The 7 States of Ambition: Which One Are You In?
What’s the state of your ambition?
This past week gave me such a clear reminder of something I’ve been learning about ambition over the last five years: it shows up differently for each of us, and it changes.
I talked with several people this week who are navigating different circumstances:
A few are experiencing shifts around their jobs and wondering what they really want next, keeping sustainability in mind.
In a poll, I found that the majority of those people are struggling with how to focus their time and energy across all they want and need to do.
And then I was with a group of start-up and small company CEO’s who spoke of needing to build resilience and, rather than be constantly pushing and always on the edge, wanting to keep their drive while not burning out in the process. And, importantly, they wanted this for not just themselves, but also for those in their organizations.
Yet, two of those CEO’s also admitted and positively claimed that they were operating in the sustainable zone right now.
So, that’s the thing about ambition—we experience it in different states. Through conversations, research, input from some of you and my Behind the Book group last year, and my own journey, I’ve found seven distinct states we can move through.
Do any of these feel familiar? You might even see yourself in more than one right now.
Disillusionment: When Success and Ambition Feel Empty
Rebellion: When Success Has Followed Others’ Rules
Evolution: When Ambition Transforms
Renewal: When Drive Reawakens
Wholeheartedness: When Pursuing a Rich, Full Life
Intensity: When Drive Starts to Meet Its Limits
Flourishing: When Ambition Feels Just Right
I’ve been bouncing between a few states myself lately. There’s a pull toward Evolution as I have new ideas brewing, but with the book being my main focus, I’ve intentionally put those on the back burner (yes, that’s actually a strategy I talk about in the book!). Mostly, I’m in Intensity right now, while dreaming of Wholeheartedness. Recognizing that I’m in Intensity has been helpful, because I can now be intentional about managing my energy, so I stay sustained during this time.
Curious what your state is right now? I’ve created a quick quiz to help you discover your current state(s), and I’m launching it this week.
After you take it, you’ll get a guide with practical ideas for working with your state and moving forward. You can think of it as an early preview of some concepts from the book—a way to start understanding your ambition more deeply now and navigating it with intention.
Spring feels like the perfect time for this kind of reflection, doesn’t it? A natural moment to check in with ourselves and set a more intentional course to keep things sustainable. I've found such check-ins are helpful to do regularly.
I’d love to hear which state fits for you right now after taking the quiz. Just hit reply and let me know or ask questions.
Looking forward to connecting with you about your ambition journey!
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Sustainable Ambition offers a strategic approach for pursuing our professional and personal goals in a way that is motivating, meaningful, and manageable from stage to stage, rather than be all consuming in a way that compromises other important aspects of our lives or sacrifices our well-being.