Growing up, we are encouraged to dream big. We are promised that there is no shortage of opportunities available to us. But as adulthood approaches, the stakes for bringing our dreams to fruition become more apparent. More demanding. More real. Instead of endless possibilities, we learn that we are faced with endless decisions to be made. Like, “What steps do I take to get where I want to go?” Or, “How can I optimally spend my time and energy?”
We are warned against falling into patterns that reflect lazy ambition. However, in the midst of the decision-making, it can be easier said than done to not give in to burnout, our desire to be instantly gratified, or relying on inconsistent bursts of energy to be our driving force of motivation.
Thinking about how best to turn ambition into activity, what better group of people to consider than college students, who daily experience fluctuations in their confidence and drive while getting accustomed to quickly evolving and high-pressure environments? With this in mind, I decided to interview my friend River, who demonstrates as much commitment to achieving her goals as she does ambition. Though she too struggles at times with finding the right balance between work and rest, her natural enjoyment of being a busybody leads me to trust no one more to speak on the subject.
A double-major student at NYU and one who is also interested in declaring a double minor, River is involved with eighteen different social and scholastic organizations at the university. Hoping to pursue a career in politics, she spends the majority of her time participating in courses and extracurriculars dedicated to studying and engaging with social and political issues. Outside of her academic and organizational commitments, River shared that “[she] loves engaging with local politics, spending time with [her] friends, learning new arts & crafts, and exploring as much of New York City as [she] can.”
As with many undergraduate students, it may appear that she is at risk of spreading herself too thin. Maybe it even appears that, in the name of productivity and impressiveness, she has adopted the young and naive notion that she “can do it all.” However, River’s seeming tendency to overcommit actually strongly aligns with her personality and interests. She describes herself “as a very ambitious person overall” and is no stranger to times when she feels that she’s not doing enough to keep her occupied. When asked how she balances all of her time investments, she laughed and shared, “This is an ongoing area of improvement for me. The best metric I have right now is to check that low-priority commitments aren’t interfering with my ability to complete things that matter to me and that other people rely on me for.”
However, she does try to remember to break from her spells of productiveness from time to time. When it comes to deciding where to invest her effort, “[she’s] learned to listen to [her] energy levels when applying [herself] where [she’s] not necessarily needed.” Always prioritizing events and organizations where her commitment affects the responsibilities and enjoyment of other members, for non-mandatory occasions, she took up this mentality: “I won’t be missing out and I won’t be letting others down by not going.”
As for dealing with overwhelm, when catching up with other people isn’t the form of self-care she is needing, she finds that “the best thing [she] can do to reset is to intentionally set aside time to be by [herself].” However, River also heavily relies on her family and friends for support. Her social circle simultaneously offers “a safe space to step back from intensity,” inspiration “to continue working towards [her] goals,” and a litmus test for determining when it’s time “to reassess [her] priorities.”
Her advice to other students includes a reminder that they are not alone when it is difficult to commit time and energy to achieving their goals. For River, ambition and commitment ought to “work symbiotically.” So as she suggests, when your dreams are not enough to motivate, “give yourself grace to take a step back,” note that “burnout is often a sign that you need to reprioritize given the energy you have,” and “make friends that will always push you to keep going”—because aligning your activity with your energy will produce more fulfilling work and “it’s hard not to feel motivated when you have equally awesome friends who are achieving alongside you.”
By Lauren Gascon
Lauren Gascon studies Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU and enjoys discussing people’s relationships with each other and themselves. When she’s not on campus, you can find her café hopping, browsing bookstores, or enjoying lunch in one of New York City’s many beautiful parks.
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