By: D. S. Slinkard
A few years ago, I took the time to go through the ABCs of Slinkard on Success, and after much thought on the success of this a few years back, I decided to do the same thing in 2025. It is my goal to go through the entire alphabet and write an article for each letter, and the very first article for 2025 is going to be ‘A’ for Ambition. This word means the strong desire to achieve something significant, often requiring determination, hard work, and focus. I believe too few people in society have ambition going for them, which is why many people fail to succeed in life.
To have success requires a person to work at it. Too many people are not willing to put forth the effort because they have no drive, they have no desire to better themselves, and it boils down to them lacking the ambition needed to have success. Ambition begins with a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. How many people are living their life without a clue as to what they want to do with their life? Having ambition means they are able to see beyond their present circumstances and imagine a better, more fulfilling future for themselves.
Ambition provides the inner fuel that keeps people motivated and moving forward, even when obstacles pop up which may make it hard for someone to stay motivated to finish the course. Staying motivated to finish what you start, teaches a person how to be committed, and true ambition involves dedication and persistence oftentimes requiring a person to sacrifice in order to achieve long-term goals. Ambition pushes people out of their comfort zones encouraging them to develop new skills, expand knowledge, and overcome limitations.
We must understand that limitations only become limitations when we allow them to be limitations. If we say we cannot do something because of a limitation, then we will not be able to. However, if we decide not to allow our limitations to hinder us, we can find a way to succeed. Many people have had success in life when the odds were stacked against them. Ambition helps people achieve this kind of success in life.
Ambition is able to have an enormous positive effect in a person’s life. Ambition has the ability to drive innovation and progress while inspiring others to pursue their dreams. Ambition helps individuals realize their full potential and allows for a person to understand what their sense of purpose and direction is in life. Too many people are walking around aimlessly because they do not know where they want to go, where they need to go, or how they need to get headed in the right direction.
Although ambition can have a huge positive effect on people, there is also the possibility of pitfalls arising from it. Ambition can lead to people being overworked or even suffering from burnout because all they are looking at doing is completing what they started. This mindset can negatively impact relationships, especially if these relationships are neglected or people fail to take care of their personal well-being. Having ambition can drive some people to the point at which they get so caught up in what they want to achieve that they lose all other values that may have been important in their life.
To build ambition in your life, it is important we start with self-reflection because, sadly, too many people do not take the time to get to know their true self. We have too many pretenders walking around acting as if they are something they are not. We need to be honest with ourselves in order to see who we truly are. We need to be able to identify our passions, our strengths, and even our weaknesses. We need to properly assess where we are at when it comes to what we want to achieve.
It is important to set achievable goals, while surrounding ourselves with supportive and motivated individuals who can help fuel our ambition to achieve the success we desire. Over time, consistency is key, and people learn how to transform their ambition into a powerful force for growth and achievement.
As we embark on this journey through the ABCs of success in 2025, let “A” for Ambition be your starting point—a reminder that with the right mindset, determination, and support, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. Make this year the year you embrace ambition and begin shaping the life you’ve always envisioned.
By: D. A. Slinkard
D.A. Slinkard would love your feedback. You can contact him at da.slinkard@gmail.com
January 3, 2025
