If you’re like me, you never stop creating and reaching for the stars. When I wake up everyday, I am excited to live my life and feel in stride with my purpose. I never take for granted that I get to do something I love with my life.
I love having ambition, but sometimes it’s a real pain in the ass. Before I’m even finished with a project or a task, I’m reaching for the next thing. And the next thing. And the next.
Sound familiar?
Ambition can be a dangerous thing. As one client told me, it’s like driving a car and trying to meet the horizon. It’s never reachable. One achievement leads to the thirst for another. And another. And another. And, then comes burnout.
So how do we get off this wild ride? First, we must understand that our worth is not tied to our accomplishments. Which is tough because it’s ingrained in us.
When we’re young, we’re asked what we want to be when we grow up. Grades are given to measure our success. To excel we must reach for the stars. Becoming adults we follow our dreams, and find that we never rest in our conquests. We can get more. We can do more.
Eventually we burn out our light.
Your worth is not tied to what you create, do, or succeed at. If you make the mistake of thinking that, you will never be (or do) enough.
So, how do we work with ambition in a healthy way? A good starting point is to separate our worth from our work. Because what happens when you can’t do your work? Perhaps you become injured, or have an unexpected downfall that takes you away from the thing you love. Suddenly life loses its meaning, and your self-worth hits the floor.
Try tying your happiness to caring for yourself instead. Try tying your happiness to your own brightness, to the ones you love, to moments of pleasure. Try just being. Try enjoying the day and slowing the hell down.
The road to success never ends. In your drive, the scenery and the experience of the trip is more important. Enjoy the journey instead of the destination. That’s great medicine for success.