Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns You Have High AspirationsTypes of AspirationsHow to Develop AspirationsWhy Having Aspirations Is So ImportantTips for Reaching Your AspirationsPotential Pitfalls to Watch For

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Signs You Have High Aspirations

Types of Aspirations

How to Develop Aspirations

Why Having Aspirations Is So Important

Tips for Reaching Your Aspirations

Potential Pitfalls to Watch For

Close

Aspirations are dreams, hopes, or ambitions to achieve a life goal.They can be thought of as overarching life goals that can help provide a sense of purpose and direction. Examples might include being successful in your career, having a strong relationship, traveling the world, or being a good parent.

At a GlanceAspirations are the sort of long-term hopes and dreams that serve as a guiding point for many of your short-term goals. For example, you might aspire to travel the world or have a successful career, which would lead you to set more focused goals that help you make your dreams a reality. Everyone’s aspirations vary—some might be lofty, while others might be much simpler. Keep reading to learn more about the different types of aspirations, their impact on your life, and how to develop inspiring aspirations to help you live your life to the fullest.

At a Glance

Aspirations are the sort of long-term hopes and dreams that serve as a guiding point for many of your short-term goals. For example, you might aspire to travel the world or have a successful career, which would lead you to set more focused goals that help you make your dreams a reality. Everyone’s aspirations vary—some might be lofty, while others might be much simpler. Keep reading to learn more about the different types of aspirations, their impact on your life, and how to develop inspiring aspirations to help you live your life to the fullest.

Press Play for Advice On Reaching Your DreamsThis episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastfeaturing best-selling author Dave Hollis shares how to create your best life. Click below to listen now.

Press Play for Advice On Reaching Your Dreams

This episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastfeaturing best-selling author Dave Hollis shares how to create your best life. Click below to listen now.

The aspirations you have can vary in terms of what they are about and how high they are. Some people have simple aspirations that are focused on goals that are relatively easy to achieve. Other people have high aspirations that may focus on achieving things that many people often only dream about.

Some of the signs that you have high aspirations for life include:

Your level of aspiration may be connected to your sense of self-worth. Having high goals can be motivating and may indicate that you have a strong belief in your ability to achieve those ambitions.

Low goals can also lead to low achievement and may indicate a lack of self-belief.

There’s nothing wrong with having humbler aspirations, but it can be helpful to explore the reasons behind them. If you are setting your sights low because you have poorself-esteem,self-efficacy, or self-worth, it’s worth examining what you can do toboost your confidence.

Researchers suggest that there are two main types of aspirations:

Intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations often center on common themes. Below are some different types of aspirations you might have.

Extrinsic Aspirations

Extrinsic aspirations often focus on achieving things such as being seen asphysically attractive, becoming wealthy, or being popular.

Financial aspirations are common, but also often connected to negative outcomes. Research suggests people who base their self-worth on financial success are more prone tostress,anxiety, and decreased autonomy.

Intrinsic Aspirations

Intrinsic aspirations often center on things such as forming meaningful relationships with others (affiliation), contributing to your community and the world (generativity), having good physical and mental well-being (health), and developing as an individual (personal growth).

Examples of intrinsic aspirations include:

Career aspirations can often have bothextrinsicandintrinsicelements. “What are your career aspirations?” is a common question you might be asked during job interviews. These aspirations center on things such as gaining career-related skills, experiences, or achievements.

Sometimes these goals are focused on extrinsic factors such as image or wealth, but they can also be tied to personal growth,self-awareness, and community contributions.

One study found that aspirations centered on power and social adherence to groups were extrinsic aspirations, while those focused on the desire for mastery and self-expression were intrinsic aspirations.

‘Doing What You Love’: The Battle of Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation

Sometimes people have broad, general aspirations for their life. Others have a very specific vision for what they want. But it also isn’t uncommon for people to not really be sure what their aspirations are.

