Aspirations: Definition, Examples, & Insights

By Justine Saavedra, M.S.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
Discover your aspirations through questions and examples. Learn how aspirations can help you achieve your dreams.
*This page may include affiliate links; that means we earn from qualifying purchases of products.
Aspiration, inspiration, goals, dreams, and ambition are all words used to describe the human desire to achieve the things you want in life. However, each of these words has a slightly different meaning and purpose. Understanding the difference between these various concepts can be helpful for your own personal development. This article focuses specifically on aspirations–what they are, how they relate to other goal-setting concepts, and how aspirations influence your psychological well-being. 
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What Are Aspirations? (A Definition)

Aspiration is the driving feeling you get when thinking about what you want to achieve in life. The definition of aspiration is “a strong desire to achieve something high or great” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.-b). You may have heard people say things like “I aspire to be a doctor”, or “I aspire to be a good father”. These statements describe long-term, overarching life goals or desires. 

Some aspirations are concrete and achievable, like retiring at 50. Others may be a little more nebulous and harder to measure, such as being a good parent. You can have large aspirations, like becoming a doctor, or smaller aspirations, like running a 5K.
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Aspiration is your driving desire to become what you believe you can become. Given aspirations are similar to other concepts, you may still be having a hard time seeing the difference between aspirations and other concepts, like goals or ambition. So keep reading to learn how aspirations relate to these concepts.

Why Aspirations Are Important

Aspirations are important because they lead you towards a happy and successful life, whatever that may look like for you. They can also indicate what an individual or a society values most (Hart, 2016). For example, if you aspire to be a good parent, that means your family is important to you. If a society has aspirations of ending homelessness, that means it values and respects its citizens.

Reasons why aspirations are important:
  • Shows an individual or society where its priorities are
  • Can be a driver for positive individual life changes
  • Can drive positive societal shifts and changes
  • Promotes psychological health through goal-setting (Hart, 2016).

Figuring out what your aspirations are can inform what kind of goals you set and how you work towards those goals. Aspiration is the driving force that can help you achieve your greatest dreams.

Examples of Aspirations

You can have aspirations in every aspect of your life from finances, relationships, career, health, or anything else you find important. Gaining a better understanding of common aspirations can help guide you towards figuring out what your personal aspirations are. The examples below are just general and you should try and tailor them to fit your own personal goals. The more specific you can be with what your aspirations are, the more likely you will be able to achieve them.

Common Aspirations in Life

Each individual person is unique, which means many of our aspirations will be unique as well. The following are examples of general aspirations. Feel free to use these ideas as building blocks and customize them to fit your life. For example, running a timed race is listed but I’m not much of a runner. I would modify that health aspiration for myself to being able to do 10 unassisted pull-ups–I’m still training toward that one.

Financial Aspirations​
  • Making $100,000 a year.
  • Saving money to buy a car.
  • Saving money for a down payment for a house.
  • Starting a savings fund to send your children to college.

Relationship Aspirations
  • Having a strong, communicative relationship.
  • Finding someone you love to spend your time with.
  • Better interpersonal communication with family members and friends. 
  • Being the best parent you can be.

Career or Job Aspirations
  • Being a leader or mentor.
  • Completing training to become a doctor or lawyer.
  • Becoming a skilled tradesman like a carpenter or electrician.
  • Earning a certification relevant to your job.

Health Aspirations
  • Running a timed race like a 5K or half-marathon.
  • Being able to hike in the mountains.
  • Feeling vibrant and confident in your body.
  • Eating clean with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Aspirations Versus Goals

Goals are the small targets you set along the path to your biggest dreams. Achieving your goals is a way to achieve your aspirations. Below are some examples of aspirations listed earlier and the goals you might set to achieve them.
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  • Aspiration: Becoming a doctor. 
  • Goals: Get a bachelor’s degree, study for the MCAT, get accepted into medical school, and graduate from medical school.
 
  • Aspiration: Saving money to buy a car.
  • Goals: Save $100 from every paycheck, give up one restaurant meal per week, and save all of your spare change.
 
  • Aspiration: Writing a book.
  • Goals: Practice daily writing, take writing courses, research, outline, and write.

Aspirations are usually large goals that take an extended period of time to achieve. Setting smaller goals along the way to your ultimate aspirations can help you achieve them with less frustration.

Aspirations Versus Dreams

Dreams and aspirations are very similar concepts with slightly different meanings. In general, aspirations have more structure than dreams. Dreams tend to be more ambiguous and less well-defined than aspirations. Just think about how unfocused and fuzzy the dreams you have at night can be. While dreams are essential pieces to achieving your goals, transforming them into aspirations can help provide you with a road map on how best to achieve them. See examples below of dreams and possible aspirations. 

  • Dream: Owning a restaurant.
  • Aspiration: Opening a sandwich shop in the downtown area of your city.

