By Barbara Poole
Career Coach

Tom is a 38-year-old independent Web site designer. Three years ago, he elected to leave the technology company he worked for to become a free agent. His decision to do this was based on his belief that working solo would offer a great deal of freedom, opportunity and the variety he enjoys in his work.

Tom was clear that he did not want to build a Web design company or create an empire. He simply wanted to freelance and provide a steady income that would provide for his family. So he forged alliances with other Web designers to whom he could refer work if he became too busy.

He was diligent about networking and creating exposure for his Web design services. He became involved in his local business community and met many key people. At the same time, he created an amazing Web site of his own to advertise his services and did a masterful job of getting it connected in cyberspace.

Before long, business started pouring in. The marketing seeds he had planted began to generate many potential clients. Things had gone according to plan, and Tom was loving it.

By the time he entered his second year as a freelancer, Tom was working an average of 50 hours a week. He occasionally found himself overwhelmed by the demand, but rather than refer work out to the other designers he had cultivated as colleagues, Tom held on to virtually all the projects that came his way. After all, he reasoned, you never know when the well will dry up.

Today, Tom is finishing up his third year in business and he’s exhausted. His norm is now 60-hour weeks, and the idea of a freelance business providing him with freedom is just a fleeting memory.

Tom’s life is out of balance because he has a serious scarcity mentality. Despite the fact that he’s created a stable business and has a solid portfolio with healthy reserves of money in the bank, from his perspective, enough is never enough.

There are many factors that can contribute to the development of a scarcity orientation to life and career. Some people seem to be hard-wired to fear the worst and be concerned about the bottom dropping out. Regardless of how a scarcity mentality develops, the problem is that it keeps its victims locked up in a struggle with life.

Could a scarcity mentality be limiting your career success and driving your life out of balance? Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my fears related to money? Go ahead and lay it all out on the table, especially those items that begin with, “What if…?” Identifying and isolating your fears will allow you to separate legitimate concerns from the voice of the gremlin inside your head.

• What is my realistic financial situation? Make an appointment with a financial planner so that you can objectively review your financial status. But before you go—this is the key—spend some time thinking about what your true lifestyle objectives are. Then commit to creating a financial plan that will serve your well-being.

• What is the return on investment for the life energy I am trading for money? Recognize that the work that we do for money is an exchange of life energy. To the extent that we are re-energized and fulfilled by our work, it’s a good exchange. When we work to the point of becoming drained and unbalanced, the return on our investment diminishes.

• How is my orientation to income limiting my career success? Paradoxically, people who are hard-wired more toward money than anything else often struggle with their careers and find it difficult to achieve a sense of equilibrium. The sacrifices they make in order to close the next big deal often wind up clouding the big picture.

• How can I replace my scarcity orientation with an “abundance mentality”? Abundance is the opposite of scarcity. It is built around the belief that there is plenty to go around out there, and if I create a business that uses my talents, reflects my core values, nurtures my spirit and cares for others, I will get what I need. Abundance stems from a trust in the circle of life, and the notion that “what goes around comes around.”

Shifting from a place of scarcity to an abundance mentality requires a head and heart approach. Use your intellect to analyze the realities of your financial situation and your business and then set a measured course that will serve you well.

At the same time, remember that abundance stems from trust, faith and grace, which are firmly rooted in places in the heart. Don’t let a scarcity orientation impede your true measure of career success. Clarify your benchmarks and balance your life.

Barbara Poole is a leadership and career development coach with Success Builders Inc. E-mail her at coachbarbara@successbuildersinc.com.

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