Happy new year, my friends! Today marks the beginning of yet another year filled with possibilities and potential. What do you want for yourself this year? Have you thought about it? At the beginning of each year, I ask myself what I want to experience in every area of my life.

I take the time to plan the year ahead because I know it is important to my success. Even though I document my visions and goals, I know that to reach my highest envisioned potential I must clear out the unnecessary accumulations in my home. We are energetically tied to things in our environment, so before the year ends, I set aside two days to prepare my home so that it supports me in all of my endeavors.

Now, if your home is not yet prepared for the new year, don’t worry! Chinese new year, which is determined by the lunar calendar, is on Jan. 23, so you still have plenty of time to get things ready.

Think of the new year as an important and welcome “guest.” By clearing out the old, you physically and energetically create space for this new year “guest.”

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If you don’t know where to start, use the points below as a guide. Engage every person in the house to get ready for “out with the old and in with the new” feng shui action:

Out with the old

1. Discard

Put your mind in “I’m on a mission mode.” Then grab a trash bag and go from room to room putting everything that you no longer use or need in that bag. Stay no longer than 10 minutes in each area.

Get rid of expired food items in the refrigerator and cabinets, old newspapers, junk mail, chipped cups, old cosmetics, burnt down candles, broken items, warped Tupperware and other things that you know it is time to throw away. Be quick and snappy. This is an easy step that takes no thought at all.

2. Donate

Next, in a large plastic bag, put clothes you haven’t worn, CDs, books, figurines and other items with which you no longer resonate. For large items, make a list and schedule a day to remove them from your home. For now, remove the items that will fit into a few bags. Don’t think too much. Just do it. If you have a hard time letting things go, imagine the smile on the face of someone who needs the item more than you do.

3. Clear and Clean

Clutter creates lethargy and overwhelms. To make space to welcome in the opportunities for the new year, clear off surfaces where things have settled — the kitchen, dining room table and bathroom.

In with the new

1. Stock up on food

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Food symbolizes abundance and health. Be sure to fill your pantry and stock your refrigerator with the type of food that you want to eat in 2012.

2. Bring in a new plant

Plants symbolize growth and represent the life force. Bring in a plant from your garden, or better yet, purchase live plants and place them in your home to represent a new and healthy beginning to the year. A display of beautiful flowers is a positive symbol and represents reaching your highest potential.

3. Hang up new calendars

Calendars should represent the future, so discard all of last year’s calendars so that you greet the new year by showing you are present and open to the future, not stuck in the past.

4. Freshen up the energy

For just a few minutes, open every door and window to let go of the old year and energy and welcome in the new, with a vision to receive the best that life has to offer.

Take action for a great year

What you have in your home shows up in the quality of your life. To raise your positive experience of the upcoming year, set a positive intent throughout your home by taking out what you no longer want and bringing in what you do. Now is the perfect time to work on your home so that you can welcome the year of the water dragon with ease!

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Feng shui expert and life guide Alice Inoue offers books, DVDs, workshops and private consultations. For more information, visit www.aliceinspired.com.