How to change your mindset for a richer new year

Every time a new year rolls round, many of us resolve to be better with money.

To save more, to keep out of our overdrafts, to budget better or simply to make our fortunes.

But the trouble is, most of us actually have no clue how to go about that.

According to hypnotist, behavioural scientist and author of self-help books, Paul McKenna, however, there are simple things you can do to ensure you have a richer 2018.

It’s important to remember that being rich isn’t just about money: “Being rich is living your life on your own terms – according to your possibilities, not your limitations,” McKenna wrote for the Mail Online.

From his experience, “rich thinkers” are the people who have a certain view of money that’s different to most of us.

A study recently found that it’s all about having a “proactive personality,” which is where you can spot opportunities and work on them in the right way.

These people tend to get promoted more often and are also happier at work.

“In other words, we create our own luck by the way we think, feel and act in the world,” McKenna explains.

One way to try and achieve this mindset is to attach meaning to the physical money you have, so equate a £5 note with lunch, for example.

For many people, what’s holding them back is financial self-sabotage. They think they don’t deserve wealth or there isn’t enough money to go round.

And - as with most things - it often comes down to our parents.

If you were brought up being told you’d never be successful or amount to anything, this can affect your views on money and success as an adult.

You have to try and get rid of any negative subconscious thoughts you have about wealth that you’ve been holding since childhood.

Another issue for some people is not liking the idea of having less money than others. But, McKenna says, “The more comfortable you become with the wealth of others, the faster your own wealth will grow.”

Your mindset affects the energy you give off which controls the energy you receive, according to McKenna.

If you’d just like to spend less, McKenna suggests simply starting a spending diary, where you note down every penny that leaves your bank account or wallet - much like with a food diary, it can help make you much more aware of where your money is going.

Another tip is to ask yourself “wealth creating questions,” such as “What unique product or service would I like to provide which will be of massive value to the world?” This is a trait many millionaires and billionaires share.

You need to ask what you can offer which would add value to other people’s lives while also making you money.

Even if you can’t answer questions such as these straight away, it’s important to keep asking yourself because it will put your mind in a more resourceful state.

“You get more of what you focus on in life,” says McKenna.