It’s the Lunar New Year, and according to Asian folklore, the upcoming Year of the Rabbit is a good time to slow down, reflect and strive for balance in work, money and life.
For those who celebrate the Chinese New Year in East Asia and among Asian Americans, the rabbit zodiac represents hope, resilience and a sense of cautious optimism.
“In many Asian countries, when we talk about the Year of the Rabbit, we think of calmness and resilience, like bouncing back and forth literally as a rabbit jumps,” said Joey Ng, chief marketing officer at Yami, an online retailer of snacks and goods. Asian.
That’s welcome news coming out of the coming Year of the Tiger, or a period of “very strong action without thinking,” said Jonathan HX Lee, a professor of Asian and Asian American studies at San Francisco State University whose research focuses on religion and folklore.
Nothing was quite as reflected as the US economy last year, when skyrocketing inflation led the Fed to aggressively raise interest rates, which was followed by sinking stocks, mass layoffs, the collapse of crypto and a competitive housing market.
“It’s a consume, consume, consume type of year. This year is the opposite, where if we act without thinking, there could be dire consequences,” Lee said. “The coming year is a year of not taking action for the short term, but making plans for the long term.”
Financial and career planning
To prioritize the long-term view of your career this year, it’s always a good idea to have a new job before leaving an old one, Lee said. Given the volatile job market, it may make sense to keep a larger financial cushion on deck.
Speaking of money, it may not be a good time to rush into a financial decision without a lot of research and preparation. If you’re looking to buy a home, for example, make sure you can cover other bills along with the mortgage and new home costs, Lee said.
For workplace leaders, economic volatility requires “brutal prioritization” not only in operations, but also in figuring out how to deal with the economy without burning out workers.
“Rather than just pushing to do more with less, we all need to find a balance,” Ng said. “You don’t want to lose your remaining workforce. You want to make sure their lives are good and balanced and not burned out so you can keep going with the A team.”
Laura Lau, co-author of “The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes,” says the rabbit sign is one that bestows patience and diplomacy in confrontation. Lau urged people to be mindful when re-entering the workplace or working during difficult times. “This is a time when it will be difficult for people to work together, resolve conflicts and work in groups again,” he said. “But those who tend to manage [discomfort] will be able to move forward.”
Lee also recommends investing in your work relationships. “Rabbits are a sign of peace, so developing empathy in working relationships will flourish in their profession,” he said.
Balance in life and well-being
Looking for balance beyond your personal relationships, Ng adds: “If you’re fired, what are you left with? You’re left with your family and life outside of work.”
Lee said the year marks a good reminder that it’s not always “chasing money” at the expense of your well-being. He recently advised his sister, for example, to reconsider working overtime (and being extremely tired) in order to pay off the mortgage faster.
Concerned that overworking could lead to poor health, Lee suggested he “might want to slow down, because if you’re not healthy but your mortgage is paid, what’s the point?”
Lee follows this advice carefully and is more deliberate in deciding where to invest his energy and resources, such as choosing a place to volunteer his time.
In Chinese folklore, the rabbit zodiac can beg for help, Ng said — a good practice that came out of the pandemic years. “If there’s anything we’ve learned in the past few years, it’s that we can depend on others,” Ng said. “If you’re in a position to help, help others. And if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.”
Although all signs point to this year being one of pause and reflection, there is still room for joy, Lau said. The rabbit zodiac strikes “a fine balance between taking care of oneself and enjoying the company of others,” he says. “So I’m going to try and take the ‘cultural fun’ of rabbits more seriously.”
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