Work Ethic (Ambition)

Ambition is one of the most important skills we can master.  If we were building a house, it would be the cornerstone of the foundation.

Think for a minute about Salvador Dali’s quote that appears in the green box to your left.  “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” To me, this means that you can be smart, but if you are not willing to put the work in, you will never really be free to reach new heights.

So how do we learn ambition?  Or more importantly, can we learn ambition?  We can certainly mimic ambition–do what other successful people are doing.  Sometimes you can even be scared into being ambitious by your parents, teacher, or coach.  However this type of ambition is rarely sustainable.

In many ways, ambition is a choice or a mindset.  However, that mindset can be cultivated.   Jacquelynne Eccles, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, led a landmark, 25-year study examining what motivated first and  seventh-graders in three school districts.  By instilling confidence, encouraging some risk taking, being able to see past failure, and fostering innate talents and abilities, ambition can be reignited.

Ambition is really the ability to stay on the pathway.  This is done by making the commitment to do the work necessary to see long term promises to yourself, also known as goals, come into fruition.

Discussion Question:  What are you ambitious about?

 

 

7 thoughts on “Work Ethic (Ambition)

  1. This word can carry a connotation beyond the limit. There are ambitions that are not easy to achieve no matter how hard you try. Madalin Stunt Cars The word can also be linked to the concept of no end. It’s easy to go overboard and lose control.

  2. Sometimes your parents, teachers, or coaches will try to intimidate you into being ambitious in order to get the best out of you. However, goals of this nature are rarely attainable in the long run.

  3. I believe that Work Ethic greatly affects a person’s work results, you need to love your job to be able to devote yourself to it. Like me, I’m always trying my best to raise the place of kick the buddy on the leaderboard.

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