You say you want ambition, but you're not sure if you actually do. Or you're pushing hard for something ambitious and feeling empty about it. The gap between what you think you should want and what you actually want is creating a kind of friction that won't resolve itself.
Who This Is For
This page is for someone who has achieved something they set out to achieve, or is currently pushing toward it, and found themselves asking: is this actually what I wanted? Or someone who has heard themselves say "I'm ambitious" and realized they were saying it because it sounded right, not because it was true. You sense that ambition might be on your list for external reasons, and you want to know if it actually belongs to you.
This is also for people who are considering a significant career move or investment of time, and they want to be certain they're doing it because they genuinely value it, not because the narrative of ambition has carried them this far. You already understand that values matter. You're not here for the concept. You're here because the concept is not matching your experience.
This is not for someone who is clear about their ambition and living it. You do not need to question what you already know. This is also not useful if you're looking for motivation to want ambition more, or permission to ignore it. If you're hoping this page will convince you to be more ambitious, it won't. That's not how values work.
What You Will Discover
Once you look at ambition through the lens of Schwartz's framework of basic human values, you will see that ambition is not a single value. It is a combination of values that sit in specific relationships with each other. Schwartz's research, tested across 80+ countries, shows that values form a circumplex structure, meaning values that are adjacent in the circle are compatible, and values opposite to each other create tension. Ambition typically requires achievement, power, and sometimes self-direction. But if your highest values are security and benevolence, the pursuit of those achievement-driven goals will feel like you're working against yourself. You will stop guessing and start seeing the actual conflict.
You will also see which kind of ambition, if any, is aligned with what you actually care about. Someone ambitious in their field because they value expertise and mastery is living very differently than someone ambitious for status or wealth, even though both might call themselves "ambitious." Once you know which values are truly yours, ambition either makes sense or it doesn't. And if it doesn't, you will know what does.
Common Reasons People Wait
The first hesitation is usually: "If I'm not ambitious, am I settling?" This concern makes sense because ambition is culturally coded as a virtue, especially in work. But wanting security, meaningful relationships, or a life of steady contribution is not settling. It is clarity. Schwartz's research shows that people who live in alignment with their actual values report greater wellbeing and life satisfaction than people who pursue values that do not match them. If your values do not emphasize achievement or power, pursuing them anyway is the settling, not the alternative.
The second hesitation is: "What if I figure out I'm not ambitious, and then I feel stuck in my current role?" This is worth taking seriously. But not knowing whether you are ambitious is already creating stuckness. You are staying in place partly because you have not decided if you want to move. Once you know whether ambition is actually yours, you can make a real decision: push forward with genuine commitment, or choose a different goal that aligns with what matters to you. Both are active choices. Both are better than the static confusion you have now.
The third hesitation is: "Isn't ambition always good? Won't I be sorry later if I decide it's not for me?" Ambition is not always good. Schwartz's research shows values at the top of the circumplex (self-transcendence, openness to change) and values at the bottom (conservation, self-interest) are in fundamental tension with each other. Someone who pursues achievement and power at the expense of everything else often experiences disconnection, relatedness failures, and a late-stage reckoning. It is safer to know now whether the sacrifice is actually worth it to you, rather than find out at 45 that it isn't.
The My Values assessment surfaces your actual values, ranks them, and shows you where you are living them and where you are not. That gives you something concrete to build a decision on.
How do I know if ambition is one of my real values or just something I think I should want?
Real values feel like they are pulling you, even when they are difficult. If you are pushing yourself toward ambition but experience it as obligation or external pressure, it is likely not a core value of yours. Core values align with how you actually make decisions when no one is watching, and what you feel genuinely energized by over time. The My Values assessment reveals which values are actually driving your choices versus which ones you are performing.
Can someone be ambitious in some areas and not others?
Yes. Ambition is context-specific and value-specific. Someone might be driven to excellence in their craft but have no interest in climbing a organizational ladder, or vice versa. Someone might pursue mastery in parenting while being content with stability in their career. Schwartz's framework clarifies that what matters is not ambition as a general trait, but which specific values (achievement, power, self-direction, mastery) are actually yours and where you want them to direct your effort.
If I discover I'm not ambitious, what do I do about my career?
You make deliberate choices instead of defaulting to the narrative of climbing. If security and belonging matter more to you than achievement, you might design a career that offers stability, strong relationships with colleagues, and clear boundaries. If you value autonomy and learning, you might prioritize roles that give you control and growth opportunities without requiring you to compete for status. Your values become the map instead of external expectations.
Doesn't finding out you're not ambitious mean you'll never achieve anything significant?
No. Achievement requires drive and skill, not necessarily ambition as a core value. Many significant contributions come from people who are pursuing mastery, service, or integrity rather than status or power. The difference is the direction of the effort. When you are clear about what you are actually working toward, you often accomplish more because you are not also fighting internal resistance.