Are ambition and perseverance the same thing?

There is a mixture of ingredients that are often key to experiencing success. Motivation, determination, willpower, ambition, and persistence. Some of these words get used interchangeably with one another, despite the fact that they are each different concepts or pieces of the puzzle of success.

Ambition is the desire you have to attain a goal of some kind. Without the desire to reach a goal, it’s not extremely likely that you’ll put in the effort to get to it. Ambition often gets a bad reputation as a factor that interrupts the ability to experience happiness or be grateful for what is already had. It can become a force that has you working toward an unhelpful destination, or keep you distracted from the moment when it’s out of balance. Ambition, when healthy and balanced with a strong goal can be a powerful force.

Perseverance is persistence in the face of adversity. On the path toward goals, it’s common to experience setbacks, delays, or challenges that change the plan you may have set to achieve your group. This requires adjustment and more work. The ability to continue toward a goal, adapting and allowing yourself to roll with the punches, is persistence. Persistence is what keeps you going when you might otherwise give up on something you’re working toward. Perseverance can be served by ambition. Ambition is the desire to achieve a goal, and without a strong drive to reach a goal, the ability to persist in the face of challenges may not be as strong.

It’s easy to see how these two terms might get confused for one another. Both are important for success in achieving a goal. When working to attain a goal, it’s important to consider the reason why you want to reach it, what makes you want the focus of the goal. You're ‘why’ for achieving it is the foundation of ambition. Ask yourself how you will persist if challenges come up, is your desire to achieve your goal strong enough to support you through the potential adversity you might encounter? Learning to identify what motivates you, what creates your ambition, and your ability to persist is a valuable part of the goal-setting process.