Unhurried ambition

I read the phrase “unhurried ambition” in Alia Hanna Habib’s Take It From Me, and it stuck in my head. Right now I’m working a part-time job (that I really like!) while writing my book the other days. I wish each day were twice as long, and I wish I could be full-time on both at once. It’s a good problem to have, of course, but the risk is that I feel like I’m always behind. That time is moving too fast.

Unhurried ambition is the antidote. It’s how I can avoid tripping over myself while biting off more than I can chew. It’s a reminder give myself grace. It helps me sleep at night.

As a concept in my head, it neighbors long-term growth mindset, which I apply to things I’m not working on presently but want to invest in over the long run, like playing guitar. That pairs with the idea (Bill Gates, I think) that “most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years.” It’s also a cousin of “trading ambition for presence,” which comes in handy when you need to attend to more important, immediate things.