Ambition to opportunity ratio

You want something in your career. What is it? Advancement in specific skills? Bigger problems to solve or bigger teams to lead? Occasion to showcase your unique talents? The chance to work with specific people you look up to, and to learn from them?

No matter what your ambition, your ability to achieve it is built from two parts: your resolve, which is your capacity to do the things you must do; and your environment, or the presence of opportunity.

I call this the “ambition to opportunity ratio.”

Let’s talk about how to achieve your wildest dreams.

Craft an ambition

Some people already have a vision for themselves, in their careers and/or lives, but I think the majority of people have not truly crafted an ambition.

So, what does it mean to craft your ambition? First, it must be yours, which means you didn’t simply accept an ambition that someone else told you to have. Are you working to get promoted, or preparing to interview for a bigger role at a new company? Is that what you really want, or are you seeking a title bump because that’s what we’re told we’re supposed to do?

If you’re unsure, ask yourself: “What will be true for me when I achieve X?”

Second, is your vision aligned to your values? An ambitious vision for the future will only be achievable if it is along a path of your values in action. If achieving your ambitions requires sacrificing things that are very important to you, you might want to reevaluate the vision.

For instance, if your ambition is to achieve a high level of seniority in your role, which requires sacrificing some work/life balance, but balance between your personal and professional life is a value that you hold, you might be setting yourself up to fail, or to be miserable in your success.

Build an environment

In your career, your manager probably wields a great deal of power over which of your ambitions are achievable for you. If you are a manager, you wield this power over your direct reports, too.

Whether you are the manager or the direct report in this scenario, a conversation about ambitions and opportunities is important to have. If you are seeking skills advancement for example, how can your manager help to place you on projects where those skills would be valuable?

Sometimes, a conversation like this leads to a realization that you are in the wrong team, role, or company. That is a powerful conclusion to reach, and it will be easier to arrive at if you have the conversation periodically. I typically advise talking about bigger career goals at least once a quarter.

Coaching is also a powerful tool to discover what you really want and what it means for you to achieve it. My own coach has helped me clarify what I’m working toward, and helps me plot that path, week by week.

Dream big, move small

Take some time, by yourself, to consider whether the vision you hold for yourself is ambitious enough. Especially in the case of entrepreneurs and leaders, a vision is more compelling when it is audacious. Remember, you don’t need to achieve the whole vision all at once.

Maybe your ambition is to write a textbook that teaches people an obscure programming language. That could be a great goal for the year, and it’s definitely a difficult and rewarding task, but is it a great vision? What if your vision was to teach one million people the programming language?

Finally, no matter what your goals are, make consistent, small moves toward them.

My coach likes to ask “What’s the biggest smallest thing you could do?” Biggest meaning that it’s meaningful, purposeful; and smallest meaning it’s clear and achievable.

Do the biggest smallest thing every day.

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