5 Abundance Mindset Exercises That Will Make All The Difference

What is an abundant mindset?

Much like a growth mindset, an abundance mindset is a successful way of thinking.

It’s a way of reflecting on events and circumstances in life in an optimistic way, seeing the opportunities and amazing possibilities. The color in life, rather than the grey.

I mean grey is fine and all, but who wouldn’t want that something extra for their life?

Scarcity Mindset vs Abundance Mindset

In the famous book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, author Stephen Covey describes two different mentalities, a ‘Scarcity Mentality’ and an ‘Abundance Mentality’.

Covey believed that most people are deeply scripted in the Scarcity Mentality, where they see life as having only so much (money, success, good fortunes etc) and if somebody else succeeds, then another must lose. Therefore, their mindset is comparison, competition, jealousy, control and limited possibilities.

Those with an abundant mindset however, have a stronger self-worth, are therefore more confident and see limitless possibilities in life.

There is more than enough for everyone, when one person succeeds, it doesn’t make them a failure. They see the benefits in building others up, as they give, share and encourage.

Strangely enough (or not, depending on what you believe!), they reap what they sow with this abundance growing and growing in their life.

Abundance Mindset Exercises: 

How To Have An ‘Abundance Mindset’

Now, there’s a big jump from understanding what an abundance mindset means, why it’s so important to success, and then actually living in abundance.

So if you’ve got the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of an abundance mentality down, then this is the ‘how’.

These 5 exercises for an abundance mindset will have you questioning what’s working for you now and what you can do to shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset in no time. 

1. Check In With Your Current Thoughts

Scarcity vs abundance mindset isn’t absolute.

You may have more abundant thinking in some areas of your life, and in other areas of your life you may have a more ‘scarce’ or negative way of thinking about it. This can often come down to personal insecurities, conditioning and limiting beliefs we all hold in some way.

Awareness though, is a large part of the solution.

By getting to know your weaker areas to work on you can also use your experience with your stronger areas to assist.

Exercise:

Get out your journal, a notebook or a piece of scrap paper and start asking yourself questions. Considering each area of your life (finances, relationships, career, health and fitness, friends etc):

• Do I focus on the limitations or the opportunities?
• Am I genuinely happy for others when they succeed in this area of their life?
• How does it make me feel?
• How do I want this area of my life to be?
• Do I make big, exciting goals?
• Am I thoughtful of others, share and give? Or am I scared and closed off?
• When something goes wrong, what do I immediately think? Does my mind go to victim-mentality, or does it seek solutions and opportunities?

2. Reframe Your Thoughts

As a result of the above exercise, you would have come up with some interesting thought patterns that you have (in the past or currently). They can be surprising and a little icky. But know that they aren’t set in stone.

Now that you’re aware of them, you can reframe them to something more ‘abundant’.

Affirmations can be a great way of doing this. 

Exercise:

Go back to your notes from above and rewrite them with a better thought pattern. What positive words, phrases, affirmations or an inspiring motto can you script for the abundant life you want?

Write them down, read them, speak them and review them regularly. 

3. Give To Others

Those with an abundant mindset are free to experience the joy of sharing and giving to others. They give (time, money, expertise etc) knowing that they don’t lose anything by doing it – in fact it improves their lives.

Those with a scarcity mindset, are always focused on the ‘lack’ and competition. But by giving freely, those with an abundant mindset are setting the intention that there is more available, and resources are abundant. There is more to come. 

Exercise:

Be abundant with your resources. How can you help others in your life? 

Start small if need be, but think of what you have to give (money, time, experience etc) to improve the life of others. Can you pay for a strangers coffee? Buy flowers for someone? Donate your time or money. Offer to help someone who could use a step up. Help a friend with their garden. 

We all have something we can give to others. 

Do it more often and be surprised at the abundance it brings to your life.

4. Mental Diet

We are constantly bombarded with influences from others. The news articles, social media, little ‘jokes’ by co-workers, direct or indirect insults from family or friends, movies we watch, songs we listen to and advertisements. It’s literally everywhere.

Those with a scarcity mentality would think of these things outside of their control with fret and worry. Those with an abundant mindset however, would think of what they can control about the situation and exclude the rest.

Even better…those with an abundant mindset, would actively choose what they see, read, listen to and be exposed to. They would make sure that they are feeding their subconscious and conscious mind, the good stuff wherever possible.

Exercise:

Conduct a mental diet challenge for 21 days and be a gatekeeper for the thoughts and messages that enter your mind:

• Take a break from social media,
• Choose uplifting, positive and happy music that lifts your mood,
• Censor news articles or limit them altogether,
• Read positive, engaging, inspiring books, articles, poems, quotes and affirmations,
• Wherever possible, limit your interactions with negative people,
• Watch inspiring movies, motivational speeches and tv shows that are uplifting.

If you do only one of these abundance mindset exercises, let it be this one. We often aren’t even aware of the negative and scarcity mentality type information that we are fed daily. Take a break from it, boost the positive material and watch your abundant mindset soar!

5. Become More Grateful 

Gratitude is a game-changer.

You can literally change your mindset in a minute when you choose to be grateful. And we all have plenty to be grateful for, even if some days it might not feel like it.

Benefits of Gratitude

Instead of thinking of what is lacking in your life, like those with a scarcity mindset do, choose to look at your life through a lens of gratitude. 

Exercise:

There are many different, yet simple ways to practice gratitude.

If it’s a new thought pattern for you, you may need to actively participate in gratitude techniques. You can do this by setting some time aside each day (beginning and end of the day is ideal), find somewhere quiet and really tuning in to what you have to be grateful for. 

For some great ideas, check out the following:

• 9 Examples of Gratitude To Try (Beyond a Gratitude Journal)
• How To Practice Gratitude – 11 Simple Ideas
• 6 Ted Talks On The Power Of Gratitude
• 34 Abundance Affirmations To Encourage Possibility
• The Power of Positive Affirmations

Abundance Mindset

Depending on where you’re starting from, you can quickly move from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset by observing your thoughts and actions, rescripting them as required, being more grateful, looking for the opportunities in life (and there are many!) and giving to others.

These exercises can all help you to achieve an abundance mindset will get you to your ideal life quickly and you will have equipped yourself with the tools to get back on track whenever you need to.