In a country submerged in traditions, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if your mom made you put a coin in your shoes for your first job interview. You’re also not alone if you believe that the polka-dot dress you wore last New Year’s Eve would bring you prosperity for the next 11 months.

Three weeks after the New Year and we at Upsize are wondering how the first few weeks of your 2017 turned out. Did the open doors, windows, and cabinets made good fortune stay? Did the open lights made the first month of the year bright?  Did the noise scare away the evil spirits? If your answer isn’t yes, no worries, there are still 11 months to wait for good luck. Or you can check out our four ideas that might just rival the idea of luck.

Work hard, work smarter

This one tip will surely beat the 12 fruits you laid out on your table during the Media Noche. I believe that prosperity will only come knocking if invited by your hard work and persistence. Those coins you scattered, those green beans you ate, they won’t come in the form of abundance if you do not work hard enough to achieve it. More than working hard, working smart is the way to achieve your desired outcome. 

“Chance favors the prepared.”

No matter how many coins you put inside your shoe, it wouldn’t matter if you go to an interview unprepared. In getting the desired result of every endeavour, preparation has always been the key. Add a little prayer before you head over and you might just get that new job.

Be friendly.

Knowing someone, be it professionally or otherwise, is something that could help you get where you want to be. Maybe that person you talked to in the bookstore, in the coffee shop, in the supermarket will be your next best friend. Maybe that random officemate you’ve talked to is someone that could give you an advice over that problem you thought was unsolvable. It’s all a matter of taking a chance at someone. 

Trust yourself.

Self-confidence is never overrated. Trusting that you are capable of achieving amazing things is more than the luck you need. Every success you’ve achieved, every friend you’ve gained, every lesson you’ve learned is all because you’ve dared to try. Trusting yourself is a step toward actually getting what you want.

As the Chinese New Year nears, more and more tips about being lucky is sprouting off the internet. From lucky colors, to lucky birth signs, the internet is feeding off our desire to get something without working hard for it.

In seeking that fresh start, we always wonder whether what we have is meant to be or whether we just got lucky. Should you follow our four tips, there’d be no doubt that the good fortune you’ll soon be enjoying will be all thanks to you.