Say Bye-Bye to Scarcity Blues

Okay, real talk - the for-purpose hustle is feeling intense lately, am I right? Between economic storms, changing government priorities, and the soul-deep exhaustion of trying to change the world before your morning cuppa, it's no wonder many passionate changemakers are fighting off overwhelm, overwork, and feeling the over it vibes.

When that heaviness settles in, those pesky scarcity thought patterns can really start to creep in too. 

Maybe you're increasingly hearing yourself saying:

• "There's zero funding for our mission at the moment."

• "People can barely squeeze out grocery money lately, let alone make a donation!"

• "No matter what fresh tactics we try, our programmes keep failing."

• "We're practically begging for new volunteers/board members and...crickets."

• “I/We never have enough time to do all the things on the list”

As someone who geeks out on coaching changemakers, I want to wave my red flag 🚩when I hear these kinds of comments because they are a sure sign of a “scarcity mindset”, which isn’t doing you, or your wildly important vision, any favours.

(If you think you might have been guilty of waving a few of these flags lately, see the end of this blog for ways I am offering to help). 

What is the scarcity mindset?

The scarcity mindset traps you in reactive short-term thinking, drains your motivation with constant negativity, and speeds up your journey to Burnout Town. Most dangerously, it slams the door on innovation before you've even started. It stifles that big beautiful vision before it can be born!

Not only that, but this mindset basically resigns you to believing that "what will be, will be" no matter how hard you hustle. It defeats you before you begin, leading to a tragic pile of missed opportunities and procrastination spirals that leave your mission gathering dust.

If you stay in that negative mindset too long, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The awful outcomes you feared will become your reality if you stop showing up and believing better is possible. It's a vicious cycle.

Here’s the biggest danger I fear. If we let that dense, defeatist air linger too long, we risk driving all our inspired, talented, values-driven changemakers to greener pastures. And the last thing this world needs is all the passionate do-gooders evacuating the premises. We need your fire burning bright!

An antidote to scarcity 

You know what they say - where your mind goes, your energy flows. One antidote to that draining scarcity cycle is consciously cultivating an abundance mindset - one that focuses on your existing strengths, creative opportunities, and an "I've got so much to work with" outlook instead of obsessing over lack.

This perspective is like a wake-up call for visionary thinking and meaningful progress. It awakens your inner world-shaker!

You might be thinking "Julia is away with the fairies if she just thinks all we need to do is think abundantly” but my question for you is how is constantly being stuck in 'lack' helping you or your cause? I can guarantee you it isn’t.

So let's get intentional about upgrading that mindset, shall we? Here are a few simple-but-powerful mindset reframes I’ve used myself, and with numerous coaching clients, over the years to loosen scarcity's grip.

#1 Reframe with "yet"

Don't have the resources you need? No problem, you just don't have them... "yet." Adding that tiny word is an instant mindset reset that flips you from lack to future opportunity.

Instead of grumbling….

"We don't have the funding/people/time/support/fill in the blank".Try "We don't have X...YET, but we're gonna [insert your next steps here] to make it happen”. So if it’s “We really want to do this project but don’t have the team resource for this project YET but we are going to figure out what we need and plan for this”, and then think about creative ways to fill that gap.

See how adding "yet" orients you toward creative solutions? Powerful stuff.

#2 Ask "How many ways?"

Want to tap into some serious genius brainpower? Get your subconscious working for you by asking "How many ways could we… [fill in your struggle].” For example “How many ways could we get more income this year?" or "How many ways might we add even MORE value or impact?"

Your unconscious mind will weirdly start bubbling up fresh, innovative ideas just by asking this question. We're talking about activating your brain (your Reticular Activating System if you really want to get geeky) to seek opportunities and solutions relentlessly. It’s like a real-life cheat code and it’s amazing how it starts looking for things for you on autopilot.

#3 Find counter-evidence

When you catch yourself slipping into mindset myths like "People just can't afford to give right now," or “It’s just not possible in this economy” PAUSE. Is that actually an indisputable fact written in the stars that you know to be 100% true? Or is it just an assumption keeping you cowering in the dark?

Start poking holes in those beliefs by actively looking for real-life counter-examples. Are there any awesome philanthropists in the world donating, or small donors who keep on giving to your organisation, are government agencies funding causes that seem to disprove this negativity? Use those as inspiration to build your own path forward!

