If you look at the archetype of someone successful, they are typically people who are extremely ambitious or intelligent. For instance, you may think about David Goggins or Albert Einstein as people who emulate those traits respectively. Now it is possible for you to do the same, however, you are going to be hard pressed to accomplish the same feats. In fact, most people are not going to be capable of doing the same because they are not as passionate nor would they have the smarts necessary to do so. If you want to have success without being as intelligent or ambitious, you really only need two apply and believe in 2 values: persistence & discipline.
The Misconception Of Intelligence
Gifted programs, advanced classes, moving up a grade, you name it. All of these are factors that involve giving credence to the idea that if you do things, then you are successful. It is true that accomplishing such feats are impressive, it is only impressive in the academic world that is haphazardly applied to the non-academic world, in which many people believe that person would have success. If you get bad grades in school, you will most likely fail in life. If you get good grades, you will most likely succeed in life, however, you succeed in life not simply because you have the intelligence, but also because of the qualities that intersect with or are outside intelligence. Persistence is just one of those qualities that helps an individual have that success.
The Quality Of Persistence
“you are so smart” is a statement that is often repeated by adults and parents to give praise to their child. The statement arises from the idea that if you give positive reinforcement to your child, then they will do well later in life. This is true, however that statement can be damaging to the child only because the child believes that they got successful because of their intellect and not the hardwork that they put in. In fact, there are many documented stories about kids going into gifted programs and still failing in college because the school assignments were easy to them so they did not have to put much effort in; however, once those same kids got into college, they had to actually put effort and because they did not actually developed in worth while system of hard work, they would eventually fail their classes.
The thing about success is that you will at times have to do arduous work in order to get what you want. It will not be as simple as understanding a concept and bubbling circles on a test. You will actually need to go out of your way, sit down in a chair for 5-10 hours and go through the necessary repetitive practices to acquire and understand a concept. It is similar to exercising. You don’t build muscle because you read a book, you build muscle because you actually did some exercises to put on some weight.
Now, how exactly do you become persistent? The best way for you to become persistent is by forming a habit. Everyone has a routine to fulfill a task. When you wake up, go to the bathroom, and brush your teeth, that is your routine since you do this every day. You do this everyday because you care about your health and your wellbeing. You do these enough times; you develop that habit. Most people develop this habit when they are children, but the question is how do you develop that habit when it wasn’t instilled into you in the first place? The answer is being proactive!
The Importance Of Being Proactive
When you are proactive, you are taking the initiative to do an action. If you want to go to the store to purchase groceries, then you will mostly plan out what you want to buy and travel to the grocery store. If you want to lose weight, you will need to be proactive in engaging a routine that will help you lose weight. It is that proactivity that allows you to start and stay consistent in achieving your goals. Without that proactivity, you will fail to induce a habit and fail in trying to complete your objective.
Every successful person you can think of in your life, those same successful individuals have developed and cultivated systems to acquire their success. The same works in reverse, if you look at every unsuccessful person you can think of in your life, those same unsuccessful individuals have developed and cultivated systems that led to them being unsuccessful. No matter what you do in life, you are subconsciously participating in a habit that can either lead you to be successful in life or unsuccessful in life. Willpower and wishing your success without being persistent and proactive is not going to get you over that hump.
For instance, you have people who are always wishing that they have a successful business. They want to be able to make plenty of income and grow their business across the world. This is definitely something that can be done, but what exactly does it take to do something like that in the 1st place? You have to work hours on end everyday for years, yes you heard it, YEARS and also scale and expand your business. Even after that, you still have to be creative enough to innovate the goods and services that you already produce. Do you see were this is going? You never stop being persistent. You may work more or less hours, but you don’t ever completely stop your persistence. It is always easier to keep the momentum than to start and generate energy for your persistence and proactivity.
When you are proactive, you are always striving to engage in long durations of work to achieve what you want. By doing this, you are being persistent in order to achieve your goals necessary to have success. This trait, and not simply intelligence, is what will allow you to have success.
