Well here we are firmly ensconced in 2022 and I'm sure it hasn't been the start to the new year that most of us expected. In my 40s I've actively avoided making resolutions as such but I do think of the start of each new year as a fresh page and always aim to start as I mean to go on.

In a spur of the moment decision, this year I signed up to a 21 Day Abundance Challenge run by the Ladies Finance Club which got underway on 1 Jan and is based on Deepak Chopra's Creating Abundance Meditation Challenge. Each day a short task is sent out via a What's App group as well as a guided meditation from Chopra. Today is Day 6 and I have to say I've started waking up looking forward to seeing what the day's task is (today I have to record myself saying a prepared statement with "soul, expression and sense of attachment").

If it all sounds a bit woo woo, hear me out because I thought so too at first. I signed up because I want to attract "more" into my life - more happiness, more joy, more creativity, more gratitude, better health, more love and, of course, more money. What I've learned already is that completing set tasks in a notebook isn't going to magically quadruple my bank balance but adopting a positive mindset and opting to live life to the full means I'll be more open to taking advantage and enjoying the wave of opportunities that come my way.

As we all know, mindset is a critical component of success in business, sports and life in general. According to Forbes, there is also quantitative research to back this up. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck examined mindsets among young students. She found that children who have a growth mindset that intelligence can be developed are better able to overcome academic challenges than those who have a fixed mindset that intelligence is predetermined.

"An abundance mindset operates on the foundational belief that there is an infinite amount of something available to you, despite any other circumstances," says Chrissy Papetti, a self-mastery mentor, success coach, and speaker. "With this mindset, you genuinely believe and trust that there are endless opportunities, time, resources, money, and love that are possible to have. Therefore, others' gain doesn't equate to your loss." 

The opposite to this is a scarcity mindset which is the belief that life is drawn from a finite pool of resources. 

The next question is, how can we make the shift from a scarcity to an abundance mindset? 

A scarcity mindset typically stems from deeply rooted beliefs about yourself and how life works. So shifting from a scarcity to an abundance mindset begins with becoming aware of your beliefs. "When you notice scarcity-related thoughts in your mind or feel fear and anxiety in your body, make a note in your journal or phone about what you're believing to be true in that moment and if that's empowering or disempowering you," says Papetti. "After you practice this enough, you will begin to sense the difference of your beliefs in the moment and can choose differently."

You know those people who always seem positive and see the glass as half-full instead of half-empty? Find them and start spending time with them. Attitudes rub off.

A scarcity mentality sees limitations instead of opportunities so rather than think about what's limiting you in any situation, focus on qualities you possess and how they can benefit you. According to Oprah Winfrey, “If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” It’s very difficult to feel fear or sadness while feeling grateful at the same time. 

An abundance mindset allows you to see more in your life: more options, more choices, and more resources. One fascinating Harvard study found that when we focus on one particular thing very intently, other possibilities that are right in front of us can go completely unnoticed. Start training your mind to loosen its focus and create an expanded awareness. Ask yourself if you had all the time and money in the world and you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you be doing? Questions like that will help to open your mind up to what’s possible.