The way that you think about the world can drastically change the way you learn and form habits, achieve your goals and ultimately thrive as an individual. Steven Covey’s 1989 bestseller, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, shares the belief that the way we see the world is based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions. In it, he defines two mindsets:
In economics, scarcity refers to the fact that the same resource, regardless of quantity, can only be used once. When we apply this to the way we think, we can easily see how having a scarcity mentality can become limiting. We may see others in the community as people to compete with, rather than collaborate with. We might be more ruthless and less compassionate. We might think certain opportunities are not worth the effort or the risk of getting involved in.
For example, if you’re applying for a promotion and you have a scarcity mindset, you might see your fellow colleagues as threats. You might intentionally withhold information, show others up in meetings, or create hostility or animosity in the workplace to try and advance your own agenda. Someone with an abundance mindset will see the promotion as one opportunity of many to have impact and to maximise their potential. They see themselves as part of a team all striving towards the same goals.
Dewitt Jones is a celebrated National Geographic photographer, who redefines the abundance mindset as a way of seeing the world as a celebration. In his
Tedx Talk, Jones encourages us to celebrate that which is right in every situation and to seek out the opportunities rather than focusing on scarcity. Every time Jones was sent on an assignment, he was tasked with a singular brief - to celebrate what was right with the world.
In the LeadMe programme, we emphasise that your vision controls what you believe of the world, and this perception becomes your reality. By intentionally seeing the beauty in your surroundings and celebrating what’s right with the world it becomes easier over time, and you’ll find yourself naturally noticing and gravitating towards positive experiences.
Here are a few key ways you can start shifting your mindset:
- Train yourself to see the opportunities around you.
- Focus on what you already have, rather than what you don’t have.
- Surround yourself with people who have an abundant mindset.
- Incorporate gratitude into your daily life.
- Intentionally create win-win situations.
- Avoid comparing yourself to others.
- Start to see situations from all stakeholders’ perspectives.
We suggest starting small, practicing to develop self-awareness and noticing when you have a negative thought, or become fearful or anxious when negotiating with others, and then to keep working at seeing the silver lining in each situation. Having a scarcity mindset prevents us from achieving our collective goals, but in becoming aware of the signs and signals of these two worldviews, you can begin to create an abundant mindset and adopt the habits to move from surviving to thriving.
Written exclusively for Moore South Africa by Anna Anderson and Jackie Kennedy from
LeadMe Academy.