#4 Get uncomfortable (that's where the magic happens)

Nothing truly great and visionary was ever achieved from the snuggly cosy comfort of our little comfort zones. If your mindset mantras are still humming limiting tunes like "No one cares about our cause" or "Fundraising is hopeless," or even “There is no time for that” the cure is getting bravely uncomfortable.

Ask for support despite those niggling doubts. Pitch that ambitious passion project despite the fear. Do a personal one-week time audit and see where the time is really slipping away. Or maybe you need to get vulnerable and revamp your vision/messaging so that it does connect better with people. You've got to get courageous and DO the tough stuff to dismantle those beliefs!

#5 Celebrate the Small "Wins" like it’s an Olympic Sport

Sure, we're all chasing those big, world-changing outcomes for our missions. But the truth is, transformational change rarely happens with an "all or nothing" mindset. It builds up over time, tiny win by tiny win.

Start looking for and celebrating those micro-wins no matter how small they seem. I bet there are more than you realise. Every prospective donor who lights up over your vision. Every new stakeholder who joins the family. Every tiny insight that helps you course-correct by 1 degree. Give yourself a gold medal! Let those hits of progress compound into an unstoppable tidal wave of motivation.

#6 Focus on your sphere of influence

As Stephen Covey taught, the highest leverage comes from focusing solely on what you can control rather than fretting over external factors outside your influence, like the economy, government policies, or climate change.

When you deliberately shift your energy toward actions WITHIN your control of influence - building relationships, seeking opportunities, showing up, telling your story in a new way - suddenly those perceived limitations morph into exciting possibilities. Your mindset unlocks the keys!

#7 Envision that pot of abundance

Here's a powerful mindset exercise. Vividly imagine there's a massive pot of funds, resources, and opportunities out there with your name on it. The wealth and support you need to fuel your vision already exist in the world, just waiting for you to build the bridge to claim it. How can you start building this bridge?

And let's get one thing straight - we're not just dreaming up this abundance from some fantasy land.  Whether you're looking at massive donations building entire hospital wings, surprise multimillion-dollar bequests revitalising communities, leaders who seem to defy the odds and achieve so much on so little, or just the amazing volume of volunteer hours Kiwis log annually, the evidence is clear: There are astronomical levels of abundance waiting to be channelled toward creating positive change. 

We just have to find the right pathways and mindsets to start accessing those resources. The bridges are there to be built. Often having the right mindset is what precedes this reality!

Baby steps to kiss scarcity goodbye, forever

Here's my parting rally cry. The next time you or your team get lured into that scarcity mindset spiral, refer back to this abundance mindset toolkit I’ve outlined and pick just ONE reframe to try to start flipping the script.

Inject a "yet" into your self-talk. Ask a "how many ways" question to activate ideation. Seek counterevidence against limiting beliefs. Get uncomfortable by doing the very thing you've been avoiding. Or give yourself the medal for that tiny "win" and let it light up your motivation.

Those 1% micro-shifts might not seem like much...but James Clear of Atomic Habits would disagree. When you get just 1% better at optimising your mindset each day through consciously instilling new habits, you'll be 37x better within a year. That's the compounding power we're harnessing here. The path out of scarcity is through making one courageous choice at a time. 

If you don't have the support system (yet!) to truly conquer this scarcity mindset, I challenge you to make that "yet" a commitment.

As a way to support For Purpose leaders get clarity, I'm offering free Impact Sessions so you can help identify where you are now, your vision for where you want to be, and the gaps or mindset you might need to start building new bridges, motivation, resources - whatever is needed. If you are a for-purpose leader, who is willing to be brave, look at these red flags and move from scarcity thinking - book a free Impact session on my website.

I also have 3 spaces left to work 1:1 with for-purpose leaders next term (from the end of July) in an 8-week rapid results coaching programme to help you regain focus, reclaim energy and reignite your spark. If this sounds like something you’re keen to explore more, book a free impact session to see if you’re the right fit.

Here’s to bidding the scarcity mindset goodbye,  and to more abundance, more impact, and more fuel for that for-purpose fire to keep burning bright. You've got this.