How to Be Ambitious Without Stressing Out All the Time

Oh, can you chug that, by the way?

I can’t. If – yeah? Okay. I’m sorry I said no. Yes and no.

Hey, what’s up there? It’s Marie Forleo, and you are watching MarieTV, the place to be to create a business and life you love so damn much. And today’s question is about feeling anxiety about your future, especially if you’re a freelancer or an entrepreneur. Today’s Q comes from Ashley who writes:

“Hey, Marie. I have serious ambitions, and I’m afraid that if I slow down to smell the roses and accept where I’m at in life that I’ll become complacent and lose any bit of momentum that I may have right now. I’m constantly worried about the future because I’m a freelancer and there are no guarantees. How do I calm down and stop this thought process? Thank you so much, Ashley.”

Ashley, my darling, this is a fantastic question. First, after you finish this video you have got to watch this one we did called 3 Steps to be Super Driven and Still Have Inner Peace. That’s gonna give you some of the tactical steps to help with some of that anxiety. But don’t watch that one yet, because there’s a few more things that you, my dear, need to hear.

Number one is this. I think you should double down on your ambition. I love that you have serious ambitions. And you’re right, if you accept where you’re at in life you will lose momentum. That’s just the truth. Personally, I don’t think that anyone should ever accept where they’re at in life. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or if you’ve already hit some really big goals. Because when you lose your hunger, you lose your edge, and it is as simple as that.

Now, here’s the deal. If we humans don’t have something meaningful and challenging to work on, we all tend to get lost pretty darn fast. And I’ll tell you something else, we can go to some pretty dark places – at least I know that’s true for me.

So there is some nuance to this, and it’s really important that you get it. So you can be ten thousand percent grateful for what you have right now. You can smell the roses, so to speak, and you can be super hungry and psyched about what’s coming up next. Those two things are not mutually exclusive, and it’s really important that you get that fact in your noggin.

Number two, so the second thing that you mentioned was about being a freelancer. Right? And having no guarantees. Well, guess what, my friend? There are no guarantees for any of us. I mean, think about this for a second. People get laid off from jobs every single day. Right? Businesses: they get crushed. Every industry from music to entertainment to healthcare to science. I mean, all of them are being constantly disrupted and remade from the bottom up thanks to technology and other forces too. And that’s only gonna accelerate as time goes on.

Now, I think you know this, but it’s really important to say: guarantees do not exist. And the safest bet that you can make is on yourself and your creative output. I mean, you’re already an award-winning filmmaker. I took a look at some of your work and, I’ve gotta say, you are really good. But let me tell you, you have got to keep going, because the more time you spend creating – right? – the less time you have to feel worried or anxious about the future.

And number three, the final thing I want to talk to you about today – and this is so important – this is about money. Look, my friend. You signed up for a career in the arts. That means that you opted in for a life, at least for a little while in the beginning, of inconsistent income. So that means you have got to be so smart about money, Ashley. I want you to do this. I want you to start taking pride in living on the cheap. Always, and I mean always, spend less than you make, especially when you start making some good money.

Don’t worry about keeping up with the Joneses, buying all the fancy things, or any of that BS. It is not worth it. And I mean this from my heart. This is so important, especially as a woman, Ashley. You need to pay attention to your money and commit to yourself that you are gonna learn about how to earn it, how to save it, and how to grow it.

And don’t worry, on this topic we have so got you covered. I mean, check this out. We’ve done so many amazing episodes about money. I’m gonna put all the links right below in the blog, but here’s the thing. I’ve personally found the best way to stop worrying about money is to take action and take control of it.

That was my A to your Q, Ashley. I really do hope it helps. And now I want to hear from you. So from the three things that we talked about today. Right? Talked about doubling down on your ambition, we talked about really embracing the fact that there are no guarantees for any of us, and, of course, we talked about being smarter and more proactive about your money. Which one is most important for you to focus on right now? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.

Now, as always, the best conversations happen after the episode over at the fantastic land of MarieForleo.com, so head on over there and leave a comment now. And while you’re there, be sure to hop on our email list and become an MF Insider. You’re gonna get instant access to an audio I created called How To Get Anything You Want. It is so damn good. You’re also gonna get some exclusive content, some giveaways, and some updates that I don’t talk about anywhere else.

Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams, because the world needs that very special gift that only you have. Thank you so much for watching, and I’ll catch you on the next episode of MarieTV.

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