January’s tagline could be “The Month of Ambition."
This time of year is often when you’ve set your sights on how you want to be, and what you want to do and have in 2022. Ambition fuels this endeavor. It plays a part in the process of creating goals big enough to challenge you and are also achievable. No ambition = your goals are too small and un-motivating. This leaves you feeling adrift with a vague, or not so vague, sense of malaise. Too much ambition = your goal may be too far out of reach, unrealistic and unattainable.
Once you have a goal that fits, it's important to build a plan to achieve it that factors in your level of ambition. How fast, how far, how often, how much effort?
Ambition,‘drive,’ is a trait that supports you as the leader of your life. It influences how you make decisions from a place of agency, self-awareness, and empowerment. It is also a required trait for potential leaders within organizations, whether workplace or volunteer.
Is there such a thing as too much?
Of course. Ambition exists on a continuum – people vary. Our society, tends to value and reward those with high ambition, which can lead to burnout for those at the high end of the spectrum. And, the rest of the population is left feeling somehow deficient. There are cultural messages and personal beliefs about ambition that inform how we feel about ourselves and color our awareness of our relationship to our own ambition. If it’s truly authentic to you, your level of ambition is neither good nor bad.
Curious about your ambition and how it is affecting your life or career satisfaction, I’m here. Let’s have a conversation.
Judy Garfinkel helps you clarify "what's next." Her expertise in building confidence and resilience supports personal growth and the ability to navigate career and work transitions – especially now! She crafts bespoke resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and bios that open doors for her clients and land jobs. Judy is President of the International Coaching Federation - Connecticut Chapter, where she leads 250+ member coaches.