Be Committed, Not Ambitious

Much business literature today focuses on having the right kind of ambition.

The claim is that the majority of the people who have attained elite status were once underdogs, but fortunately had the ambition to prove the world wrong.

Numerous articles, studies, and blogs talk about the secrets of ambitious people and how having ambition is a requirement to ultimately being successful.

Ambition

By definition, an ambitious person is someone always striving to reach a specific goal.

It is only through hard work, dedication, and perseverance, so the advocates of ambition say, that the goal is reached — an ambitious person doesn’t give up until they reach their objective.

Unfortunately, being ambitious also detrimental consequences. When people pursue their ambitions with no deference to others, it harms not just those people, but also the ambitious person.  Here, ambition produces greed and self-centeredness.

In reality, ambition is only a drive or an engine; it is not a result.  Ambition doesn’t automatically lead to success or greed; it only results in striving.  Nothing more.

Being ambitious isn’t enough to achieve elite status. Far more important than ambition is commitment.

Commitment

When you’re committed to something, you will do what is required for the attainment of that thing. You’ll stop wondering and start building. You’ll stop being distracted and start learning. You’ll start connecting. You’ll start failing.

You’ll get what you want, rather than simply having a long list of “ambitions.” You’ll have actual accomplishments that reflect your inner goals and values.

Your external environment will reflect your deepest internal views and aims.

Jim Rohn wrote.

Become a millionaire not for the million dollars, but for what it will make of you to achieve it.

How to be Committed

Here are several ideas on how to be committed rather than ambitious.

1          Don’t be involved, commit!

“The difference between ‘involvement’ and ‘commitment’ is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was ‘involved’ – the pig was ‘committed’.”

When you want your project to succeed, you invest yourself in it fully. Why? Because you can’t afford only to be involved; being involved means you’re not committed enough, and if you’re not committed enough, that thing you’ve been working on, won’t see the light of day.

2          If you don’t learn how to commit, someone else will!  There’s someone out there who knows everything you know, and they have the same ambitions you have.  We live in a highly competitive environment, and many times, the only difference is the level of commitment.

3          Never give up, never give in!  Quitting is also a lesson, a really expensive lesson. The more you fail, potentially the less committed you become.  When you fail, don’t quit.  Instead, renew your commitment and then start again.

4          Free your mind, and the rest will follow!  Once you’re committed to something, your mind becomes like a homing beacon. There are no more choices to be made, just a focus on the target in front of your eyes.

5          Commit to something bigger than yourself. If you have problems committing, it will be beneficial to commit in a group setting.  The most likely way to overcome the fear of commitment is to commit to something bigger than just you.  In a group, you’ll be to draw upon others for both motivation and support.

The Bible

The Bible teaches that the chief commitment of our lives is to God Himself. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

This is where we learn what our commitment to our loved ones, friends, and business enterprises looks like.  Commitment includes every fiber of our being and every facet of our lives for it to be impactful.

Ambition for the right objectives is good, but we need to have a true commitment to really be successful.  Rely on God to show you what commitment looks like, and then apply it to your dreams and goals.