How ambition changes as we get older
and reflections on how the season of motherhood changes entrepreneurship.
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I have been thinking a lot about the energy of ambition this week, and how that changes when we get older. Most likely as I am watching and supporting Noah (19) and Luca (17) as they grow their businesses from the ground up with their entrepreneurial mindset ands much drive for their futures.
I think about myself at their age. We were in very different circumstances. I was in full time education and had started my politics degree by Noah’s age having moved to the UK from France, where my family were living then. I’m not sure I felt particularly ambitious then, I think I was too focused on having a good time than building an empire. But what I see in my boys is really fascinating and I wonder how much of this is due to being totally guided by own inner compass and not the educational system.
When I work with younger coaches at the start of their careers I often see their ambition burning brightly and unrelenting. I marvel at their energy which becomes a driving force propelling them to chase their dreams, striving for success, and making their mark on the health coaching world. Indeed I’m sure I leaned into this energy myself when I first started working in London 25 odd (gulp) years ago, and then also when I began my health coaching career in early 2020. In youth, the energy of ambition at this stage of life is fuelled by a sense of urgency and a desire to prove oneself. We often feel as though time is running out, leading us to pursue our goals with a frenetic pace, sometimes at the expense of our wellbeing. I have witnessed on the other side of this, the burnout that comes from so much drive and too little self-care within this ambition. I also see with ambition, a quest for achievement, recognition, and personal validation. It’s a powerful force that can propel us forward for sure, but it can also become exhausting and overwhelming when not tempered with balance.