Be Micro-ambitious

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

What does it mean to be micro-ambitious? If there’s one thing I learned about discovering a career you love, it’s that it will never be a straight path. Traditional education system taught us to choose one career choice and strive to pursue that path. And so we spend the next four years or so doing things that we perceive will bring us closer to our destined goal - aka going to college. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing! If you are really, truly clear as to what you want, then moving in a linear progress is a success. But the truth is, finding out what it is that you want to do for the rest of your life isn’t as easy as choosing a video game character.

If there is something that the past eight years of making several career leaps taught me, it’s that you don’t discover your passion by simply thinking about it, and most certainly not by answering a series of aptitude tests. 

You discover your passions by going out, taking risks, trying things, and experiencing everything it offers. 

If you find your heart in it, then you found your direction; if not, then take what you've learned and gained, and move on to your next adventure.

A lot of frustrations come from not being able to meet your grandest life and career dreams.

Having a single dream or an “all-or-nothing” mentality isn’t anymore viable.

Being micro-ambitious means “having passionate dedication to the pursuit of short-term goals.” Don’t get so caught up in your future goal that you fail to see the existing opportunities around you.

The brilliant comedian Tim Minchin said in his 2013 University of Western Australia Commencement address, "Your next worthy pursuit may appear from the periphery, so don’t focus too far ahead, or you might miss the shiny thing out of the corner of your eye.”

Remember that your career and your purpose is the sum of everything you believe in and everything you do. Don’t be afraid to explore new roads that catches your attention. When your aim is to acquire knowledge and experience, then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Being micro-ambitious means you have the courage to acknowledge what isn’t working for you anymore, that you have the ability to follow your gut and explore your curiosity, even if it’s not aligned with your pre-determined path. Who knows, you might be forging new roads that will lead you to greatest life adventures.