Can You Be Content & Ambitious?

Do you think these two go together?

Being content and being ambitious can seen and experienced in positive and negatives ways and as they seem to be polar opposites it can be hard to see how you could be both at the same time.

I believe you can be content and ambitious at the same time, in fact I think it is essential that you embrace both with equal passion and desire.

When you hear content, what do you think?

The positive perspective of being content is someone who is calm, happy, grateful and fulfilled of who they are, what they have and what there are doing with their life. They are the picture of serenity.

The negative view of being content is someone who has given up and settled for who they are, what they have and what they are doing with thief life. They are lazy, scared and don't want to put the work in. They are the picture of bitterness.

Two very different interpretations of being content, and perhaps a bit extreme, however artistic license aside I think these confusing interpretations can stop up from experiencing true contentment on a daily basis.

When you hear ambitious, what do you think?

The positive perspective of being ambitious is someone who is driven, determined and hard working. They have the dream job and lifestyle and do it all with a smile on their face. They are the picture of success.

The negative view of being ambitious is someone who is ruthless, arrogant and cold hearted. They will do anything to get what they want and don't care who they hurt along the way. They are the picture of win at all costs.

Again two very different views on being ambitious and I am sure when you read each description you pictured a person. This is why we can also struggle with ambition because how it can be perceived doesn't fit with who we are.

If being content and being ambitious have such dispirit interpretations and seem to be at such odds with each other how on earth can you be both at the same time and how can being both have a positive impact on you?

I am ambitious. I have goals that I am working towards, short term over the next month and long term over the next year. Each day I do a bit more and try to get a bit closer. I am also content, I am happy and grateful for the life I have each day.

Every day I am trying to progress a bit more and get closer to the goals I have set. Now if I only viewed my life through my ambition to achieve the results of these goals I could become that person with tunnel vision. Nothing else and no one else is important apart from getting the result!

However I see some issues with this approach, a goal may take weeks, months or even years to reach and if you decide all your happiness, joy and self worth is only valid once you achieve the goal you are doing a massive disservice to yourself.

Success is not guaranteed, so you could be chasing a goal your whole life and never achieve it. Does that mean you would be willing to sacrifice your happiness, joy and self worth for something that may never happen and make it ok in your head as you say that is the price for being ambitious?

Ok, let's say you still go with the approach that you link your happiness, joy and self worth with achieving your goal and you achieve it. What are you expecting to happen at that moment when you get there? Confetti exploding from the ceiling, dramatic music filling the air and a wave of euphoria filling every cell in your body? You may get that euphoric moment, but it will only be a moment. Again you have deprived yourself of happiness, joy and self worth in all the time leading up to this one moment the name of ambition?

Being ambitious might be becoming less appealing so you say I will just be content. I will be happy with what I have, who I am and what I am doing. Great! However, the problem with being just being content is you can slowly find yourself in a space of comfort and safety and the just the thought of doing something outside of this space becomes too risky. Why would you now put yourself into a position where you could get hurt or fail? Being content has become a barrier to experiencing anything new and exciting.

Over time being content can slip into repetition, monotony and boredom. Being content can turn into bitterness and life becomes a chore. What was once a space of happiness, joy and gratitude becomes a space of frustration, annoyance and where it can feel nothing goes right and the world is against you.

How can you be content and ambitious at the same time?

The way I see it is like this.

Today I am grateful for who I am, what I have and what I am doing. Today I can choose how I want to feel. Today I am the best I can be. Today I choose to push myself, to challenge myself and be proud of what I am trying to achieve. Today I choose to enjoy the process of working on my goals and not the result. Today I choose to enjoy the small and big moments with equal reverence. Today I plan for the future but do not lose sight of the present. Where I am today is exactly where I need to be.

Marrying being content and being ambitious is a challenging concept but to me it is essential. Finding the balance between challenging yourself to be better and being proud of who you are right now is hard but it is worth it.