3 Best Reads to Build an Abundance Mindset

I think you’ll agree that having an abundance of most things, in particular, money can be a big help in achieving financial goals.

But did you know mindset can have a lot to do with it?

If you’ve ever operated from a scarcity mindset, like me ‘a la 2012’ you’ll know it sucks and doesn’t really help.

When you’re working from a scarcity mindset, you tend to show it, meaning you can look desperate.

Let me tell you a quick story about Scarcity Sally and Abundance Alice, they’re both looking for work, wondering how they’re going to pay next month’s rent.

Scarcity Sally

Sally has been applying to jobs like crazy and she keeps getting interviews. She puts on her best suit. She answers all of their questions the best she can, with answers she thinks they’d like to hear and demonstrating her skills. She’s coming off desperate which is off-putting. She doesn’t get the job.

Feeling defeated, the process of applying, interviewing, and being rejected starts again.

Sally does eventually land a job, but it’s any job she could get, which means it doesn’t offer the salary she wanted and it turns out, it doesn’t have the best work environment either.

Abundance Alice

Alice is also looking for work, but she knows there is a ton of work out there and available, it’s just a matter of finding the best work for her. So she digs in and researches jobs, and only applies for the ones she really wants.

When she gets the interview, she shows up in her best suit, and answers all the questions honestly and enthusiastically.

It’s easy because she really would love this particular job (not just any job), and it shows. She ends up getting a few different offers and is able to choose the one with the best salary and benefits.

The Difference Between Sally & Alice

Both Sally and Alice ended up with jobs. But their level of happiness and stress both in finding a job and in the job they each found is very different.

Sally approached the search like there are too many people and not enough jobs and took whatever she could get, she operated with a scarcity mentality.

Alice knew the right job for her was out there, she just had to find it.

The big difference is that Alice was operating from a mentality of abundance which is where most successful people operate.

Mindset Really Does Matter

Now, I know it may sound corny, but your mindset really does matter when it comes to most things, but especially when it comes to money.

Having entered the working world during the great recession, my default is a scarcity mindset. It’s taken a lot of work and reminding myself that a scarcity mindset doesn’t serve me well.

Another thing that has helped me to build my abundance mindset muscles are some great books. Now, before I introduce you to some of these books, I want to address the elephant in the room.

You may be thinking that having an abundance mindset is a little woo-woo. But for someone is really isn’t a woo-woo girl, I can say that it’s not, it works.

While some people and books will refer to an abundance mindset and trusting a higher power, that higher power doesn’t have to be God. It could just be the universe, it could be Neil deGrasse Tyson’s universe, at least that’s the universe I like to picture.

So now, let me share with you the books that have helped me to move towards a growth mindset.

1. You Are a Badass

I’ll be honest, I put off reading this book for a long time, which turned out to be super lame of me. While it can take a while to get used to Jen Sincero’s writing style, she does write in a fun way. And she is about as far from the woo-woo crowd as you can get.

While she does recommend meditation and affirmations, she’s totally cool if you want to meditate about meatloaf.

She’s got some great stories and examples, and even the skeptic, can’t get away with reading this and not having at least a tiny shift in their mindset towards abundance.

2. You Are a Badass at Making Money

Not surprisingly, this book is also from Jen Sincero but it focuses more on building an abundance mindset by changing your relationship with money.

Before either of her books, Jen used to live paycheck to paycheck, driving around a crappy car and let’s just say she wasn’t living in her dream apartment in LA. Any of that sound familiar?

Changing her relationship with money and her mindset, changed her life. She doesn’t have to worry about being able to make rent or if her car breaks down (she now has a nicer car too).

If her tips don’t help and motivate (though I think they will), perhaps her simple story of if I can do it, anyone can do it, will.

3.The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

I’m not sure I’d say this book teaches you about abundance mindset, but it does teach you about taking your own path.

Sometimes, I think we all get a little trapped in our mindset and going with the crowd. If everyone is bitching about their jobs, we feel the need to bitch about our job too. Even if overall we’re really happy with our jobs, we’ll find something to complain about just to fit into the conversation.

This book helps you to not give a f*ck about what others think and to keep doing you to lead an extraordinary life, it’s all about helping you live a good life.

Bottom Line

An abundance mindset doesn’t just mean the difference between reaching your financial goals and not reaching them.

It can mean the difference between being miserable at work and loving your job.

The difference between enjoying everything life has to offer and constantly wanting more – never being happy.

If an abundance mindset comes naturally to you great, but if you’re anything like me, know it can take a bit of work, but that it is 1,000% worth it.

What books have helped you with an abundance mindset? Tell me in the comments below!

Related: How Many Income Streams Do You Have? (and how many should you have)