Happy FRI-YAY. We are going to round off this week with an inspirational post for my ambitious ladies (and you don’t even have to be blonde to relate). I have been told a lot in my life by various people that I’m too “ambitious” or I should really “tone it down” a little. I get excited easily when I talk about my passions, I take on a LOT of projects, and I work really hard. It shouldn’t be a bad thing. So if those things sound like you, this letter is for you.
SHOP MY OUTFIT:
An Open Letter To The Ambitious Woman
Dear Ambitious Woman,
If Sharpay’s “I Want It All” song from High School Musical 3 is the song you relate the most to, this is probably you (it’s definitely me).
You have decide that you aren’t going to wait for the world to give you what you want, you are going to work your tail end off until you get it for yourself. You probably don’t have a lot of connections, because you are used to working for something instead of it being handed to you.
You always have your eye on the target, and you aren’t afraid to push ahead to the front of the back. You’re smart, funny, sociable. You are GREAT at meeting new people and charming your way into the hearts of important individuals.
Remember: It’s okay to have big dreams. If you shoot for the moon, it’s okay to want to land on the freaking moon. Forget the stars.
[ctt template=”2″ link=”30RdM” via=”no” nofollow=”yes”]If you shoot for the moon, it\’s okay to want to land on the freaking moon. Forget the stars. [/ctt]
But, my dear ambitious woman, being overly ambitious can get you into some trouble if you aren’t careful. Don’t feel like you have to say YES to everything. I know you think you can do it all (and you can probably do a LOT) but nobody can do it all. Your mental health and relationships will suffer if you aren’t careful. Quality will ALWAYS beat quantity. Pick a few awesome projects and work your heart out on those. Yes, it’s true, some opportunities only come once. But stop blindly grabbing everything that floats by you. Be purposeful in your decisions.
If you are like me, you are ambitious AND an overachiever. I loved being top of my classes, I like being first at competitions and I like winning board games. “Second place” is like my personal favorite swear word. But, because this is my personality, I’ve had a LOT of humbling experiences. You can’t win everything. You will never be THE BEST at everything. Trying to achieve that will turn you into a jack of all trades, but a master of none, to be cliche. Focus your talents. Hone your skills. The bigger your dreams, the harder you will hurt if you fail. My father in law used to tell my husband, “plan for the worst, hope for the best”. I’ve adopted that into my life, too.
You probably have a LOT of discipline. That’s good. You know how to make goals, follow steps and see situations out to their completion. It’s a wonderful skill to have. But make sure your goals include mental, emotional and physical health. I would work myself into the ground. Late nights, no sleep, little food, etc. when I work on a project if I’m not careful. Respect the hustle, but schedule out time in your day to make sure you eat right, exercise and spend time with your loved ones.
When you are an ambitious woman, prepare yourself for judgement. It’s coming, I promise. If you work while having kids, JUDGED. If you stay home and forget your career, JUDGED. If you dive headfirst into your dreams and don’t get married right away (or ever), JUDGED. If you get married young, JUDGED. I mean jeez. It doesn’t matter what you do, you’ll be judged for it. Decide now that you are going to forget the haters and live your life. I have been judge many times over for decisions I have made. It’s okay. I let them roll off my back. If I’m happy, and my husband’s happy, then that’s all that matters to me. In the end, you have to live with the decisions you make, nobody else. SO who cares about their opinion?
Just remember, if you REALLY want something, you’ll never settle for mediocrity. Nothing less than perfection will work for you.
[ctt template=”2″ link=”1r861″ via=”no” nofollow=”yes”]if you REALLY want something, you\’ll never settle for mediocrity. Nothing less than perfection will work for you. [/ctt]
So blow everyone’s mind, ambitious girl. I’m rooting for you.
– T
PIN THIS FOR LATER:
I hope this gave you the pick-me-up you needed this afternoon. I feel totally refresh after reminding myself what a blessing it is to have this type of personality. You have the drive and motivation you need to work hard for yourself. To provide for yourself and your family. To make ALL your dreams come true.
Let me know in the comments below if this resonated with you. I want to hear your stories!!
Yup, THIS IS ME. I love the tweetable – forget the freakin’ stars, it’s ok to want to land on the moon! YES.
Coming Up Roses
This was a wonderful and empowering post. Awesome, definitely saving it to reference again later.
Yes! It’s so super to not say yes to everything and stretch yourself too thin. I can relate to wanting to do everything and do it perfectly.
Aww I love this! I really really hate it when people say we’re too ambitious. Like, ok what’s wrong with that? And besides, why doesn’t anyone ever tell that to men? Riddle me that! Haha
This is so great. I feel like I’m hustling all the time. It’s nice to know there are others out there who aren’t satisfied with the status quo.
This is so what I needed today! The perfect post to go into the weekend on!
So much wisdom here! Thanks for the encouragement! Keep being ambitious!
I love this post!! There’s so much wisdom in it and so many good points! I think we all need these reminders as we reach for our goals. Also, I LOVE that outfit!
Taylor this was so good, so wise! I think you hit the nail on the head that with ambition comes overachieving. That is so true for me! Thank you for this pick-me-up. It’s exactly what I needed after an admittedly ambitious week.
Thanks so much for this, Taylor! I can totally relate. I have big dreams, goals, and aspirations. I too have had some humbling experiences and am continuously learning how much work all this is going to take. It’ll be worth it though!
Such an inspiring post! You are rocking those overalls!
I felt like you were speaking directly to me! This is an awesome post, Taylor!
I love reading open letters! This one in particular is so inspiring and I can definitely relate to lots of your points. Gotta bookmark this for when I’m feeling caught up with everything – great reminders throughout 🙂
This is awesome, Taylor! Feel like you are speaking directly to me!
As a fellow girl power advocate, I totally love this post!
You are my absolute inspiration! So, many refreshing words to take in!
xo Debbie | http://www.tothineownstylebetrue.com
I literally love this so much! “Be purposeful in your decisions.” – probably the best advice for anyone who’s ambitious. There’s a big difference between having a direction for your hard work and grasping at everything that comes you way!
I’ve never been handed anything in my life, I’ve worked hard to get where I am..sometimes its two steps forward and three back, but I always manage to get there. Great inspiring letter!
This is totally me as well. I’m always trying to do all the things and it becomes too much sometimes. Loved this, Taylor! Such a great post.
I love this! Women especially need to learn to say No more when they can’t or don’t have time. We can’t do it all – but we can do a lot, so it’s all good.
LOVE this post and PREACH to all the things you’ve dished out in this blog post. Ambition is a powerful trait and it’s a wonderful thing to be proud of : )Loved reading this!