel a sense of accomplishment when the next birthday rolls around.
The second New Year’s is the one most people recognize – January 1, 2012. I don’t make any resolutions for that New Year. Although I do a pretty good check-in on how I’m doing with my birthday challenge.
The third New Year’s that I “celebrate,” if you will, is the Chinese New Year. The lunar Chinese New Year changes every year. This year it’s on January 23. That date starts the Year of the Dragon. You can read more about what’s in store for the year here.
The solar Chinese New Year for many is a standing date of February 4. I don’t usually do any resolutions for that one, either. But I do some preparations. Because I’m a Feng Shui kind of a gal.
Traditional things to do include getting your house in order. “Sweep” away the past, clean it like company is coming and clear your clutter! Remember it’s okay to give away what you don’t appreciate to it’s fullest – someone else will! I appreciated this piece of furniture that someone else wasn’t hip to anymore.
Other things to do include getting a haircut, buy new clothes, exchanging money in red envelopes and most importantly – forgiveness. That’s right, forgetting old grudges tops the list of how to bring in the new year with style.
The Chinese New Year celebration lasts 10 days, so you have time. I usually clean the house and perform a particular meditation. This year I am also going to do a house blessing and get a hair cut prior.
I also really like how my friend Jessica from Day to Day Feng Shui and Rejuvenate Space looked at the New Year as Intentions versus Resolutions. I invite you check out her post on the subject.
Did you make any resolutions? And when do you make them?
