It’s been a busy couple of weeks with some significant decisions and the accompanying stress. I found myself wanting a nap mid-afternoon yesterday, after a little mental argument with myself…not enough time, too much to do, it’s lazy …. blah, blah, blah… I took the nap.
I recognize that the trash talk in my head does not have my best interest at heart, despite how loud and insistent it is sometimes. It’s a wild conglomeration of subconscious beliefs, energetic patterns, behaviors and social conditioning (if I lived in Spain, that nap would have been acceptable 💤).
One of the patterns that jumped out at me was the scarcity mindset, not enough.
A scarcity mindset is about looking at life through the lens of limits.
Time is limited.
Money is limited.
Opportunities are limited.
Even you are limited in what you can accomplish.
It’s like pressing your foot on the brakes at the same time you’re giving the engine gas. You generally don’t get very far.
Most of us have never been conditioned to think any other way. Coupled with the subtle and very accepted view of limits, it can be tricky to shift out of a scarcity mindset. Most of us have an area or two that we are more prone to slip into a scarcity mindset around.
When you’re stuck in a scarcity mindset, a lot of time is spent spinning your wheels. It’s hard to see how mindset contributes to the problem, and there’s a tendency to blame circumstances or other people.
Here are 5 main areas where a scarcity mindset could be holding you back.
Confidence – A scarcity mindset will have us believing that we’re never enough. Not thin enough to wear a bikini (which is bull shit- Every body is beautiful!). Not smart enough to go for that new job.
We avoid putting ourselves out there or taking risks because we’re too scared of what others will say. What if I look stupid? What if I fail? Growth and change are impossible with this mentality because we won’t allow ourselves to move past our fears in order to realize our full potential. And the world really needs you to step into your full potential.
Career/Money – The scarcity lens has us seeing obstacles, not opportunities, when it comes to career and money. The culture is that we have to conform and hustle our way to the top so that we can “be successful.”(a quick fact only you get to define success for yourself)
We often place a ceiling on how much money can come into our life because we think there’s only so much to go around. Thinking making any decent amount of money will be difficult. This mindset will have us believe that everyone else is smarter or better or luckier or more qualified (it’s not true, so that you know!).
For many of us, we have shades of scarcity that tint our view. It’s hard for anyone living in scarcity to embrace change, take risks or step very far outside their comfort zone to experience anything new. And that’s where growth happens, so it’s important to venture out there sometimes.
Relationships – When scarcity weaves its way into the relationship arena, we become rooted in the fear that our choices are limited and there’s not enough love to go around.
We settle.
We obsess.
We stay stuck in unhealthy, toxic relationships for way too long or have an obsessively tight hold on someone, which, in turn, causes them to leave.
We tend to place blame on others and find it hard to compromise, an important component of a successful relationship.
Professional relationships can also be strained because of your overly competitive nature and inability to share credit or recognition because there is a sense of not enough to go around. For many, a scarcity mindset will show up more when they are stressed.
Health/Wellness- When a scarcity mindset is in control, it has a big impact on our physical and emotional well-being. It makes us more prone to having stress and anxiety a part of our daily life.
Worrying about having enough…money, time, and love can create a cycle of stress that is hard to break. When we try to create healthy habits, the focus is on everything we will have to give up rather than what will be gained. There is a tendency to focus on the short-term payoff rather than the long-term benefits.
Productivity- Research shows that goal setting plays a big part in how productive we are, simply because there is something concrete to work towards. The problem is that looking at goals through the lens of scarcity makes it more difficult to set clear goals.
The focus is on what is missing or could go wrong. Excuses support this perspective. If I just had more time, more energy, or more money THEN I could finally accomplish something. Small baby steps will get you there. What is one small thing you could do today to move toward a goal?
Rather than seeing it as something that can be changed, blame is placed on others and circumstances for the inability to get things done. For most of us when we feel frustrated or overwhelmed, the scarcity mindset will slide in to distort our view.
We all look at life through the scarcity lens at times, it’s part of being human.
When it becomes the dominant point of view, it can wreak havoc on your life without you even realizing what the true problem is.
If you have an area that you feel stuck in, try asking yourself if you could look at it differently. Test out an affirmation to help shift your perspective.
One of my favorites is Everything is working out for me it reminds me that the universe is a friendly place that has my back….if I let it.
Oh, and that nap…I was very productive afterward 😃