Are ambition and drive the same?

Do I have ambition? Do I have enough drive to be successful after college? These are questions that we have asked ourselves at one time or another. Some of us fear that we don't have enough ambition or drive. However, many of us don't understand the difference between ambition and drive. How can we know if we possess a trait if we don't know what it means? Ambition and drive are often used interchangeably. They are close in definition but have a distinctive difference. 

DRIVE

The drive is the inspiration and motivation to do or accomplish something. A desire of our heart usually sparks it.

AMBITION

Ambition requires drive. Ambition is the active thought and physical action of the drive that gives us our desired results.

COMBINATION FOR SUCCESS

To reach our goals and be considered successful, we have to possess both ambition and drive. Knowing our dreams, goals, and desires is only the first step to becoming a success. We also need a plan (active thought) and the ability to enact our plan (physical action). When we look around at all the people we deem as successful; we realize this is the recipe they followed. 

AMBITION AND DRIVE EXAMPLE

Young Lisa has watched firefighter tv shows for years. When she grows up, she wants to be a firefighter. She loves to help people, and it is her heart's desire or drive to save lives. Lisa knows she wants to volunteer at a firehouse when she is in high school. She intends to apply to the Fire & Public Safety Academy after she graduates. Lisa also wants to climb the ladder to become a Lieutenant or Captain but remain active in the field throughout her career (her plan). While she was in middle school, Lisa started volunteering at various charities to gain volunteer experience. As soon as she was a freshman in high school, she applied to be a volunteer at four different fires. She was offered the job at all four stations, but she chose the one closest to her house to ensure she always had a way to the station. After graduation, she applied and was accepted to the Academy. Once she completed her training, Lisa was assigned to a firehouse and worked hard over the years until she retired as a Captain (her ability for action). 

According to Jayne Lewis, we often think that a driven person naturally has more success, but it is not a magic lamp. It is cause-and-effect. Driven people are generally more successful because of their ambition.