What Is Your Life Ambition?

One of your greatest challenges in life is to make a living from what you care about – that which gives you deep satisfaction.

When you reach this goal, you will feel on course and resilient. Your existential choice must at the same time be tough and fun in order to satisfy you deeply.

Your Life Ambition is the guiding principle that gives you control over your own life. What do you want to achieve? How do you want to be remembered? What gives you energy? The first rule of a mission is: Never lose sight of the goal. There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.

Being life ambitious is a permanent attitude – permanently leaning forward. The feeling is like: “I have trained for this all my life. Therefore I can’t not do this”. The striving for your life ambition is your strongest motivator and it will help you maintain momentum and direction in your life.

Define Your Life Ambition and Then Chase It with All Means Available!

Your life ambition is not necessarily the same during your whole life. Sometimes you need to adjust it upwards according to the results you have already achieved. It is an expression of a both-and thinking, which moves you in the direction that gives you the most meaning. Your life ambition is an inner logic that allows you to step into character and realize your inner greatness. It is more fun to live a great life than to read about it.

In my work with The Personal Business Plan I have come across a multitude of Life Ambitions:

• Develop my identity from pleaser to role model
• Move from victim to warrior
• Build my own company
• Own my own house
• Become a CEO
• Give my children the best possible education
• Travel the World
• Create a happy family
• Make a difference
• Live simply
• Become independent of other people’s expectations
• Live up to my own goals

In most cases, I would recommend intention, not perfection when working with your life ambition. The thought of perfection in the form of a finite target seems crippling for most of us. We become humble and insecure which is not conducive for making bold personal statements. In contrast, intention gives us direction and enables us to act purposefully. And please remember that your surroundings are not mind-readers: They need to see the results and experience the value of your actions. You may find comfort in the thought that you will necessarily need different versions before hitting your definitive life ambition.

Michelangelo is quoted for having said: “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it”. Likewise, I believe that behind every frustration (and behind every success) there is a life ambition. It is up to you to define it and then chase it with all means available!

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer