Life's Transitions: Redefining What It Means to Be Ambitious

Life is a journey.

How many times have you heard that phrase? I find myself coming back to it whenever I hit an unexpected obstacle or when something doesn't unfold the way I'd planned. But lately, I've been wondering if we've been interpreting this age-old wisdom all wrong.

When I think about "life is a journey," it can feel relentless—like there are no breaks allowed, like you have to keep pushing forward through everything life throws your way while somehow juggling all the balls you've always been juggling. But here's what I'm learning: life isn't just a journey—it's a series of transitions. And maybe, just maybe, those transitions are meant to make us pause some of our ambitions.

The Decade Dance

Each decade brings its own seismic shifts. Add marriage, kids, career pivots, caring for aging parents, personal growth, health challenges—the list goes on and on. I've always thought of myself as an ambitious, driven woman. When I set my mind to something, I go after it with everything I have. It's something my parents instilled in me from an early age, and it's followed me into my adult years like a faithful companion.

But recently, I heard Michelle Obama share something on a podcast that stopped me in my tracks: "It's impossible to have it all." She wasn't being pessimistic—she was being real. What she meant is that it's impossible to put all your wants and dreams on pedestals and excel at them 100% simultaneously. Something has to give.

That hit me hard. And it also set me free.

Strategic Ambition: A New Way Forward

Ambition, for me, doesn't mean doing it all anymore. Maybe you could call me a "strategically ambitious woman" now. This is where vision work and goal planning become not just helpful, but essential. What I need and want to prioritize this month, this quarter, this year—it's going to look different from what my friends prioritize, what my colleagues prioritize, what those perfectly curated social media feeds suggest I should prioritize.

Being ambitious now means knowing when to let something go so I can be my best self at the things that matter most right now. Sometimes that means not going after that promotion because my family needs me present. Sometimes it means taking a backseat in my social life to pour energy into a side hustle that lights me up. Sometimes it means pausing my career entirely because I want to be fully available for my kids during a critical season.

Here's the truth that took me years to learn: just because you "take a break" or pause something important to you doesn't mean you can't pick it back up when it makes sense in your life again. Your dreams don't have expiration dates. Your ambitions don't disappear because you chose to tend to other priorities for a while.

Trusting Your Unique Path

We often let society dictate what our path should look like. There's this persistent whisper that if we don't take a specific opportunity—like that promotion—we'll be overlooked for future ones. There's pressure to keep climbing, keep achieving, keep producing at the same pace regardless of what else is happening in our lives.

This is where "life is a journey" finally makes sense to me. When we follow our intuition, listen to our gut, and prioritize what's most important in our lives right now, our journey unfolds the way it's supposed to. We just have to trust it.

It's not going to look like our friends' journeys. It's not going to mirror the highlight reels we see on social media. And that's exactly as it should be—because it's our journey, not theirs.

The Power of Three: Vision, Goals, and Reflection

Vision work, goal planning, and reflection exercises are what keep me feeling ambitious, focused, present, and actually enjoying the journey. I live by these three practices, and when I find myself feeling lost, comparing myself to others, or getting anxious about where I am in life, nine times out of ten, I've stopped using one of these exercises.

The moment I pick them back up, it's like a huge weight lifts off my shoulders. Suddenly, I'm back in the driver's seat of my journey instead of feeling like a passenger watching life happen to me.

Have a plan, but also know that plans shift—and that's not just okay, it's necessary. Life isn't linear, and neither should our approach to living it be.

You're Not Alone in the Transition

If you're someone who's currently experiencing a life transition and feeling like you need support, please know you're not alone. Transitions can be incredibly difficult to navigate, especially when you're trying to figure out what to prioritize, what to pause, and what to release entirely.

Sometimes having a guide—someone who's walked through their own transitions and can hold space for your journey—is exactly what you need to move through it with more grace and less anxiety.

Your journey is uniquely yours. Trust it. Honor the transitions. And remember: taking a pause doesn't make you less ambitious—it makes you wise.

What transition are you navigating right now? How are you honoring both your ambitions and your current season of life? I'd love to hear your thoughts.