More recently, a counter-trend has developed among young people who have been forced to rethink their goals and reimagine what success looks like. This ominous change is referred to as the “age of anti-ambition.” People are more willing than ever to focus on personal fulfillment and mental health over more traditional markers of career success. Maeve, a 19-year-old student at the University of Bristol, is one of thousands who’ve recently undergone this radical change.
Maeve has been employed since she was 13. She accepted different positions along the way to create a solid economic life. A recent major health scare turned her life upside down. It inspired her to radically reimagine her journey. Concerned about her future earning potential and the academic rigors that were weighing on her, she made a courageous choice. She moved to Cape Town to be near to family and recruited the support of a coach.
She decided to take a three-month, unpaid sabbatical from her studies. During that time, she gained a new perspective on her life and changed her goals. I don’t ever recall sweating so much or working so hard in my life. I didn’t see anyone. Wow I felt awful,” Maeve recalled, illustrating the personal impact that toxic hustle culture has on young people.
Maeve’s story is perhaps representative of a wider cultural change. Many young people today are taking stock of their time, meaning, and future. Indeed, surveys find that most people have been miserable at work since the pandemic. This has forced them to rethink what they have always considered career routes. More people are choosing experiences over advances. They are picking jobs that provide meaning instead of focusing solely on monetary compensation.
For Katie Mantwa George, another fellow traveler on this unfamiliar journey, it was a struggle early in her career. Having been one of the only women of color in leadership positions in multiple companies, she often felt the weight of representation on her shoulders. “Being one of the only women of colour in leadership at most of the companies I worked, it quite often fell to me to have a say – and it’s draining, to be honest,” George stated.
After feeling burned out from the pressures of her previous roles, George made the decision in August to leave her job. She wanted to do work that was more meaningful to her. She’s written a beautiful children’s book inspired by her own experiences as a mixed race person. She consults with companies on how to optimize their recruiting for inclusive hiring. Her work and research led her to coach corporate professionals in empathetic leadership. She’s shared meditation practices stripping away distractions to create space to go within and think deeply.
Rob Weatherhead shares his thoughts on his journey through the age of anti-ambition. His response is candid, admitting that though he previously sought after taps and titles, he has reevaluated that pursuit as a hopeless endeavor. “It was always about the next thing, whether it was a promotion or another opportunity,” he remarked. After stepping away from that environment, he asserts that “there is no money in the world you could offer me to go back to chasing them.”
The shift towards anti-ambition is not merely an individual phenomenon but represents a collective movement among young professionals who are increasingly prioritizing well-being over prestige. People have begun to realize that success truly can’t be measured with a job title or bank account. It’s about individual happiness, personal fulfillment, and mental health.
As this positive trend continues to unfold, it poses deep questions about the future of work and how we value ambition in our society. Are young people rejecting old definitions of success to pursue a more well-rounded vision?