Ambition is often seen as a straightforward pursuit: climbing the corporate ladder, securing prestigious titles, and achieving financial success. Traditional metrics of success can feel rigid and unattainable, and often do not match what’s important to us as individuals.
Redefining ambition involves embracing a broader, more inclusive understanding of what it means to be successful. It encourages you to set goals that align with your values and aspirations, rather than conforming to external expectations. By doing so, you not only create a more fulfilling and authentic path for yourself but also pave the way for others to follow suit.
In this Hot Topic, we hope you will explore how to shift your perspective on ambition, integrating personal goals with professional ones, and crafting a definition of success that resonates with your unique journey. Through this process, you'll discover that true ambition is about creating a life that reflects your highest potential, on your own terms.
Recommended Resources
- It’s Time to Redefine Our Gendered Idea of “Ambition” (Harvard Business Review)
- Your Career Is Just One-Eighth of Your Life (The Atlantic)
- 3 Questions to Refocus On Your Ambition
Reflection Questions
- When do you feel most aligned with your true self?
- Think about a time you gave a friend or family advice on their goals. What did you say to them? Did you tell them anything that would apply to your own life?
- Think about a time you gave yourself conditional self-love; how did you recognize it, and what did you do to refocus that?
- We often think of what we don’t want in a job, where we choose to live, etc. What are non-negotiable things you absolutely must have in life? Why must you have them?
- How has your perception of ambition/success evolved throughout your career so far? What changes happened to shift your perspective?