Ambition: Walking the Path to Success in a Positive and Advantageous Way

Knowing how to manage and harness your ambition positively and ethically is essential to climb the peak of success and achieve your well-being

Is having ambition compatible with a positive, correct way of living and relating that benefits your well-being?

Often when talking about ambition, people generally think of individuals extremely committed to their work, workaholics who focus all their energy on achieving their goals. With a mostly negative connotation, ambitious people are seen as those driven by selfishness and arrogance, hungry for success and craving career advancement even at the expense of colleagues and collaborators. In reality, ambition is also synonymous with dreams and aspirations, a healthy and legitimate desire to improve oneself and feel fulfilled by one's ability to stand out and excel, both in work and in personal life. Adopting this perspective, it is easier to connect ambition to different aspects that make up everyone's daily life and to a more productive and constructive approach to things: one can aspire to be a good partner (in life or work), a good athlete, a good parent, child, friend, a skilled professional, a good colleague. In other words, one can aspire to be "better" motivated by a feeling of altruism and/or determination toward a goal of personal fulfillment that does not harm others.

How not to let ambition become an obsession?

The secret is not to overdo it. It may seem obvious, but it is a crucial step to avoid falling into a narcissistic spiral where ambition is pursued recklessly, adopting improper and overly self-interested behaviors. Using ambition with moderation while maintaining ethical and positive behavior allows you to achieve excellent results both professionally and personally. Indeed, ambition is a great leverage to maintain and transmit motivation to successfully carry out any project even in the face of difficulties. Moreover, within the work context, healthy ambition helps improve performance and maintain high-quality levels, often using more creative and innovative methods to achieve the set goal.

Why can being ambitious improve personal well-being?

The satisfaction of having achieved what one desired is an element that cannot be underestimated, and for this reason, ambition should not be seen as a negative factor. Achieving a personal or professional goal certainly contributes to improving one’s well-being. In general, a person's life, including work life, benefits from a state of well-being and serenity, leading the individual to improve and perhaps achieve that career success that allows them to advance and reach their dreamed position.

Having career ambitions: a positive or negative thing?

It has been said that although ambition is commonly associated with negative behaviors to avoid, it can instead have very positive effects on a person and their work. Ambition can be that compass that, when used consciously, guides us towards the realization of a long-awaited desire, project, or goal. An ambitious person within a team can motivate all members to give their best and work productively to ensure that the work/project succeeds. However, this requires that no one, including the ambitious person, steps on others’ toes and that everyone behaves correctly, working together toward the same goal. It is therefore necessary to eliminate all those negative attitudes typical of harsh competition and clashes: no pointless arguments to prove who is best or right, no closed and inflexible mindsets, no absolutism or egocentrism. The key to success and following your ambitions positively is knowing how to listen, engage in dialogue, get inspired, and benefit from every useful stimulus so you can reach your goal more smoothly. In this perspective, it is essential to be in a favorable, interesting, and encouraging environment to nurture your ambition and use the right tools: the coworking spaces of BeetCommunity offer the perfect mix of comfort and the best technological solutions to dedicate yourself to your ideas and ambitions.