Fasten your seatbelt. 2006 can provide some huge and positive leaps forward!

In 2006, the Chinese New Year starts on January 29th. 2006 is the Year of the Dog. The dog is a symbol of solid progress. The dog is reliable, loyal, and a little stubborn, but also trustworthy. He steps in boldly where work needs to be done, and stays there until it’s completed.

In other words, you have a chance to make steady progress in 2006. Don’t put your attention on „get rich quick” schemes or frivolities. Use 2006’s energy to move forward towards your written goals, especially your five- and ten-year goals.

SOLID, LONG-TERM WRITTEN GOALS

I stress written goals, because the Year of the Dog will only support goals that are well thought-out, clearly defined, and fit into your larger plans for your life.

Invest time and money in the „blue chip” aspects of your life. First, repair anything that needs attention (or will need it in the near future), if you use and rely on it steadily. This includes home improvements, car maintenance, classes to advance your career, time with your children, and a regular, weekly „date” with your spouse or partner.

If you’re hoping to fall in love, find a job or career that will last, or move into a house that will be your permanent home, 2006 is ideal. However, be sure that you’ve set very specific, well defined goals.

For example, if your goal is a new house in 2006, have you thought about which town it should be in, and which neighborhood? Have you considered how many bedrooms, bathrooms, and the size of the garage? Have you been pre-qualified for a mortgage, or have you at least discussed your plans with your banker or some mortgage lenders?

Every long-term goal that has a serious plan of action with it, can make good, solid progress in 2006.

However, if you pursue spur-of-the-moment tangents, they may disappoint you just when you’re lulled into a sense of security. The Year of the Dog often teaches us to stick with what’s tried-and-true, first.

In 2006, if you don’t support the things in your life that you usually take for granted, they can become significant headaches instead. In real life, dogs often bark loudly when they want your attention; if you’re neglecting an important area of your life, it will become a priority by mid-2006 if you don’t address it early.

FAME AND REPUTATION

In addition, 2006 is the year of the Yang, Red/Fire Dog. This relates to the Fame area of the Bagua, and your reputation in general.

Think about the impressions that you make with others. Does your wardrobe need repairs, cleaning, or an update? Have you had the same hairstyle for more than two years? Do your business cards represent your career goals as well as what you do right now? Have you optimized your Fame area with symbols of red or fire?

Look at areas of your life–personal and professional–that you’ve neglected. If you’ve been meaning to catch up on your bookkeeping, or finally get that dead tree out of the backyard (or the junk out of the garage), tackle it early in 2006.

Dogs–and dog years–tend to draw a line between what’s working and what isn’t. There’s nothing in between. Also, a yang year like 2006 can have aspects that seem harsh and unreasonable. Something is good or it’s bad. It’s black or it’s white. It’s your path, or it’s something you shouldn’t even try.

You can prune your activity list voluntarily, or wait for it to become a crisis in 2006. Stick with your long-range goals and the most productive steps to achieve them.

TAKE NO RISKS

2006 is not a year for risks. For example, the stock market may appear to make stable growth in early 2006, but during the second half of the year, the Year of the Dog may dictate a startling correction in some investments.

Windfalls and lucky breaks are possible in 2006, but they’re most likely to occur in areas where you’ve prepared a solid foundation.

For example, you’ll see entertainment stars become „overnight” successes, but most of them have worked hard for ten or more years to achieve this. (And, if they haven’t, the Year of the Dog almost guarantees that they’ll vanish as quickly as they leaped into the spotlight.)

Likewise, prepare for unusual weather patterns again in 2006. Be sure that your insurance is current, and have a good stock of emergency supplies near your front door. If a disaster struck suddenly, do you have a meet-up plan for your entire family?

IN SUMMARY

In general, it’s best to focus all of your resources on the things that support you, personally and professionally. 2006 is not a year to attempt to stretch too far, or spread your resources too thinly.

Instead, sit down now and make a list of your five-year, ten-year, and lifetime goals. Then, break those goals into lesser goals, with steps to take in the upcoming year.

Those are the areas in which you can make solid, even dramatic progress.

In Feng Shui terms, be sure that your Fame area is energized with the appropriate colors, elements, and symbols. The other two areas to focus on are Family/Stability (also called Security) and your Career area.

Energize your Power Position with the color red, or with candles and similar fire symbols.

And, enhance your Feng Shui luck with dog figures, pictures, and symbols. See my article, Feng Shui Holiday Gifts – 2005, for some suggestions.

2006 can be a year of tremendous foundational work, leading to soaring successes in the future. Or, if you’re not prepared with written, long-range goals, 2006 can be a year of spectacular and embarrassing failures.

If you’re ready for 2006, it can be a year of dramatic — and sometimes quiet — achievements. Make it your best year ever!