Ambition is the wish to accomplish many things in one or many fields. A person can be called ambitious when they work hard and are motivated to achieve their goals. Schools teach children to be ambitious by getting very good grades. Children who are not able to score that well are assumed to become failures in life because they are unable to show ambition. This article talks about ambitious people and over ambitious signs that they show.

 

• They look for ways to improve themselves– Ambitious people want to develop in their lives so they focus on improving themselves all the time.
• These people will not rest until they complete the work they had.
• Ambitious people make plans for getting things done and try to stick to them as much as possible.
• They avoid getting distracted from their goals.

• Lack flexibility- They don’t change their plan but if things don’t turn out the way they were expecting. They keep trying in hopes that it will work out.
• Can’t relax- They find it difficult to wind down and relax. Thinking about the things they have to do next and how to achieve them keeps them from doing so. This and the inability to be flexible might put them at risk of burn out.
• One of the signs of over ambitious people is that they are prone to jealousy. Over ambitious people feel bad when someone performs better than them. They also feel everyone should focus on their ideas and do what they say. It’s their way or the highway.
• They tend to focus just on achieving the goal and don’t focus on the learnings along the way. By not paying attention to how they achieved their goal they miss out getting more out of the experience than just the goal. An over ambitious person will find it hard to change his direction and goals when threatened by a rival.

1. Selfishness- Over ambitious people can become very selfish as they become concerned with achieving their goals. They forget about their family, friends and well wishers in this pursuit and ignore the needs and wishes of their closest ones. These people face relationship difficulties and have short lived relationships.
2. They do not focus on the present as they are always pursuing one goal after another. People with over ambitious signs are also never satisfied with what they have and are always hoping for their aims to become successful.
3. Fast and furious- They appear busy, are impatient with others and always in a rush.
4. Short lived relationships- Over ambitious people tend to form relations with a motive. They try to be close to people who will help them achieve their aim and contribute to their progress.
5. Mental health problems might occur in people who are over ambitious. People who show over ambitious signs tend to suffer from anxiety, depression and panic.

These traits can put such people at risk of many health problems. If you feel that you are struggling with the above issues, please contact a mental health professional.

People have different features. Some show more over ambitious signs than others. Psychologists found the following reasons-

1. Birth order– The oldest sibling is more ambitious than others. They are also found to be high achievers and perfectionists.
2. Insecurities- If an individual is insecure, he can become very ambitions. Insecurity puts a person under pressure which can lead him to become very ambitious in an effort to change his life and put an end to his insecurities.
3. Self confidence- people who are confident about their abilities and believe that they can successfully reach their goals are more likely to be ambitious.

• Take out time to relax- Pursuing ones goals is necessary but you can stop to smell the roses once in a while. This means to take out time to do something that relaxes you like reading a book, watching a movie, taking a warm bath to decompress.
• Make better goals- People who show over ambitious signs focus on wealth and other materialistic things. But it is seen that people are more motivated to complete goals which provide meaning and add value to their lives.
• Find a balance- Some level of ambition is good for growth and without it we might not be able to go far in life. Knowing when to stop thinking about achievements and finding things that bring you joy is also important to live a satisfied life. Finding a balance between being ambitious and over ambitious is necessary for avoiding burn out and mental health problems.
• Spend time with your friends and family– The happiest people are ones with good social support network. Try to decrease time spent on work and take out time for friends and family.
• Get rid of the idea of perfection- This quality makes us have unrealistic expectations from ourselves. We forget that we are good enough in our work and are performing well. There is no such thing a perfection and putting yourself under pressure to work and work until you achieve perfection is unrealistic. This can also lead to burn out.
• Gratitude- Give thanks for the people and comforts you have right now and acknowledge their help in fulfilling your goals.
• Enjoy small pleasures- Instead of waiting for your ideal future to come, enjoy what you have right now.

Ambition is a natural characteristic for a leader. But if we allow the ambition to grow beyond control, we risk hurting others and ourselves. By learning to slow down, showing gratitude, finding between balance we make space for new perspective. People who show over ambitious signs have to understand that health and happiness are new measures of success. Focus on being ambitious in a healthy way in which you can not only focus on your needs but also of those around you.

Read our article ‘Managing Work Demands: A Healthy Work-Life Balance’ on striking a balance between work and life. You can also enroll in our course on Perfectionism to learn more on learn more on letting go of the myth of achieving perfection.