scarcity mindset
Common concerns raised amongst healthcare entrepreneurs and clinicians growing their platforms include the number of people already working in the same or similar space as well as having an insufficient amount of resources, time, and/or expertise to further contribute to the field. These concerns are typical of what is referred to as a scarcity mindset. This tends to be a limiting mindset that makes growth difficult to visualize and can lead to unintentional self-constraints on potential. The other end of the spectrum is the abundance mindset in which opportunities are perceived to be limitless and resources, time, and expertise can be continually developed and enhanced.
The scarcity mindset is defined as a persistent feeling and outlook that there is never enough of whatever commodity is being considered, such as time, expertise, funding, and that ultimately there is a limit on the number of available opportunities. In essence, there is a finite amount of whatever is being considered and if there are already individuals present in that space, that leaves less available for others. It is important to emphasize that this mindset is not a reflection of true scarcity that affects many people. This is a mental model that leads the individual to either incorrectly presume there are limited resources and opportunities or to overestimate those limitations.
Manifestations of a scarcity mindset commonly include feeling as though one is not keeping up to date with objectives and goals; is continuously falling further behind their timelines; feeling as though one is working uphill and not keeping current with important commitments; having difficulty saying no to offers and/or opportunities; feeling as though the presence of others working in the space limits available opportunities; and a tendency to commit to more than one can accomplish. These manifestations can negatively impact daily function and limit potential.
The pervasive concerns that result from this mindset can lead to consumption of cognitive and physiologic resources in the brain. Since the available resource in our brain is truly limited, if there is increased consumption related to concerns over scarcity of resources, this will lead to a reduction in available resources for thinking, decision making, and memory formation, amongst other brain functions. The overall impact is less efficient and ideal functioning of the prefrontal cortex.
There is overlap between the scarcity mindset and the fixed mindset that Carol Dweck, PhD described in the context of growth and fixed mindsets. Dweck described a fixed mindset as that being associated with the mental model that traits, such as skill development and intelligence, cannot be improved over time and are static, or fixed, in nature. In contrast, the growth mindset was associated with the framework that these same traits could be improved with practice. In many respects the scarcity mindset is the resource equivalent of the fixed mindset and the abundance mindset is the equivalent to the growth mindset.
An abundance mindset is the paradigm that there are no limits on opportunities and resources will become available in time. The growth and abundance mindset allow our brain to maintain a more expansive perspective leading to improved performance and development of skills and traits. This is the perspective that no matter how many others may be working in the space, there will be sufficient opportunity to develop our own niche, our skills can and will improve over time and there will be an adequate amount of available resources.
While it may be evident that an abundance, or growth mindset, is preferred, it is not necessarily easy to cultivate. This requires deliberate practice of the traits of the abundance and growth mindset. This includes a mindfulness practice, identification of which resources are abundant in the present moment, setting achievable goals that lead to accomplishment of larger goals, and an acceptance of the current situation concurrent with an understanding that improvement is always possible.
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