The Idea Surrounding Ambition
Ambition refers to a strong desire to achieve a particular goal or set of goals. It is often associated with career aspirations and the drive to succeed in one’s chosen field, but it can also apply to other areas of life, such as personal relationships, artistic endeavors, or community involvement. Ambition is a powerful motivator, pushing individuals to work hard, overcome obstacles, and strive for excellence. It can also be seen as a positive trait, as it is often associated with determination, perseverance, and the ability to set and achieve challenging goals. However, ambition can also be a source of stress and conflict, particularly when it leads to overwork, burnout, or neglect of other important aspects of one’s life. In general, ambition is a complex and multi-faceted concept that can be both positive and negative depending on the context and the individual.
If you think about the most ambitious people you have seen in your life, they fit this description. Think about military special forces, medical doctors, or even investment bankers. They will work 10-16 hours a day, everyday for decades on end, if you think that is not enough, they may even do their craft until the day they perish. When you are ambitious, you are doing everything as you possibly can in order to achieve the tasks or objectives at hand. On the flip side, as mentioned before, you can have significant burnout or even worse, when you are ambitious. If you are special forces, you may get mental illness; if you are a medical doctor, you may get sick and feel as though student loans are hurting your economic future; if you an investment banker, you may feel as though that your profession is useless to your life in the grand scheme of things. Ambition has its positives, but also it negatives as well that you will have to reconcile.
Additionally, ambition can be seen as a driving force for personal growth and self-improvement. It can be a catalyst for individuals to push beyond their comfort zones, to take risks and to strive for greater heights. Ambition can also be described as a psychological construct which is a combination of drive, motivation, and desire. It can be seen as a personality trait, which is the extent to which an individual is motivated to achieve success. Ambition can also be seen as a positive force that can lead to personal and professional growth and success.
In conclusion, ambition is a powerful motivator that can drive individuals to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. It can be both positive and negative depending on how it’s approached and balanced with other aspects of life. It can be a source of determination, perseverance, and success, but it can also be a source of stress and conflict if it leads to overwork, burnout, or neglect of other important aspects of one’s life. Now lets look at what is more important than ambition, which is discipline!
The Quality Of Discipline
Discipline and ambition are both important qualities to have in order to be successful, but discipline is often more important because it enables you to achieve your ambitious goals. Similar to how hard works succeeds, when talent fails, your discipline succeeds, if you are not as ambitious.
Being disciplined means having self-control and the ability to stick to a plan or course of action, even when faced with distractions or temptations. It is the foundation upon which all other good habits and behaviors are built. Without discipline, it is difficult to focus on a task, set and achieve goals, or make progress towards your aspirations. Think about someone who you know that is mediocre beyond belief, but is still successful. Why is that? It is because even though they are not strongly motivated, they still proceed to do the necessary routine to have their tasks fulfilled. Sounds familiar?
On the other hand, ambition is the drive to achieve something, it is a desire to be successful in a particular area or field. It is the motivation that pushes you to work hard and strive for greatness. While ambition can be a powerful force for good, it is not enough on its own. Without discipline, ambition can lead to scattered efforts and a lack of progress.
For example, an ambitious person may want to start their own business, but without the discipline to create a business plan, research the market, and work hard to make it a reality, the ambition will likely come to nothing. Similarly, an ambitious athlete may want to win a gold medal, but without the discipline to train regularly and follow a strict diet and exercise regimen, they will not be able to reach their goal.
Discipline also helps you to prioritize your goals and focus on what is truly important. It enables you to avoid distractions and to stay on track, even when faced with challenges. With discipline, you can set realistic goals, make a plan to achieve them, and then execute that plan with determination and consistency.
In summary, ambition is important because it gives you a sense of direction and purpose, but discipline is even more important because it gives you the ability to follow through on your goals and make steady progress towards achieving them. Without discipline, ambition is nothing more than a dream.
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