There are many ways to approach different situations. Some people may feel ambitious – yet also plan properly – whilst some people may feel anxious.
There are several definitions for the word ambitious. Some of these describe a person wanting power or status. Here we are using another of these definitions. This is:
A person having a strong desire and
determination to achieve certain goals.
Different people have different ambitions. Some may be ambitious for themselves, some may be ambitious to help other people to achieve their goals.
People’s ambitions may also change during different stages of their lives. At different times, they may be ambitious:
To achieve their personal or professional goals .. To keep improving the way they follow their principles … To do positive work that helps people or the planet.
People who are ambitious tend to be warriors rather than worriers. They may not be starry-eyed optimists, however, and they often do their due diligence before embarking on a piece of work.
Some people also develop ways to move from being anxious to being ambitious. One person described how they did this in the following way.
“I transformed my approach by doing one of the most obvious things. I began to focus on what I could control instead of what I could not control in a situation.
“I could control having a positive attitude, following my principles and doing my professional best. I could not control the outcome or other people’s judgements about me.
“Bearing in mind what I could control, I set ambitious goals. These were based on two things. First, what I could guarantee to do in the situation – such as doing my best. Second, what I could do to manage challenges.
“I felt more motivated after taking this approach. This led to me going into the situation and doing my best.”
Different people follow the ambitious and anxious approaches in different ways. Let’s explore these themes.
The Ambitious Approach
Some people learn to follow this approach early in life. They may grow up in a family where they are encouraged to play, do what they enjoy and explore.
They may develop their ability: a) to set their own specific goals; b) to seek knowledge and find successful strategies; c) to work to achieve success.
Some people may have teachers who encourage them to play to their strengths. They may then work to achieve their goals when studying a favourite subject, playing a sport or doing other stimulating activities.
Some people follow a similar path in their work. They start by focusing on a field of work they find fascinating. They may then explore doing several different jobs in this field.
Settling on the kind of work they find satisfying, they take the following steps each day. They aim to set specific goals, do superb work, find solutions to challenges and deliver success.
People who are ambitious sometimes like to stretch themselves. Sometimes this works. They learn new skills, add to their repertoire and develop successful strategies.
Some people may experience setbacks, however, when they go into territory that is harder to negotiate. They may then learn valuable lessons.
Some may learn to recognise that they may work best when doing certain kinds of activities or projects but not when doing others.
Some may learn to improve their due diligence and be better at rating the chances of success before embarking on the work.
Some may learn to improve the strategies and skills needed to do superb work and achieve success.
People who are ambitious sometimes become more selective as they get older. Some revisit the well-known concept of focusing on their sweet spot.
The sweet spot concept stems from sport. Since then it has been applied to many other areas of life. Here are some definitions.
The point or area on a bat, club, or racket where it makes most effective contact with the ball.
The particular situation or combination of things that is the best and most effective possible.
The spot where you do something that may appear effortless but sometimes produces the most effective results.
Some elements of this approach have been used in career development workshops since the 1960s. It encourages individuals to do what they do best and make their best contributions to a team or organisation.
The approach is obviously related to the Japanese concept of Ikigai. But it does not necessarily cover their purpose, vocation or mission on the planet. When appropriate, however, it involves focusing on the following themes with a person.
Strengths. The specific activities where they do superb work.
Satisfying Work. The specific activities where they do satisfying work.
Specific Contribution. The specific contribution they can make towards helping people, the team or the organisation to achieve success.
Some people follow this approach when doing work for a customer or an employer. This involves them focusing on the following themes.
The Anxious Approach
People who follow this approach may focus on the things they can’t control in situations. They may also feel worried for other reasons. These include the following.
They may not feel capable of performing a particular job.
They may be concerned about how other people will judge them.
They may worry about the things that can go wrong and not know how to deal with these challenges.
People can be helped to take more control of their lives, but one key point is worth bearing in mind. Success breeds success. It breeds self-confidence and the strength to tackle other challenges.
It is therefore important to focus on a specific situation where a person may have a good chance of achieving certain goals. They can then follow elements of the ambitious approach and take the following steps.
They can clarify the specific things they can control in a situation where they would like to achieve success.
They can set a specific goal where they have at least a 7+ chance of achieving success.
They can follow strategies that work, get an early win and do their best to achieve success.
A person can also aim to put themselves into situations where they have a positive attitude, follow their principles and get positive results. They are then more likely to build their confidence.
There are many ways to live life. Some people aim to follow elements of the ambitious approach. Some may be ambitious for themselves. Some may be ambitious to do positive work that helps people or the planet.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach? How can you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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