You Should Know: Aspiration vs. Ambition
This month here at 100 Coaches we’ve been thinking about a key lesson from The Earned Life, the latest book from Marshall Goldsmith, co-founder of 100 Coaches Agency and the most iconic executive coach of all time. In The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment, Marshall introduces the concept that a meaningful life isn't just about achieving goals. It's about becoming the person you want to be through your choices and actions.
In the book, Marshall argues that we "earn" our lives through daily decisions that align with our values and aspirations, and that “earning" is an active, ongoing process rather than a destination. Further, he distinguishes between different types of earning: earning our achievements through effort, earning our relationships through care and attention, and earning our sense of fulfillment through living authentically. He also emphasizes that external validation or past accomplishments don't automatically grant us a meaningful present.
This is where the concept of "aspiration" versus "ambition” comes in. As Marshall says, while ambition focuses on external rewards and recognition, aspiration is about internal fulfillment and becoming who we're meant to be. That’s why the most satisfying lives come from pursuing aspirations that reflect our deeper values rather than chasing ambitions that serve our ego. None of this is easy, which is why Marshall recommends a few practical tools to better live an earned life.
These include:
Regular Self-Reflection: Do what Marshall does and take time to ask yourself regular questions like, "Did I do my best to...?" This will help you measure progress through effort and intention rather than just results, since we can't always control external circumstances.
Avoid Turning Past Achievements into Psychological Traps: Don’t rely on the glories of your past for your current sense of identity or self-worth. Marshall calls this "past success syndrome", and he argues that it can prevent us from making change or taking necessary risks. The earned life requires continuously proving ourselves worthy of our circumstances through present actions.
Manage Your Regret: Not all regret is bad. Focus on regrets of commission (things done) rather than omission (things not done), since the former teaches us more about our values and boundaries and how we can be better going forward.
Ultimately, The Earned Life teaches us that life isn't about perfection. It is about consistently making choices that honor who we want to become, recognizing that each day offers new opportunities to earn our place in the world through authentic action and reflection.
Here’s to aspiration.
"We are living an earned life when the choices, risks, and effort we make in each moment align with an overarching purpose in our lives, regardless of the eventual outcome." - Marshall Goldsmith
Links
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...in executive coaching
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...at 100 Coaches
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We all need help. And it’s OK.
Until next time,
The 100 Coaches Team
P.S. Go here to download our latest guide, When Coaching Matters Most: 3 Things Every HR Leader Needs to Know to Ensure Executive Coaching Success.