Ambition: Why It's Good to Want More and How to Get It

Be bold. Be brave. Embrace your ambition.

Ever have that nagging feeling that you are better than the sum of your current achievements? Do you have a secret desire to be achieving much more, to change the world or to reach the top of your game?

Then it is time to use your ambition to your advantage. It has been proven that ambitious people achieve greater levels of success, whether that be a higher level of education, a more prestigious job, a higher income or more satisfaction in life. Grounded in scientific research and with contributions from people at the height of their success in business, music, the arts and sport, Ambition will help you to harness your aspirations to achieve your lifetime goals. It will give you practical insights into how to use your talents and learn from others who have done it before, so that you can get to where you want to be.

If you want to get that promotion, achieve that big life-changing goal, start your own successful business, receive that distinctive acclaim, or make a positive difference to the world, then the good news is that you already have the fuel of ambition in you. This book will show you how to use it to drive your success.

• Reveals how you can do more than you think with what you've already got
• Helps discover your true motivation using a psychology model and shows you how to use that as the fuel for greater success
• Contains insights from successful people in all fields including John Torode, Myleene Klass, Will Greenwood, Katie Hopkins and Gavin Patterson
• Shows that the world is an exciting place and you can do anything if you use your ambition to help you

Introduction 1

1 Be Clear About What You Are Trying to Achieve 5

2 Make Room in Your Life for Your Ambition 15

3 Make a Plan 25

4 Supercharge Your Motivation 35

5 Use the Skills You Already Have 49

6 Get the Other Stuff You Need 59

7 Use Your Time Better 71

8 Focus Your Energy Better 81

9 Do Your Research 95

10 Get Out There and Make It Happen 107

11 Create a Support Team 121

12 Eight Ways to Improve Your Chances of Success 135

Conclusion 145

About the Author 151

Acknowledgements 153

Index 155

"If you are looking for a foundation book to get you started with business literature, Ambition: Why it's Good to Want More and How to Get It, will fulfil that need in style." (Quality World, August 2016)

"I like this book. In the best traditions of TEDsters like Amy Cuddy it basically proves that just HAVING ambition is a good thing." (The Marketing Society, April 2016)

Rachel Bridge is a best-selling author, journalist and public speaker specialising in personal development, smart thinking and entrepreneurship. The former Enterprise Editor of The Sunday Times, Rachel now writes for The Times and The Telegraph. She took a one-woman show to the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival, and will be taking another show there in 2016 which will be based on her book Ambition. She also holds an MA degree in Economics from Cambridge University.

BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. EMBRACE YOUR AMBITION.

Ever have that nagging feeling that you are better than the sum of your current achievements? Do you wish to achieve much more, to change the world or to reach the top of your game?

GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

It has been proven that ambitious people achieve greater levels of success. Grounded in scientific research and with inspiring insights from those at the top of their fields, Ambition will help you:

• Understand that you can do more than you think with what you've already got
• Discover your true motivation and learn how to use it as the fuel for greater success
• Pick up practical tips and techniques on how to use your talents
• Learn from others at the height of their success in business, music, the arts and sport, including John Torode, Myleene Klass, Will Greenwood, Katie Hopkins and Gavin Patterson

If you want to get that promotion, achieve that big life-changing goal, start your own successful business, receive that distinctive acclaim, or make a positive difference to the world, then you already have the fuel of ambition in you. It's time to use it to drive your success.

"Without ambition we have no direction; but with it, we can achieve anything. Embrace your ambition, read this book and be the success you want to be in the world"
—Emma Jones, MBE, founder of Enterprise Nation