If you are trying to develop life aspirations that can serve as a source of inspiration, there are some things you can do to make sure this vision of your life will have a positive influence.

Some things you can do include:

Ask Yourself Questions

What are some of the things you hope to achieve or experience one day? What are some of the activities you pursue that you feel the most excited or passionate about?Thinking about your dreams or your passionscan give you a hint into the type of things you might aspire toward.

Give Yourself Time

It is important to remember that while aspirations can be motivating and inspiring, you don’t need to pressure yourself to figure it all out now. Instead, give yourself the opportunity to learn and grow. Try new things, gather information about yourself, and then think about how what you have learned might contribute to your aspirations.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Aspirations don’t need to be grand or lofty to be important. Other people might have very high aspirations, but that doesn’t mean that those goals are right for you or your life. Instead, you should focus on finding aspirations that will help you feel fulfilled and satisfied in your life.

Find Your Purpose

Figuring outwhat gives your life meaning and purposecan also help you develop aspirations. Spend some time thinking about what’s most important to you. Where do you feel best? What makes you feel the most fulfilled? Are there any causes or issues that you are passionate about? Exploring your interests and passions can offer insights into what your purpose in life may be.

Talk to a Professional

Sometimes a lack of aspirations might be connected to a mental health condition such as anxiety ordepression. If you struggle to feel motivated or have lost interest in things that you used to enjoy doing, it is important to talk to a doctor or mental health professional. Effective treatments, including medication andpsychotherapy, can help relieve such symptoms.

Self-Determination Theory in Psychology

Aspirations can reveal what is most important to you and show you where you should direct your time and energy to help achieve a fulfilling life. Researchers suggest that aspirations have a number of important benefits, including:

These long-term personal goals can help you make life choices and engage in certain behaviors that can put you on the path toward achieving those life aspirations.

A person who aspires to become a doctor, for example, will make educational choices throughout their life that will help them eventually achieve that goal—or at least improve their chances of findingsuccess.

Aspirations can also help give life purpose and meaning. They can give you something to hope for and aim towards. Even if these aspirations might sometimes more closely resembledaydreams, they offer a glimpse into the type of life you might hope for in the future.

Having a vision for the future can also help you feel more motivated and inspired. When you have an image of what you want in your mind, it can help you stay focused on the things that you need to do to ultimately make that dream happen.

Having aspirations can also help keep you on task and oriented toward your goals. Instead of spending time on wasteful actions that don’t help move you forward, working toward your goals, however slowly, will help keep your progress on track.

If you’re looking for a way to reach your aspirations, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Work on Building Self-Awareness

Develop a stronger understanding of the things that are intrinsically rewarding. When you work toward goals that meet your needs, it can help you avoid chasing after things that don’t ultimately serve your psychological well-being.

Stay Open to Change

Not all aspirations come to fruition. Sometimes, situations change, or you realize that the dream you once had isn’t something you want to pursue anymore. Being flexible andopento switching gears can help you keep working toward new goals.

Try Creating a Vision Board

Consider making avision boardto serve as a visual reminder of your aspirations. Such boards often include images, quotes, and other visuals and focus on a particular theme. It might be a more general vision board showing the future you hope to achieve, or it might be a more focused look at a specific goal that you are trying to meet.

Do What You Love

Research suggests that when people pursue goals that they are intrinsically self-motivated to pursue, they have an easier time persisting when things get difficult.

How to Boost Your Self-Awareness

It is important to recognize that aspirations aren’t always helpful. Some examples of when they may be unhelpful or even destructive include:

When a dream or goal doesn’t pan out, being able to pick yourself up and keep going with a positive attitude can help you either find new ways of reaching your goals or finding new ones to aspire to.

Takeaways

Aspirations can provide a sense of direction in life and motivate you to help make those dreams a reality. These aspirations can be intrinsic (such as having a relationship, making friends, or developing a skill) or extrinsic (such as making money or earning the esteem of peers). To find your own aspirations, consider the things that bring you the most joy and think about where you see yourself in the future. In doing so, your aspirations can help set you on a path toward reaching your goals.

