How Ambitious Are You?

What is the limit of your ambition?

This is a question that I grapple with myself as I have been ambitious for as long as can remember. Ambition can be a wonderful thing. It keeps you sharp and motivated. It keeps you going when life throws things at you and it means (or can mean) that you get more done. The world needs ambitious people.

However, it isn’t always a topic that we address explicitly in society. Ambition is seen as something private and even in some cases, unwholesome.

So, I want to ask you three key questions to help you think about this topic:

1- Do you know what it is that you want to achieve?

Ambition is going to make much more of a difference if it can be given direction. If you just have a vague sense that you want to achieve something in the world, but have no idea what it is, I urge you to search. It may take you- as it took/is still taking me- a long time, but it will be time well spent.

2- Do you know how to get there?

Once you have decided where you want your ambition to take you (and of course you may have many ambitions during your life) you need to think about how to get there. Do you have a structure or a plan to achieve what you want? How will you deal with inevitable curveballs? What will you do if your ambitions change, do you think you will be able to transition your skills and experience to tackle a new goal?

3- Do you know how far you can go?

Most people have limiting beliefs about themselves. Are you being ambitious enough? If you were setting targets for your brilliant friends and peers, would you be more or less ambitious for them?

Also, are you prepared to deal with some of the difficult things that might be on your path, like hard work, people trying to dissuade you, setbacks and failures?

If you have successfully answered these three questions, I believe you will be on a surer path to fulfilling your ambitions and being the best that you can be.