Chinese New Year is a great time for a good old clear out! I had lunch with a dear friend months ago and he mentioned to me that the best advice I had ever given him was about clutter, ie. get rid of it! I am a BIG fan of decluttering because I am a firm believer that your environment reflects your state of mind. Clearing space works on many levels. Physically, living in a clear and organised environment actually saves you loads of time and energy because you know where everything is. But it also energically clears room for new opportunities and new things to enter your life. A cluttered and full home with 'stuff' bursting out of every drawer and overfilling onto counters and floors leaves NO space for anything new to enter your life. You will get stuck and suffocated by all your 'old stuff'. Get rid of it!
If you are totally overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you have, I recommend starting small. Tackle ONE thing, the underwear drawer in your wardrobe, or the kitchen drawer that everyone has that just has 'things' in it. Or if you are piling things on your desk then just do that. I promise the amount of releif you will feel by doing just one thing will ignite your passion to keep going. It is truly liberating to chuck stuff out.
Once a year I make Chinese New Year my excuse to declutter. I make sure I go through my wardrobe and throw out or donate any clothes I have not worn that year. I go through my children's toys and we donate at least one big box of toys they have outgrown, I go through my filing cabinet and recycle or archive. Its so wonderful to start the New Year with space for all the great and abundant things coming my way! Of course if you are following the customs, make sure you do all this before the actual new year. The symbolism is to start the year as you mean to continue, so do all your spring cleaning before the new year begins and then you can relax over the holidays!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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