Sustainable Ambition Forum - 3.16.23
This month The Sustainable Ambition Podcast turned 100. Woohoo!
You might wonder—why am I committed to Sustainable Ambition and the podcast? First, because I think Sustainable Ambition is as relevant and needed as ever, and because it’s a part of me reclaiming my ambition on my terms.
In Episode 100, I offer a summary of what I learned in the last 49 episodes of the show. One of the themes I heard from my guests and I saw in my research over the last twelve months is that ambition would benefit from a re-branding and a broadening of societal views of what ambition looks like.
While people were over being ambitious during the pandemic, there is a thawing and a movement towards wanting to reclaim our ambitions, but on new terms. We want to go after our ambitions without them being all-consuming, and we want to be ambitious but not at all costs.
What might be possible if we:
Acknowledge that ambition isn’t bad, but rather is a part of being human and can be beneficial.
Broaden societal views of success and how we measure it.
Reframe what it looks like to navigate ambitions across work and life.
Reject the addiction to busyness, and rethink how we manage the effort we put against our ambitions.
I’m hoping Sustainable Ambition offers a way for us to reclaim our ambitions so that we can be ambitious in our work (whatever that work may be) from decade to decade without sacrificing our lives or ourselves.
What might it look like for you to reclaim your ambitions on your terms if you were to ask:
What does it mean for me to have ambitions and not have them be all-consuming?
What does it mean for me to be ambitious but not at all costs?
With that exploration, what boundaries might you put around your ambitions? For example, I loved how Eva Dienel in E16 said, “I like to say now I’m ambitious until three o’clock.” Where might you put focus around your ambitions to make them sustainable?
As we reclaim our ambitions and step into Sustainable Ambition for ourselves, I believe:
We can navigate our work from decade to decade with more joy and less angst.
We can better align our life and work.
And we can challenge ourselves without overdoing it and enjoy rest without giving up our goals.
All so we thrive in both life and work.
Here’s to claiming your ambitions on your terms,
Kathy Oneto
Founder, Sustainable Ambition
P.S. I’d love to hear what it means for you to reclaim your ambitions on your terms. If you’re willing to share, please send me an email here or send me a voice note here. Thank you!
The Round-Up
What is enough? Why do we never seem to be satisfied and how can we want less? Become more conscious of what drives our desire for more. Create more sustainability by exploring: what is enough for you?
Rethink success for more satisfaction. There are several factors that naturally work against us (e.g., hedonic adaptation, negativity bias) and keep us from enjoying our successes. So, why not rethink how we measure success? This article offers some tips on how to go about it.
The power of somatic wisdom. It was such fun to be on the Somatic Wisdom podcast with Cristy de la Cruz. Reclaiming our ambitions takes being able to hear ourselves and having an understanding of what we want. Somatic wisdom (what our bodies tell us vs. our minds) can help. I recommend Cristy’s podcast and book to learn more!
Anxiety isn’t bad. It’s informative. I appreciated listening to Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary on the A Bit of Optimism podcast with Simon Sinek. She’s on a mission to reframe how we view that pesky emotion, anxiety, and have us realize it can be used to fuel us rather than bring us down. She believes it not only protects us but also strengthens our creative and productive powers.
Reading: It’s a Good Day to Change the World: Inspiration and Advice for a Feminist Future. Want to be inspired to change the world? And do so sustainably? Then I suggest this book! It’s beautiful on many levels—beautiful for its topic, the stories it features of women shaking things up for a better world, and for its design. The book came out just in time for Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. Learn more.
Say yes by also saying no. Make time for what really matters by saying no to what aren't priorities. These templates provide a place to start.
Join me for conversations with experts, authors, and friends on
what it means to live with Sustainable Ambition.
New podcast trailer! Entering year 3, hear how I’m currently speaking about The Sustainable Ambition Podcast. I’d be so grateful if you shared it with a friend or colleague who wants more from life and work without sacrificing their joy or ease. Each new person who embraces Sustainable Ambition makes it easier for all of us to thrive in life and work.
Listen on your favorite player here or on our website here
E100 🎉: Looking Back, Looking Forward: Sustainable Ambition Turns 100
I loved looking back and reflecting on my conversations with guests and how their insights and my research have sharpened my thinking about the three core pillars of Sustainable Ambition: Right Ambition, Right Time, and Right Effort. This episode offers a round-up of key themes from the last 49 episodes.
Listen on your favorite player here or on our website here
You can also find the podcast, subscribe, and listen on your favorite player here.
A Sustainable Ambition Practice
Did you know? Research shows that ambitions can go sour when linking them to external measures of success.
What to practice instead? Reclaim your ambitions by defining your own success metrics based on what you envision for your life and work, your values, and what you love to do. At the end of this year, how would you measure success on your terms across life and work?
“If a man loves the labour of his trade, apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him.”
— Robert Louis Stevenson