50MINUTES - Turn Your Dreams into Reality: The power of ambition for professional success

• Issue: how can I turn my dreams into reality in order to thrive professionally and take control of my own destiny?
• Uses: ambition is a driving force which pushes us to want the best for our future. We just need to know where to start and put a plan of action in place to turn our dreams into reality!
• Professional context: career management, management, career change, starting a business, etc.
• FAQs:
  • Does success only depend on the individual?
  • How can I surround myself with the right people to increase my chances of success?
  • Do you need to trust your instincts in order to succeed?
  • Is it possible to be ambitious while respecting the values of altruism, empathy and generosity?
  • Does an ambitious person necessarily need to be sure of themselves and free of inhibitions? What knowledge is necessary for success?
  • How can I bounce back and succeed after a series of failures in my private or professional life?
  • How can women develop their ambition? Isnt ambition primarily a male domain?
  • Is it necessary to have a lot of money in order to succeed?
  • Can success arrive suddenly, when the person is not expecting it?
  • Is there an age limit for professional success?

    Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. (Albert Schweitzer, humanist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1875-1965)

Nowadays, social and professional success are paramount. They are a way of showing who you are to yourself and other people.

In order to make your dreams come true, you can take inspiration from people who have already reached their goals. The media and social networks are brimming with exciting stories from daring people who seem to have it all. For example, there is Olivier who had no qualifications but was able to launch a tech startup which is constantly growing. There are also inspiring stories about career changes: Ccile used to work in advertising and now manages her own restaurant (Les Nouveaux Audacieux, 2015). And of course, we also witness admirable rises within companies, such as a colleague who has climbed the ladder at the company and is now in a senior position.

How did these people go about achieving their goals? What is their secret? Is it luck or destiny? It must quickly be recognised that this is not the case: although luck can be useful, it has little bearing on long-term success. How, then, can you have one of these perfect careers? How can you realise your dreams? How can you bring your ambitions to life and take control of your destiny?

There is an undeniable link between ambition and success. As a general rule, ambition is to do with attitude and is the essential ingredient that leads to success. Nonetheless, success is also a matter of courage and opportunities, or rather the creation of opportunities. It never happens by chance. Although first of all you have to dream it this is where ambition comes in you also have to plan it, develop it and build it. To do this, there are a number of techniques which let you clarify the goals you have set and move towards them step by step.

Furthermore, although you need to put a plan of action in place, you also need to follow your intuition: that little inner voice is often insightful. It talks to us about our deepest aspirations in life and the things that excite our emotions, and refers to our values. Indeed, there is no point setting a fantastic goal for ourselves if it does not match up with who we really are.

If you want to give life to a project, finally realise your dream and accomplish your deepest aspirations, this guide is for you. Thanks to a few useful keys for drawing on your resources, it will help you to see more clearly and formulate strategies to achieve your goals.