With the New Year comes joyful anticipation about the future. While we can consciously choose to embark on a new beginning in any moment, the new year is a perfect time to embrace and magnify the energy of new beginnings and to open space to welcome in an abundance of what you desire to experience in the upcoming twelve months and beyond. This can be an ideal time to shift directions if the path we are headed down is not what we intended. Here are some steps we can take to assess where we are, bring closure to the path year, and create a vision for the upcoming year that is supported by changes we can make in our homes.
Closing Out the Year with Gratitude
Before launching into your vision for the future, take some time to reflect upon this last twelve months. Reflect on what went well as well as the experiences that you don’t think went well. What changes would you make? What have you learned, and how will you use that to shape your future? Before embarking on anything new milestones, such as the beginning of the year, I create a ceremony to close out the previous experience or phase. First, set an intention for the ceremony. For example, it is my intention to reflect upon the experiences of the year in order to learn and grow from these experiences in positive ways. Then, light a candle and create a list of what you are grateful for. Play some soft music in the background. After the gratitude list is created, write a letter to yourself expressing gratitude for the experiences that you have had in the past year. Place that letter on the altar that we’ll discuss further down in the article. Once the gratitude list and letter are complete, assess if there are things that need to be released in order to create more space for that which you truly desire. Write this release list down on a piece of biodegradable paper and dissolve it in water or burn it as part of your ceremony.
Create a Vision for the New Year
Next, create a vision for the upcoming year. Think about what you desire to experience in the upcoming year, and really focus in on the emotions that you’d like to experience. Play full out. This is not a vision of what you think you might get done in the upcoming year. It is a full out, dream big vision of who you want to become and what you desire to experience without limitation. Once you have created this vision, take an in-depth look around your home to assess whether your home and the objects within reflect this magnificent vision that you hold for your life at this point and looking forward. If we consider your home to be a three-dimensional vision board for your life, what are you envisioning through this three-dimensional vision board. Does it reflect what you desire? Does it uplift your energy and inspire you? When you look around, do you feel supported in moving forward?
Create an Altar to Anchor the Energy of Your Intentions
A great next step is to create a small altar area somewhere visible in your home that reflects your intentions for the upcoming year. An altar is an area where your intention is focused, a visual reminder of what you are striving for. It anchors the energy of your intentions in the space. Choose an altar cloth that reflects a theme or has meaning for you. For example, you may choose a green altar cloth to represent good health or violet to represent abundance. Then, place an item representing each of the four elements (air, water, fire, earth) on the altar along with your gratitude letter, your intention statement and a few items representing your intentions. For example, if one of your intentions for the new year is to experience an abundance of joy, place something on the altar that represents what brings you joy.
Clear Out the Energy Blocking Clutter
Now that you have your intention for the year and your altar set up, take a good look at all the items that you have invited into your home. Do these things lift your energy and remind you of your intention? Or are they distractions that keep you from moving towards your intentions? What’s blocking your path to abundance, freedom and moving forward on your intended path? If you have things in your home that are broken, unused, unloved, it’s time to release them. Review the vision of your future and ask yourself if your physical spaces are reflective of the person and life you described in the vision. Clearing clutter at the end of the year supports bringing unfinished things to completion and making space for new beginnings. Do you have any unfinished projects, delayed plans or tasks on your to do lists that can be released? Make a choice to complete, delegate or completely release these items to make room for what’s coming next.
If you are experiencing avoidance and resistance in this process, take some time to reflect on the meaning that you have granted these physical objects and incomplete tasks. What meaning have you given them? There are many factors that work together to create our reality, including our thoughts and emotions. And even when we don’t consciously examine the thoughts and emotions that we have attached to the objects, they are still present. That’s why it is so important to surround yourself only with objects that you use and love, ones that support your growth and in manifesting the present and future that you desire.
Feng Shui Focus on the Front Door and Home Flow
Once you have released items that represent stuck energy, things that are not supportive of your desired journey, focus on the following areas of your home to draw in the energy of abundance for the new year. First, let’s look at the front door, otherwise known as the mouth of chi. This is the primary area where new energy is welcomed into your home. Ask yourself the following questions: Does the front door work properly? Does it open and close fully and easily? What is the first thing that you see when you step through the front door into your home? Is this something inspirational that represents you and the experiences you desire to draw into your life? Even if you use your garage as the primary way to enter and exit the home, it is important that you attend to the architectural front door of your home and its surroundings. And opening the front door regularly to allow that fresh energy to enter the home is also supportive in removing stagnant energy.
Once inside your home, pay attention to the flow of the spaces. Are the hallways easy to navigate? Do you bump into furniture while moving around? Create free flowing spaces with your furniture and object placement. Keep your intention in mind when making adjustments and check-in about whether your home is moving you closer to your desired feelings and intentions or farther away from it.
There are several additional steps you can take to intentionally attract the energy of abundance into your life. The process of closing out the current year with gratitude and then creating a vision that is reflected in your home spaces can create a beautiful foundation for the future. It brings to completion the experiences of the past and opens intentional spaces for inviting in all that we desire.
