Your mindset is key to all areas of life including work, money, love and even your home.
Having an abundance mindset means believing that no matter how much life gives you or life gives to others, there will always be enough success and resources to go around.
The scarcity mindset is the idea that there is a limited amount of success and resources, which means we’re in constant competition and must guard what is ours. If you’re stuck in a scarcity mindset, it can be hard to feel fulfilled even when you get what you wanted.
The good news is that there are ways to shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset and live the life you’ve been dreaming about. So let’s dive into signs that the scarcity mindset has been taking hold of your life and what you can do about it.
Scarcity vs Abundance Mentality:
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Scarcity Mindset Psychology & Signs
While the scarcity mindset appears in negative self-talk such as, “I am not enough,” “I don’t deserve it,” or “I can’t do that,” believing you need to push out others to succeed or protect what you have at all costs are also signs you’ve developed a scarcity or lack mentality.
If you compare yourself constantly, your self-talk leans toward “FOMO,” what you lack instead of what you have, or you have a hard time getting rid of things regardless of their value, then you may have a scarcity mindset.
For example, hoarders struggle with feelings of scarcity. The disorder makes it seem like stuff bring satisfaction and not acquiring anything that is “free” or a “good deal” is an opportunity they’ll regret. Suffering happens if they don’t get it and can’t recognize how much they have.
💚 If someone you love has a hoarding disorder, here are ways to help them and your relationship.
Having an abundant mindset includes recognizing being alive is enough and all else is a bonus — not necessary. It allows you to realize the endless possibilities life offers everyone, without needing to cut yourself or others down.
While you may not have a hoarding disorder, here are five other signs of a scarcity mindset:
1. Cluttered living space and mind
Everyone’s home has clutter here and there. But, is your place becoming increasingly cluttered to the point it’s hard to go about daily life? Or maybe you only have small but growing piles of broken or random items that serve no purpose, like old junk mail, ticket stubs and other junk?
Even if it’s not the size of a mountain, holding on to useless clutter is a sign of a lack mindset. It may be a feeling that they are one-of-a-kind or will become useful in the future, even if they never will. The problem may look small at first, but it may soon mushroom out of control.
2. Chronic disorganization that affects daily activities
Do you have difficulty organizing things like possessions or determining specific steps to accomplish goals? Giving up when feeling overwhelmed can be a sign you may feel like you lack the time, skills, or resources to get your life together.
3. An irresistible urge to acquire more things
A scarcity mindset makes you feel like you won’t have enough later if you don’t get this random item that you never even thought about before. The urge is so strong you end up overspending, collecting free items or bulky clutter that sits unused or even unopened.
4. Severe anxiety about getting rid of items
Related to why you got it in the first place, decluttering is met with resistance and anger every time you try. The feeling can be overwhelming and become hard to control in the long run.
5. Obsessive thoughts and actions
Do you constantly get in your head about why you aren’t achieving things? Feel like others have already achieved this or that and therefore there’s no more room for you to do anything new? Or do you have a resistance to sharing credit with coworkers?
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Key Traits of an Abundance Mindset
Want to know what an abundance mindset looks like? Here are 5 key traits:.
- Optimism. An optimistic person knows there’s never a lack of good even in the bad and are happy for others’ successes.
- Open Mind. Constantly look for knowledge and new ways to hone skills instead of thinking you know everything.
- Thinking Big. Abundance mentality means the sky is the limit and there’s always something else around the corner.
- Embracing Change. Understand change is not only necessary but embrace it. While change is challenging, appreciate that it more often than not leads to positive outcomes.
- Knowing there is plenty around. There exists limitless resources for love, wealth, and success. They see others’ successes as a confirmation they too can achieve what they want.
How to Develop an Abundance Mindset
By understanding the signs of both scarcity and abundance thinking, you can recognize areas you need to work on. Here is how to create an abundance mindset in your life today:
Practice Gratitude Every Day
Spend some time every day writing down the things that are going well in your life that you’re thankful for. They can be big or small things that made your day better.
Keep the list somewhere you can see it often like your bedside table or the notes section on your phone. This is a way to remind yourself of the good things that are constantly happening even when you’re feeling bogged down.
Related Article: 9 Natural Ways to Improve Mood
Train Your Mind to See Possibilities
Sometimes life gives you a bad hand. When this happens, the lack mindset may take over and you can tend to focus on how unfair life is and how other people are luckier than you are.
But, when life gives you lemons, think about the positives that are coming out of this change. An abundance mentality allows you to see more options, more resources, and more choices. Spend time reflecting on the positives and it will open your mind to possibilities.
Shift Your Focus to What You Have
If you find yourself reluctant to make a move on a new job, relationship, home, upgrade, etc, you could be thinking that you don’t have the skills, looks, money, or space.
Sure, you may not be able to get that job you’ve been wanting, but the next one you do get may provide benefits you never even dreamed of. The idea is to switch gears and see what you got instead of what you didn’t. By focusing on that, you’ll be able to find the confidence to try even if you might fail, since you’re likely to still win in a way that you never expected.
“When you shift your focus to the things you use, love, and treasure, it becomes that much easier to let things go that no longer serve you. It’s an internal paradigm shift that you can then apply to all other areas of your life.” — Erin, Sacred Space Organizing
Declutter Your Mind and Let Go
The simple process of getting organized does a lot to cultivate abundance thinking. For instance, cleaning your home can help you stir feelings of abundance. You begin to see how much you already have and the fact that you are able to own stuff comes from achievement.
Surround Yourself with Other Abundance Mindset Individuals
Our relationships and social circles have a potent impact on our mindset. Spend a lot of time with people who recognize opportunity is everywhere and you will automatically think more positively. Reflect if those whom you spend time with show traits of the abundance mentality.
If they don’t, look for those who do by joining classes, finding support groups online, and even reconnecting with people that achieve their goals that you may have once overlooked.
Ready to Have an Abundance Mentality?
You don’t need to have all the resources under the sun to have an abundant life. The right mindset is the key to helping you achieve what was previously impossible.
As with everything worth having, developing an abundance mentality takes time and practice. It’s the little effort you put in every day. If you want to start your journey to abundance, a little gratitude practice will do. Slowly start the shift and build up the positive thoughts over time.
That said, changing your surroundings makes a great impact on your mindset. Decluttering is one of the things you can do today that will help you clear your mind.
If you’re finding it hard to declutter your home and dispose of excess junk, using a junk removal and disposal service like LoadUp to pick up, haul away, and dispose of unwanted clutter can help you get well on your way to feeling like you’ve got it all, even with less.
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