am·bi·tious
Synonyms: enterprising, spirited, keen, active, daring, eager, intent, enthusiastic, hopeful, striving, vigorous, aspiring, energetic, adventurous, avid, zealous, intrepid, resourceful, purposeful, desirous
There is actually a WikiHow on how to be ambitious. I think many of the characteristics can also be misconstrued as arrogance, independence, and careless depending on the circumstances.
To be ambitious you need self-confidence and self-esteem. They say if you don’t have it to work on it. Even those of us that do have it need to work on it. There are world views, opinions, and self-talk each day that we battle to become a better person and to believe in ourselves. Having self-confidence and self-esteem is a maintenance plan… once you work hard to get it you have to work hard to keep it.
You also need to define your values. What is important to you? What do you want people to remember about you when you are gone? What defines how you tick? When you know these things (and they are always changing) it is time to set your goals around them. This can be tricky and takes a lot of planning and thought. I have some pretty serious personal and business goals. My business is so important to me that I make personal goals to support that. I cannot be the best “me” in business without recharging my batteries. Stephen Covey calls it “Sharpening the Saw” and it is vital. One of my business goals that supports this is to take a certain amount of time off per year and to have that increase each year I have my practice. This enables me to be fresh & frosty with my clients and bring things to our relationship I could not provide if I was bogged down or burned out. This goal aligns to my values of self-care and spending time with family and friends. It also aligns to my values of bringing the best me possible to my business relationships.
Being ambitious means making constant improvement. Move forward. If you are off target (and you know your targets because you already set goals) then re-adjust. Don’t ever sit on the sidelines waiting for the right path to present itself. Move toward your goals constantly. Failure will happen; it’s part of the process. Don’t fear it, welcome it. Learn from it. The failures are what develop you as a person and make you stronger and better! Take a class, join a new group and learn from others, find and BE a mentor, both will help you grow. Read… keep an open mind and do whatever you can to make positive changes in your life.
If you have ever gone to a gun range and practiced shooting you will know that you can seldom be on target 100% of the time. In fact, if you take a lesson they will tell you that your cluster, the times you can shoot in the same area, is what makes you a solid marksman. Work on getting your shots close together and you will gradually improve your ability to hit a small target over and over again successfully.
Remember that the world is an abundant place. If you haven’t learned this make it first on your list of things to figure out. Welcome abundance into your life. Be open to it. Cherish it and trust it. You may have competition but there is enough out there for you if you have the right attitude, approach, and are real with your customers. There is no need to be nasty with any competition… believe that there is enough out there for you or make adjustments in your offerings so that you can reach the people you need to reach. Never try to get a customer by bad mouthing the next guy.
Be balanced in your ambition. Being out of balance in your values can make you too ambitious about a successful career and hurt those you love. If you are too ambitious with your social life I doubt you will go far in business… bring balance to your values and goals and be ambitious across the board with that balance. Then you can ambitiously pursue your time with friends, family, traveling, even resting with the same vigor and purpose you bring to your business and career.