I recently spent time relaxing, enjoying incredible food, and meditation in a purpose-built oasis set in the rain forest in the Byron Bay hinterland. I was entirely disconnected from devices and able to be fully present with some truly fantastic individuals. Inspiring and holding the space for others to reclaim their life and intentionally align their career and everyday decisions to their unique set of values, makes it particularly important to take space myself.

I was until my early thirties, what I would term ‘externally ambitious’. I was deemed a ‘high performer’ on the work front and was ticking off life’s ‘boxes’. From the outside I appeared ‘successful’. Each day however, I would wake wondering when enough would feel like enough. I dreamed of quitting my job and felt huge amounts of incongruency between my job, my personal values, and the feeling of a bigger purpose bubbling away. I was too afraid however to make a change and instead I sold my soul as I continued to put pressure on myself to remain ‘successful’.

In 2014 I made the unusual but liberating decision to resign from my permanent role to take a contract role. I was told by my manager at the time that I was making a mistake. And it was a risk, the best decisions often are. A year earlier, I had consciously slowed down my life and in doing so, was able to tune in more easily with what I wanted from life, what I truly valued, and started living life with more intention. As a result, I was able to confidently make the decision based on feeling. And it turned out to be a great one.

That was the beginning of swapping ‘external ambition’, for what I term ‘internal ambition’; growth from the inside out. I define internal ambition as aligning life and career as closely as possible to what you ultimately know to be true for yourself; your values, your feelings as valid markers for directing your life, and pushing aside fear to walk your own path with the confidence to do things differently to others.

My interactions and decisions became less rushed and more intentional, and ‘career ‘success’ felt and became far more effortless with internal ambition as my guide. ‘Internal ambition’ is what leads to true fulfilment.

Ultimately, success is living a life that feels congruent to who you are, what you enjoy, and your values; whatever they may be. Internal ambition requires work and intention but the rewards can be immense.

When you live a life that feels aligned, things often fall into place and life flows effortlessly.

Rainforest photo credit from the trip: Anna Bish