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Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989), was one of the first to define the difference between an abundance mindset and a scarcity mindset. A scarcity mindset assumes there’s a fixed amount of success, recognition, or resources in the world. In contrast, an abundance mindset believes there’s enough success and opportunity for everyone—collaboration and generosity create more for all.
Years later, psychologist Carol Dweck explored similar ideas in her work on the “fixed vs. growth mindset” (Mindset, 2006), applying them to learning and personal development. Both frameworks point to the same truth: how we think about opportunity, limited or limitless, shapes how we live, love, and work.
While these ideas are often discussed in the context of personal effectiveness and leadership, I think we drop the ball when it comes to purpose. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on Big P Purpose—the big, audacious, goal-oriented kind. And that kind of purpose is often rooted in scarcity. It’s a fixed mindset disguised as ambition.
Today, I want to argue that by embracing little p purpose, purpose grounded in process rather than goals, we can fill in the missing piece of our happiness puzzle. You might think you’re living abundantly, but many of us are quietly operating from a scarcity mindset without realizing it.
Here are three ways we get purpose wrong and choose scarcity over abundance.
1. The All-or-Nothing Trap
Many people assume that having big, audacious goals is abundance-oriented. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We love to believe that if we try hard enough, we can accomplish anything. But when it comes to lofty goals, we’re often thwarted by timing, luck, or simple circumstance. Myspace was a brilliant idea with world-changing potential—but it arrived too early. Facebook came a few years later and won the prize. Sometimes it’s just not our moment.
Big P Purpose depends on factors often beyond our control (resources, timing, and luck) and that dependence creates stress and frustration. When we fall short, the world suddenly feels smaller, tighter, more unforgiving. We think, “If I can’t reach that goal, what’s the point?”
That’s scarcity thinking in disguise. It turns purpose into a zero-sum game. The antidote? Focusing on the process, not the prize. When we define success by effort and engagement rather than outcomes, our sense of purpose can’t be taken away from us.
2. The Impact Illusion
Big P Purpose loves to whisper that we must change the world. Helping one person isn’t enough. We want to reach thousands. We dream of inventing the next medical breakthrough, launching a viral app, or writing the book that shifts human consciousness.
It sounds noble, but it’s often paralyzing. When we can’t identify the one thing that will have world-changing impact, we end up feeling directionless. We think, “If I can’t make a big impact, why bother?”
This kind of thinking is the definition of a fixed mindset. It assumes that purpose only counts if it’s extraordinary. But the truth is, meaningful impact rarely looks like global change. Most of the time, it’s deeply local: showing up for a friend, mentoring one person, creating something small but genuine.
An abundance mindset understands that small ripples matter. Every act of connection, kindness, or creativity adds up. You don’t need to change the world to matter…you just need to participate in it fully.
3. The “One True Purpose” Myth
Nothing screams scarcity mindset louder than the belief that each of us has one singular, preordained purpose, and that our job is to find it or fail.
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The truth is, there are countless versions of little p purpose that can light you up. There’s no single path, no singular destiny. When we let go of the scarcity-driven idea that purpose is rare or hard to find, we open up to a world of possibilities.
There are millions of ways to live meaningfully. And if one activity doesn’t work out, we can simply move on to another. We don’t find purpose once and for all. We build it, piece by piece, experience by experience.
Doesn’t that sound abundant?
Shifting From Scarcity to Abundance
Many of us think we’re chasing abundance. We “dream big” about careers, relationships, and impact. But that kind of big thinking often hides an undercover scarcity mindset. It’s all or nothing, win or lose.
Purpose, arguably one of the most important forces in a person’s life, can’t thrive under those terms. If we can’t see the abundance around us, we’re limited not just in wealth but in health and happiness, too.
So how do we do better? We shift from Big P Purpose to little p purpose.
We stop obsessing over grand achievements and focus instead on the process—the things that light us up, even in small ways. We let go of the idea that meaning must come from changing the world.
When we focus on showing up, rather than showing off, purpose becomes accessible to everyone. It’s no longer a scarce resource. It’s a renewable one.
The world is vast and filled with meaningful opportunities waiting to be discovered. We find them by paying attention to what excites us, what energizes us, what makes time disappear. And then we do more of that.
The Secret Benefit of Abundance
When you choose abundance over scarcity in how you approach purpose, something magical happens. You show up for more parts of your life excited, curious, and intentional. You form deeper relationships. You teach and learn more freely.
And here’s the paradox: when you stop chasing impact, you often end up having more of it.
Because people are drawn to those living with authentic joy and engagement. They’re inspired by your energy, not your resume. And that kind of ripple effect is the essence of true abundance.
So ask yourself:
When was the last time you showed up to something completely intentional, energized, and open?
My guess is that in that moment, you did some of your best work.
