An Effective Guide to Being More Ambitious

When you’re jaded and complacent here’s how to raise the bar.

Photo by manny PANTOJA on Unsplash

We all have big dreams. As children, we aim for the stars. Spaceman, train driver, professional singer, and chef were a few jobs I had contemplated by 10 years old.

But we’re hardwired to hate risks and uncertainty. As time goes on, we realize these goals are quite far-fetched. Our childhood dreams start to fade, we settle down and get caught in a repetitive cycle.

We get accustomed to the life we live, avoid risks and let our ambitions fade.

With the clock ticking and time running out, we settle for less than we once hoped. Our dream job slips through the net, we stop searching for our ideal home or chasing that perfect relationship.

Most of us give up too early.

That’s not to say we don’t have goals. Most of us apply small aims to our daily lives. We exercise twice a week, save 20 percent of our paychecks, and eat healthily.

The benefits of goal-setting are undeniable. They help us focus our attention, trigger new behaviors and adjust our habits. But why are we neglecting our big dreams? How do we push ourselves beyond our comfort zone, and set ambitious goals?

Be Goal Inconsistent

Ambition is all about mindset. If you’re: not willing to take a risk; not prepared for the work involved; convinced your goals will always be beyond reach, then it’s no surprise you limit yourself. Why would you chase something you believe is unattainable? Telling ourselves a task is impossible causes performance anxiety and encourages us to give up.

Professor Mirjam Tuk recognized the importance of mindset, but was convinced we could use it to our advantage. She performed a study to determine how best to encourage others to set ambitious goals.

According to her, how you frame a goal influences your motivation to see it through. She analyzed two different ways of perceiving our actions:

1. Goal-consistent decisions. Thinking about how many goal-orientated activities we must engage in to successfully achieve our aim. For example, “I will work out 4 days this week.”