Time magazine ran a feature article on ambition a few months ago. I think the word has too many different meanings. To strip it down to its basic meaning, ambition is essentially desire. Some people have more desire than others, hence they are more driven to act. If you are entirely content with your lot no mater how capable you are, you probably won’t take much action. So yes, if by ambition you mean desire, this is key. Why do some desire more than others, it’s a fascinating question, one that probably demands another article. What I have discovered is that we can build or reduce our desire as a way to propel ourselves towards either change, in the former, or acceptance, in the latter.

To Dragon:
Choosing a goal is like being a kid in a candy store, out of all that choice what do you go for? Getting it right requires a process of assessment. It doesn’t mean you can’t change later but you do need to commit.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
= Henry David Thoreau

They may have read this when they were in high school, and thought, “That’s terrible! I’ll never be in that position.” Then, thirty years later, they remember the quote and think to themselves, “My gosh, that’s me!”

What are your thoughts on ambition as a success factor in realising goals? You’ve mentione dit once in the article, but wonder if ambition is not the fuel for what you have written about?