Is Ambition Good or Bad?

By Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO® | April 7, 2022 |

 

Journalist Kate Orson of Breathe recently posed this question:

Is there a negative side to ambition? Can it make us unhappy to always be projecting into the future, and not finding happiness in the here and now? How can we find
balance?

Interesting. Is ambition good or bad?

Here was my response to her question about ambition:

The positive side of ambition is that you have a drive to accomplish something.

The negative sides of ambition can include:

*Not defining what that something is. You’re constantly on the hunt to go after that thing you think will make you happy without first identifying what exactly that is. You end up frustrated from constantly chasing your tail in circles or running into dead ends.

*Obsessing about the future while ignoring the present. In the quest to remain in motion, driving forward, propelling oneself toward the ultimate goal, you can end up completely oblivious to the joy of the present. This can lead to many “down” moments and a bumpier journey.

To lean into your ambition without succumbing to some of the negative components, I recommend that you Reflect, Celebrate and Strategize.

Reflect at the end of each day on each big or small step you’ve accomplished.

Celebrate the big and small accomplishments each day, pausing to give gratitude for all of the positive people, activities and situations you have in your live. Relish these moments along the way! This will make reaching the finish line that much sweeter. And, it helps to reinforce your strengths so you can build on what you did to be successful.

Reflect on what didn’t go according to plan or didn’t meet your expectations.

Strategize how you’ll adjust your course in order to address this and meet your specific objective, then map out your steps to accomplish this.

When you reflect on the past, celebrate the present and strategize for the future, your ambition can be one of your greatest assets.

 

 

For a step-by-step guide to balance, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.

 

About Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO®

As The Inefficiency Assassin™, Time Management Fixer Helene Segura empowers professionals on the go with the tools to slay lost time. Personal inefficiency at work leads to increased stress levels, lower morale, higher absenteeism, more turnover – and rising spending on employee health care and hiring. Why not improve productivity, decrease stress levels, and increase profits instead?The author of four books – two of which were Amazon best-sellers – Helene Segura has been the featured organization expert in more than 200 media interviews. She has coached hundreds of clients to productivity success and performance improvement by applying neuroscience and behavioral modification techniques to wipe out destructive, time-wasting habits.Helene turns time management on its head by sharing both client case studies and pop culture examples to teach her mind-bending framework for decreasing interruptions, distractions and procrastination so that companies can spend more time generating revenue.

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