The Curse of Being Too Ambitious
And How to overcome
Ambition is good, Right?
I have often been labeled as being too ambitious who is always striving to do more, and achieve more.
I always thought I am supposed to want more stuff, bigger goals, and better results.
Didn’t you?
Going to the extra mile has always been my motivation to do well, achieve perfection, and perform better than anyone else around me. Maybe this is one of my personality traits, that I am competitive, especially with myself who always wants to do the best.
Like this thought, I had in the morning today while sipping my tea. I stared at my tea-stained cup to face yet another day pulling out a long self-seeding To-Do list.
I found myself envying people who seem happy with their current life.
They finish off the work doing the bare minimum and spend time watching the latest season of Love is Blind or The bachelorette.
You know what I’m talking about — they are free from worrying about doing more and accomplishing more, they are happy with just doing the bare minimum.
The other side
I am brought up thinking that the “sky is the limit.” and that I should dream big and work towards it no matter what.
But when you run with lighting speed to achieve the best, you start to see the flip side of it as well.
Things are not always going to go your way and sometimes hard work can lead to nothing but a lesson to help you pause.
Your motivation and values drive and what length you are willing to go to achieve results.
So lately, I started to question my ambition. I was always told I was very driven, but I wanted to learn to know where to pause and when to start.
Creating a balance is not easy when you don’t know how much is too much.
How to get the balance?
I felt, I always needed to prove myself and I would do that in as many ways as I could.
I studied a lot to get the highest grades, worked late hours to accomplish more in a shorter time, and always did more than needed. Barely took time off, or adequate rest, and kind of always on a roll.
Because if I don’t work super hard, I am not worthy to get good things.
I spend my 20s doing more and more.
But what I was missing is a well-balanced ambition and deeper levels of joy and satisfaction.
Protecting your health
Being passionate about your work is impressive. But sitting for 10+ hours a day staring at a screen five days a week and then over-sleeping or over-eating on the weekends is not.
To care for your mental health, you need to be proactive. You need to fill your life with experiences and challenges that energize you.
We are not strong enough to keep sacrificing our present state for those future returns.
Let life open up to you
Life opens up new dimensions when you stop seeking intellectual connections, creative challenges, money, fame, and external validation.
It makes staying in your current success loop even easier.
Prioritize yourself.
Treat yourself to many experiences that keep you on your toes and fill your heart with happiness.
Take care of yourself. There’s only one of you. And you are worth saving.
Final thoughts,
Embrace your ambition even when it feels like an anchor. Do all the things you are dreaming about.
I am here. I am doing it. This is how I choose to live, now.
Some amount of ambition is good for your motivation.
Be Bold
Be Courageous
Be Your Best
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