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association. Aspiration. APA Dictionary of Psychology.Morris LS, Grehl MM, Rutter SB, Mehta M, Westwater ML.On what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsicv.extrinsic motivation.Psychol Med. 2022;52(10):1801-1816. doi:10.1017/S0033291722001611Park LE, Ward DE, Naragon-Gainey K.It’s all about the money (for some): Consequences of financially contingent self-worth.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2017;43(5):1-12. doi:10.1177/0146167216689080Martela F, Bradshaw EL, Ryan RM.Expanding the map of intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations using network analysis and multidimensional scaling: examining four new aspirations.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2174. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02174Hart CS.How do aspirations matter?Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. 2016;17(3):324-341. doi:10.1080/19452829.2016.1199540Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Duda JL, Stewart B, Smith A, Bond J.When the going gets tough: The “why” of goal striving matters.Journal of Personality. 2014;8:225-236. doi:10.1111/jopy.12047

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association. Aspiration. APA Dictionary of Psychology.Morris LS, Grehl MM, Rutter SB, Mehta M, Westwater ML.On what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsicv.extrinsic motivation.Psychol Med. 2022;52(10):1801-1816. doi:10.1017/S0033291722001611Park LE, Ward DE, Naragon-Gainey K.It’s all about the money (for some): Consequences of financially contingent self-worth.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2017;43(5):1-12. doi:10.1177/0146167216689080Martela F, Bradshaw EL, Ryan RM.Expanding the map of intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations using network analysis and multidimensional scaling: examining four new aspirations.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2174. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02174Hart CS.How do aspirations matter?Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. 2016;17(3):324-341. doi:10.1080/19452829.2016.1199540Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Duda JL, Stewart B, Smith A, Bond J.When the going gets tough: The “why” of goal striving matters.Journal of Personality. 2014;8:225-236. doi:10.1111/jopy.12047

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association. Aspiration. APA Dictionary of Psychology.Morris LS, Grehl MM, Rutter SB, Mehta M, Westwater ML.On what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsicv.extrinsic motivation.Psychol Med. 2022;52(10):1801-1816. doi:10.1017/S0033291722001611Park LE, Ward DE, Naragon-Gainey K.It’s all about the money (for some): Consequences of financially contingent self-worth.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2017;43(5):1-12. doi:10.1177/0146167216689080Martela F, Bradshaw EL, Ryan RM.Expanding the map of intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations using network analysis and multidimensional scaling: examining four new aspirations.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2174. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02174Hart CS.How do aspirations matter?Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. 2016;17(3):324-341. doi:10.1080/19452829.2016.1199540Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Duda JL, Stewart B, Smith A, Bond J.When the going gets tough: The “why” of goal striving matters.Journal of Personality. 2014;8:225-236. doi:10.1111/jopy.12047

American Psychological Association. Aspiration. APA Dictionary of Psychology.

Morris LS, Grehl MM, Rutter SB, Mehta M, Westwater ML.On what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsicv.extrinsic motivation.Psychol Med. 2022;52(10):1801-1816. doi:10.1017/S0033291722001611

Park LE, Ward DE, Naragon-Gainey K.It’s all about the money (for some): Consequences of financially contingent self-worth.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2017;43(5):1-12. doi:10.1177/0146167216689080

Martela F, Bradshaw EL, Ryan RM.Expanding the map of intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations using network analysis and multidimensional scaling: examining four new aspirations.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2174. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02174

Hart CS.How do aspirations matter?Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. 2016;17(3):324-341. doi:10.1080/19452829.2016.1199540

Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Duda JL, Stewart B, Smith A, Bond J.When the going gets tough: The “why” of goal striving matters.Journal of Personality. 2014;8:225-236. doi:10.1111/jopy.12047

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?