Part 2: ?? How to Know if Scarcity Mode is Holding Back Your Career

Last week, I explored the fascinating science behind the scarcity mindset, revealing how it can make us less intelligent. Read more about it here.

The good news is that this doesn’t have to be permanent. Next, let’s learn how to recognise if we’ve fallen into the scarcity mindset trap.

HOW TO RECOGNISE SCARCITY MINDSET

Here are five ways you can recognise when the scarcity mindset has taken over:

1. Constant Worry: You’re persistently ruminating on not having enough time, money, or resources.
2. Short-Term Thinking: You emphasise immediate concerns over long-term planning. This is me in a nutshell. When I’m in scarcity mode, I focus on $3 questions, not $30K issues—when it’s the latter that makes all the difference! (Thanks, Ramit Sethi.)
3. Impaired Decision-Making: You struggle to make good decisions due to preoccupations with running out (of energy, talent, skill, time, mojo, intelligence, ingenuity—you name it).
4. Second-Guessing Yourself: You hesitate, over-check your work, constantly seek reassurance, reconsider your decisions, and even indulge in a bout of procrastifectionism.
5. Reduced Cognitive Capacity: You feel mentally drained, scattered, and less capable of complex thought processes, even in areas you’ve previously excelled. Suddenly, everything seems too much.

UPGRADE YOUR LANGUAGE, UPGRADE YOUR CAREER

The biggest giveaway that you’ve fallen into the scarcity mindset trap is your language. Here are 10 common phrases that are dead giveaways:

1. “Market conditions are making it impossible to succeed right now.”
2. “I’m too old/young/inexperienced/experienced/not good enough to win this.”
3. “Applying for that job seems like a waste of my time and effort; there are probably better candidates out there anyway.”
4. “I can’t ask for a pay rise now; the company is already letting people go, and it’s off-cycle anyway.”
5. “I can’t afford to attend that conference; it’s too expensive, and I don’t want to ask my boss.”
6. “Networking feels like a waste of time; I need to focus on my current workload.”
7. “I can’t think about next year’s goals with everything we’ve got going on now.”
8. “What if we fail? We can’t afford another setback.”
9. “Let’s stick to what we know; now isn’t the time to take risks.”
10. “We’ve got to keep our prices really low, or people won’t buy.”

WHY THIS MATTERS

1. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.
2. If you don’t look, you’ll never even see the opportunity.
3. If you don’t dream and act big enough, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.
4. If you don’t even try, the project will inevitably fail.
5. If your LinkedIn and CV don’t scare you a little with how good you sound, you’re hedging your bets and not putting your best self forward for the most significant opportunities that will make your career.

And this doesn’t just let you down—it lets down women everywhere.

DON’T JUST DO THIS FOR YOURSELF, DO IT FOR WOMEN EVERYWHERE

When one woman gets a raise off-cycle, it normalises this for other women who want a raise off-cycle.

When one woman gets funding (or at least time off) to go to a conference, it makes it more likely that other women will feel comfortable asking for opportunities to develop themselves. And that’s a great thing.

When you create and launch a huge stretch project, it shows others that there is possibility out there and galvanises action.

When you apply for a role two bands higher than where you are now, it normalises this for those who follow you. Not only is it great practice, but you also get the opportunity to interview and wow a new audience who may not have seen you in action before.

REAL WOMEN REAL IMPACT

During COVID, many women faced significant career challenges. The prevailing narrative was to hunker down and get through the next few years, hoping to see what happens on the other side. Yes, many sectors saw women unfairly impacted.

But among those stories, some women truly succeeded. One of my clients tripled her salary, and several more have had more career success in the last four years than ever before.

What were they doing differently?

They weren’t looking at what wasn’t possible (scarcity mode). Instead, they were excited about what might be possible—embracing unlimited thinking, aiming higher, dreaming bigger. They seized both possibility and opportunity with both hands.

As Marianne Williamson famously said, “Our thoughts are limitless. When we think limitlessly, we unlock the power within us.” This can be you too.

YOUR THOUGHTS? Comment below and let me know.?Maybe you’ve got a limiting mindset phrase I haven’t thought of. Would love to hear.

Next week??How to Switch on Abundance Thinking in a world of scarcity and uncertainty.

Become the leader you want to see.

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Hi there! I’m Amanda Blesing. You already know me from LinkedIn, my blog and articles featured in popular women’s and business magazines.

I’m the Founder of The Ambition Revolution, and a 1:1 Coach for women wanting a raise, a promotion or recognition.

I’m also a 2x author, best known for my Amazon best-seller Invisible to Invincible—a self-promotion handbook for executive women. Grab your copy here.

Head to www.amandablesing.com to learn more