It's okay to not be very ambitious - to not go as far as you can in your career. The purpose of life isn't to reach the top of the corporate ladder or to make as much money as possible. Nor is it to start a business that becomes a household name.
Now if these are your goals, and you are willing to put in what it takes, that's great - best wishes to you.
But I suspect that many of you reading this do not fall into that camp. You don't hold that level of ambition. In fact, you may feel burdened by the constant messages - from those around you and from the culture at large - about grinding, hustling, working 24/7, and building the next big thing.
You may feel anxious that you're falling behind your peers. You may feel guilty or conflicted that you don't share their ambition, perhaps their work ethic. You may be shamed for "wasting your potential" or for not "wanting more for your life" - as if your critics know what's best for you.
Even much of the encouraging rhetoric on how "everyone's timing is different" presumes some future breakthrough. The premise is that you want some great reward, and if you work hard enough and persist long enough, then you will achieve it sooner or later.
But many people aren't seeking greatness. There is no breakthrough moment to be had. They just want a decently fulfilling, stable job that pays the bills and puts food on the table. Career, money, and status aren't their top priorities - either because of their values and personality or their current life stage. After all, how we view success changes over time.
If this message resonates with you, I'll leave you with a word of affirmation:
As I said, it's okay not to be ambitious. It's okay to be content working an 8-to-5 job making a moderate income. To not work overtime, weekends, and holidays. To come home to your family at a predictable hour - and not burn the midnight oil working on your side hustle. To not have a side hustle or 5 income streams. To put your family first when making career decisions. It's okay to want what some may call an "average" life.
When you live an examined life - when you know what you value and desire, whether highly ambitious or not - you can be more mindful, more intentional, more fulfilled. And to me, that can hardly be considered average.