What does the New Year hold for us all? Unsurprisingly it is not going to be easy this year!

26th January 2009 hails the beginning of the new Chinese lunar year. This year is the year of the Ox, the second animal of 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac after the rat.

So what does the year of the Ox hold for us all? Perhaps this is hardly surprising to everyone in our credit crunch era, but the year of the Ox is going to be hard work to put right the wrongs of previous years. There will be no room for laziness this year, the rules are simple – you work hard and in time you will be rewarded. This is the year to put all your finances in order – whether it is trying to tackle the mountain of credit card debt or putting more money aside for a rainy day.

The Ox is often considered as slow and methodical, but this is the type of panacea we need to get our house in order and life back on track. The Ox is the quintessential cleaner-upper and will turn chaos back into order. Tradition is important to the Ox and making sure that everyone abides by the rules, means there is little room for shortcut takers and mavericks – who've reeked havoc in the past few years. This year requires all creatures of the zodiac to adopt the patient and controlled nature of the Ox in order to really succeed and to make good any of the opportunities presented to them.

Anyone born this year is considered to belong to the most reliable and diligent of all Oxen – the Earth Ox. The Earth element is believed to balance out many of the negative characteristics of the Ox that are the tendencies to be stubborn, shy (and general unwillingness to be social), snobby and inflexible. The Earth Ox show good judgement, reliability, sincerity and modesty, they are also compassionate and loyal to family and friends.