The greatest power someone can have over their ambitions is to be completely committed to the process of realizing them but totally detached from the need for them to come true.

Ambition is a fleeting, fiery force that courses through our veins, igniting our desires like a wildfire in a forest. However, this fiery ambition often stokes an equally potent fear of failure. Ambition is intrinsically linked to the longing for more, for personal growth and transformation. Yet, achieving such growth demands change, and change is unsettling to the human mind. It reacts to the prospect of improvement with a wide array of fears: fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment, pain, wastage, solitude, and more.

Regrettably, fear tends to paralyze us more profoundly than the desire to improve can motivate us. And so most individuals never take action on their dreams. They silently endure their struggles instead of expressing the truth of their emotions.

At the end of our lives, many of us end up on our deathbeds, burdened by regrets over opportunities missed and roads left untraveled.

In many ways, our brains are justified in their caution. Launching a business opens the door to the very real possibility of bankruptcy, wasted time, and expended effort. Expressing one’s feelings for another person often results in rejection, embarrassment and heartache. And anyone who has experienced our education system knows that being a student entails countless hours of discomfort and stress, which can just as easily lead to failure as it does success.

So, how do we confront this pervasive fear that inherently accompanies our pursuit of greater heights? How do we challenge our innate inclination toward comfort and security?

You let go of the need for things to turn out exactly the way you want them to. We have zero control over the future. We certainly have the power to influence the future, but controlling it is something our makers forget to include in the latest update to Being a Human 101.

Most of our present actions stem from our desire to shape future outcomes. We toil today to amass wealth tomorrow, exercise for a fitter physique down the line, or study diligently to secure a promising career.

However, this mindset shackles us to those future outcomes. After all, they are the very reasons for our current endeavors. The problem arises when life inevitably deviates from our meticulously laid plans. We encounter people we never anticipated, stumble upon unforeseen opportunities, and endure heartaches that catch us off guard. The only thing about life that’s predictable is its unpredictability.

When things invariably deviate from the script, our motivation often wanes. The ambition that once burned brightly begins to flicker, leaving us adrift without purpose.

A better approach is to embrace the present moment. Work diligently not to secure a better job later, but because you take pride in your work and find joy in doing it well. Exercise not solely for future aesthetic gains, but because you relish pushing your limits and prioritizing your present well-being. Study hard not to chase future accolades, but because you savor the process of learning and appreciate that mental growth is as essential as physical fitness.

In essence, you need to find a way to fall in love with the process. The beauty of this approach lies in the fact that when you wholeheartedly focus on the process, favorable outcomes naturally follow. When the journey matters more than the destination, deviations from the plan bother you less. This mindset sustains your commitment to your path during even the most trying of times. And that commitment is what ultimately leads to success.

Suddenly, the lack of visible progress after weeks of dedicated workouts matters little because you exercise for the sheer pleasure it brings, not just for the physical rewards. Failing an exam despite your best efforts hurts way less when you are studying for the love of learning, and not solely for good grades. And working tirelessly without immediate recognition or a raise no longer feels disheartening, because you labor not for external validation but because hard work and dedication defines your character whether someone is watching or not.

With this commitment to the process rather than outcomes, there is nothing beyond your reach. Those with enviable physiques earned them by embracing the pain inherent on the journey of fitness. Top-performing students developed their intellectual prowess through a love of learning that went beyond just recognition. And high-earning individuals got that way because they found satisfaction in their work that went beyond just money

Commitment to the process keeps the flame of ambition alive, even through the most disheartening times, enabling us to attain far more than we initially imagined. Take a moment to reflect on your life—what outcomes do you cling to excessively? What must align perfectly for you to find happiness? Recognize that this compulsion for life to adhere precisely to your wishes is not ambition, but rather a futile attempt at control. Instead, identify the processes leading to your desired outcomes and dedicate yourself to mastering them—embrace the habits, actions, and mindsets that pave the way to your ultimate success. Time to get to work.