Do you have an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset?
Your thoughts have power. The way you think and perceive the world can influence everything from your career path and financial decisions to your own personal happiness. That’s why it’s so important to choose an abundance mindset over a scarcity mindset.
A scarcity mindset sees life as a series of roadblocks and limitations. There’s never enough of anything and you have to fight for scraps. An abundance mindset, on the other hand, sees ample opportunities. With an abundance mindset you don’t feel competitive or stingy because you know there’s enough to go around.
Let’s take a closer look at a scarcity mindset versus an abundance mindset so that you can learn to spot these thought patterns in your own life.
A scarcity mindset:
- You’re always pinching pennies because you’re worried that you’ll never have enough.
- You choose low paying jobs because you don’t think you’ll find anything better.
- You believe that another person’s success means less opportunities for you.
- You operate from a place of fear.
- You see failure and rejection as definitive.
- You never have enough time or energy to do the things you want.
Abundance mindset:
- You believe that opportunities are everywhere.
- You are generous with your time and expertise because you know that it will come back in the end.
- You invest in yourself and your goals.
- You’re not afraid to say “no” because you trust that another opportunity will come your way soon.
- You set setbacks as an essential part of your growth.
- You believe that there’s enough good things and opportunities to go around.
This isn’t to say that having an abundance mindset means that you should delude yourself or ignore reality. If anything, an abundance mindset accepts that failure and setbacks are a part of the process. An abundance mindset doesn't fixate on scarcity, because it appreciates the bigger picture.
The good news is that you don’t have to be born with an abundance mindset. You can learn to think more abundantly. Developing an abundant mindset is like building a new, positive habit. You have to train yourself to start thinking a certain way in order to ultimately change your perspective.
Here are some ways that you can reframe your scarcity mindset and develop an abundance mindset.
Do a little detective work
First, it will help to figure out how you developed a scarcity mindset in the first place. You may have picked up limiting beliefs from your parents or peers or community. For example, maybe your parents always struggled with money or drilled into you that money doesn't grow on trees.
Knowing where these limiting beliefs originated from can help you develop a more objective perspective and separate yourself from these unproductive thoughts.
Observe how you speak to yourself
Our thoughts are so reflexive and habitual that we may not even realize that we’re coming from a place of scarcity. So in order to change the way you think, you need to become more aware of your thought patterns.
Notice the way you talk to yourself. What phrases or words do you use? What are your go-to thoughts when you’re presented with an opportunity or a challenge? For example, maybe you say things like, “You better not mess up” or “you’re not smart enough to get this.”
Monitoring your negative thoughts will help you become more aware of your scarcity mindset, which will then help you take action in reframing them.
Use your journal to develop an abundance mindset
Studies have shown that writing by hand can improve your learning and memory. Putting things on paper can also help you make connections. So if you’re trying to teach yourself a new concept, like an abundance mindset, it will help to write it out.
The next time you fall into the trap of a scarcity mindset, try reframing your thoughts in your journal.
For example, if you’re feeling frustrated by your job search, try writing: I have so many job opportunities. I know that the right job will come my way.
You can also use your journal to help you view your thoughts in a more objective, rational way. It’s so easy for our emotions to take over and cloud our judgment. If we’re feeling upset, we’re only naturally going to see the situation as dire and helpless. Writing in your journal can help you assess the situation from a more neutral place.
So if you’re feeling stressed about an upcoming presentation, instead of convincing yourself that you’re going to fail, write about it in your journal. You’ll see that maybe things aren’t as stressful as they seem. And that you are perfectly capable of achieving success.
Repeat positive affirmations
They say that repetition builds new habits. So if you want to introduce an abundance mindset, try repeating your positive thoughts and affirmations multiple times.
Write them down multiple times or recite them to yourself repeatedly. You can even recite your affirmations before a big meeting or interview to give yourself a confidence boost.
Take the pressure off yourself
When you put pressure on yourself to succeed, you’re operating from a place of fear and scarcity. You’re essentially telling yourself that you only have this one shot and that you don’t know when your next opportunity will appear.
But having a scarcity mindset will only negatively impact your performance and make you more nervous. If you want to perform well, you have to minimize the pressure and tell yourself that you’ll have many more opportunities just like this. So don’t put so much stock into one job interview or presentation. Trust that the next opportunity is right around the corner.
Adopt an attitude of gratitude
Expressing gratitude will help you see that your life is already so full of good things. So keep a gratitude journal and jot down all the things, people, and experiences that you are grateful for. When you see your gratitude list on paper, you will see the undeniable proof that your life is already abundant.
Written by JiJi Lee
