Many of us wish we knew the secret formula to being ambitious and driven. Why are some people so determined to make it that they work on weekends and holidays, while others are a bit laid back and easy-going?

That’s what we’re here today to find out. We asked successful people in several fields, and they all agreed on one thing: no one is born ambitious. Instead, it’s something that takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work.

Interested in finding out more? Scroll down for our list of five characteristics of ambitious people.

1.      They Avoid Negativity

Ambitious people seem to be always in motion. They take whatever stressors their day brings and harness it to create something good, like more ambition.

Yet, they’ve trained themselves to be good at staying in balance. They don’t allow their emotions to take over their thoughts and actions.

With each bump in the road, they breathe and look at things from a clearer perspective.

They avoid getting sucked into the vortex of negative self-take, self-doubt, and indecision—all of which are the enemies of ambition. These negative emotions keep you from seeing your true potential because you’re afraid you’ll mess up or not measure up.

However, your only true competitor is yourself. So, focus on your goals, then strive to be better than you were last week. That’s all anyone expects of you.

2.      They Invest in Personal Growth

Motivated people know the value of personal growth. They know that there’s a whole world of knowledge out there we still don’t know anything about.

So, they never settle. They’re always on the hunt for the next thing to help them improve in all areas of their life.

This doesn’t just have to be taking online classes and attending seminars. Many self-improvement techniques are free of charge.

One of the ways you can invest in yourself is by getting good, quality sleep every night. It’s also about eating right and working out several times a week.

The point is to make yourself a priority. Then, pretty quickly, others will take notice and see you as a priority as well.

3.      They Surround themselves with Like-Minded People

Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” In other words, if you want to be more ambitious, you need to be around people who are doing the same.

No, it doesn’t mean that you have to replace your friends. But it does mean you need to have people in your life with the right frame of mind to encourage you to be better and do better.

These are usually the ones who know what they want and aren’t afraid to go after it. If there’s a mentor you know or some kind of role model, then make an effort to spend more time with them.

Also, try to make friends with successful people in various fields, not just the ones you’re interested in. We’re creatures of habit, so whatever makes them successful will soon rub off on you.

4.      They Set Well-Defined Goals

It’s not just about the task of setting goals. Anyone can make a list of goals they want to achieve in the next week.

What ambitious people have become good at is breaking down their goals into smaller, more manageable tasks that they can actually achieve. Not only that, but they have a certain level of self-confidence that allows them to push through even when they don’t feel like it.

Say you’re thinking about starting a professional blog. Avoid the urge to jump right in and try to do everything at once. Instead, give yourself daily targets to hit.

Get a large calendar and pencil in one thing you want to get done for the next 30 days. These don’t have to be fancy or anything grand. They just have to motivate you enough to get you to the next day’s target, and so on, until you reach your big goal at the end of the month.

5.      They’re not Afraid to Take Risks

Everyone is always telling you how rewarding it can be to step outside your comfort zone. Yet, taking risks doesn’t have to be daunting or scary.

You don’t have to climb a mountain or go swimming with the sharks or anything like that—unless, of course, that’s where your ambition lies.

We’re simply suggesting that in order to be ambitious and motivated, you have to be willing to make mistakes. You have to be okay with taking work-related risks and seeing which ones will pan out and which ones will flop.

If they pay off, then great! Take it in, be proud of your accomplishments, then move on to the next big risk.

If it doesn’t pay off, then use it as a learning experience. Grow from it, understand what went wrong, then move on to something different.

It won’t be easy, but you’ll come out stronger, wiser, and more motivated to do more.

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