Do you want to know the secret formula of the ambitious and driven?
There is no one particular secret formula. We are all born as individuals. We are all wired differently and come from different backgrounds. What drives one person might rock someone else to sleep. Our dreams and aspirations are unique to us. However, there are many impressive traits that ambitious people have developed over time that may be news to you.
Here are a few:
- Self Awareness:
Ambitious people tend to be very self-aware. They understand their strengths and weaknesses, their passions, and their poisons. They’re not deceived about who they are. They know what they want and are not easily sidetracked by other people’s opinions or visions for their lives. They know their purpose and are determined to live their truth. They know who they are and who they are trying to become.
- Set Well-Defined Goals (but Don’t Share Them):
Ambitious people have become good at creating smaller, more defined goals that break down into more manageable tasks that they can achieve. They avoid the urge to do everything simultaneously while neglecting other critical areas. They might not appear goal-oriented because they keep their goals private. My mother taught me this principle many years ago. Research shows that when you share your goals with others and are acknowledged, you are less likely to complete them because of a phenomenon called “social reality.” Instead of doing the work required to hit the goal, talking about it tricks you into thinking you have already done it. You’ve gotten the reward from talking about it, so you are less likely to do the work to achieve it.
- Take Calculated Risks:
Taking risks and being ambitious go hand in hand. But everyone has a different threshold for putting themselves in an uncomfortable situation. That is what “taking a risk” is. The biggest misconception around this concept is that ambitious people are not afraid of taking huge risks. This may not be true. First, a significant threat to one person may be nothing to someone else. Ambitious people take calculated risks even if they are a little intimidated. Not everyone is meant to “jump out of a window and build a business on the way down to the ground.” Ambitious people come in all shapes and sizes. Some enterprising people build their businesses or become actors or screenwriters (or “fill in the blank”) while keeping their day job to pay their bills.
- Learn from Mistakes:
Ambitious people don’t get paralyzed by their past mistakes. They realize that life is more circular than linear. They understand that stepping out of your comfort zone, taking calculated risks, and breathing air comes with many mistakes. Instead of being paralyzed by mistakes, they reframe them into learning experiences and keep pressing forward.
- Avoid Negativity:
Ambitious people avoid all kinds of negativity at all costs. They avoid drama from their inner critic to the Negative Nellies who come equipped with the latest hot gossip to the dream killers.
They avoid getting sucked into the vortex of negative self-talk, self-doubt, and indecision—all of which are the enemies of ambition. These negative emotions keep you from seeing your true potential because you’re afraid you’ll make a mistake or not measure up to one of Negative Nellie’s standards. If they hit a bump in the road, they call on their creative powers to find a solution.
- Invest in Personal Growth:
Motivated people know the value of personal growth and are unafraid to invest in it. They realize there’s a whole world of knowledge out there that they don’t know anything about. As a result, they never settle. They’re always searching for the next thing to help them improve in all areas of their life.
They take online classes, attend seminars and invest in personal coaching. They invest in their health and wellness by getting good, quality sleep, eating well, and moving their bodies several times a week. They prioritize themselves.
- Build Their Confidence:
It takes confidence to get out of bed in the morning and pursue your dreams daily. Without confidence, we lack the belief and conviction to take on new projects and be successful. The ambitious among us understand that confidence is a muscle that can be developed over time. So they work on building their confidence to achieve their goals. Everyone is not born with the confidence of a narcissistic cult leader passing our kool-aide to millions of followers. But you can start where you are, build your confidence to make stuff happen and live life on your terms if that’s what you want.
- Don’t Give Up on Their Dreams:
Ambitious people develop the inner strength and tenacity required to reach their dreams. We may never know what drives a person’s ambition to be a great parent, build a business, lead a nation, or pay the bills. But we know that ambitious people have a dream they hold fast to. They are willing to do the work, learn the skills, build their confidence, or do whatever else they need to do to make those dreams a reality. You may see them hard at work or laid back and easygoing. It’s not the style that matters but the dream.
Ambitious people don’t give up on their dreams.
You shouldn’t either.
Be well + prosper,
Elaine xx