  • Dream: Becoming a famous singer.
  • Aspiration: Booking a popular entertainment venue. 

  • Dream: Becoming a writer.
  • Aspiration: Writing a novel based on your life story.

Aspirations are how you can make your dreams come true by creating a more clear, concise idea of what you actually want to achieve. Examining your dreams can help you determine what your aspirations should be.

Aspiration Versus Ambition

Ambition and aspiration are concepts that go hand-in-hand, but with a crucial difference. While aspiration is the drive to achieve something great, ambition is the drive to achieve success or power (Merriam-Webster, n.d.-a). You can use ambition to drive you toward your aspirations. It can be an especially useful tool to fuel career aspirations. Try watching the videos below to gain a better understanding of how aspiration and ambition are related and how you can use both concepts to achieve your dreams.

Video: Aspiration Versus Ambition - The Small but Important Difference

Video: Finding Your Aspiration by Losing Your Ambition

Aspiration Versus Inspiration

Have you ever seen a beautiful sunset or a work of art and felt an intense rush of feelings and emotions? That rush can be defined as inspiration–“the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.-c). Try and think back on your life to moments when you felt inspired. These moments might be good indicators of where to direct your aspirations.

Examples of inspiration creating aspirations:​
  • A teenager witnesses a doctor save his mother’s life from breast cancer which inspires him to become an oncology nurse.
  • An accountant goes on a life-changing trip to a national park. This creates a new aspiration of being a park ranger, and they change careers.
  • Someone sees an inspiring video of someone experiencing homelessness who receives life-changing housing resources. This creates an aspiration to develop a non-profit.
  • You see a painting in a museum that moves you to tears. This creates an aspiration to become a painter.

Aspiration Questions

If you are still trying to figure out what your aspirations are, think or journal about the following questions. The answers can help lead you toward the things in life you hold most dear. Once you understand that, you can direct your time and energy toward setting and achieving your ultimate goals by defining your aspirations.

What are the three most important areas in your life?
Answers could include marriage, children, career, education, community service, financial security, or anything else important to you. 

What do you want to achieve in these areas of your life?
If you listed education, achieving a Ph.D. might be an aspiration. If you listed marriage, achieving better communication might be an aspiration. You can build aspirations from things you want to achieve or improve.

How can you achieve these aspirations?
Create small, achievable goals that will bring you closer to achieving your aspirations. Aspirations are meant to be big dreams that usually require much time and effort. Try not to get frustrated if achieving your aspirations feels like a large undertaking.

Opposite of Aspirations

If aspiration is the drive towards your greatest desires then the opposite would be having an apathetic attitude towards your goals. Everyone has bad days and the demands of life can often get in the way of our own well-being. There is nothing wrong with resting or taking a break when you need it. However, it is important to recognize if you have slipped into a state of apathy. If you find yourself feeling discouraged or unmotivated, try using some of the affirmations and quotes below to regain a sense of purpose.

Aspirational Affirmations

Sometimes working towards our aspirations can become difficult, especially when we experience obstacles along the way. If this happens to you, try not to give up. Instead, save these affirmations for a time you might need some extra encouragement. Positive self-affirmations can help boost you up and have a positive effect on your psychological well-being (Nelson et al., 2014). Try writing them over and over or saying them out loud to yourself in the mirror. 

  • I am ambitious.
  • I am inspired.
  • I am capable of doing hard things.
  • I work hard towards my goals and aspirations.
  • I am capable of achieving my greatest goals and aspirations.

Quotes on Aspirations

Quotes are a great tool to get some quick inspiration if you are feeling down. Consider the following aspirational quotes during times you may feel unmotivated or overwhelmed and they may help lift your spirits.
  • “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”–Tony Robbins
  • “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”–Robert F. Kennedy
  • “To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to.”–Kahlil Gibran
  • “Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.”–John Maxwell
  • “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”–Abraham Lincoln
  • “One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”–Benjamin Disraeli
  • “When aspirations are perceived to be achievable, ambition and drive can erase excuses.”–Lorii Myers
  • “Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open.”– Pauline Kael
  • “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”–Cesar Chavez

Articles Related to Aspirations

Want to learn more? Check out these articles:

Books Related to Aspirations​

If you’d like to keep learning more, here are a few books that you might be interested in.

Final Thoughts on Aspirations

Aspiration is the feeling that drives you to achieve your goals and dreams and shows you where your priorities in life are. Some aspirations may be smaller, like running a 5K, or larger, like saving money to buy a home. You can use your aspirations as a driving force behind the pursuit of your ultimate goals and dreams.
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If you are having trouble figuring out what your aspirations are, write down the three most important areas of your life, what you want to achieve in those areas, and how you can achieve them. Realizing long-term dreams can take much time and effort–try not to get discouraged when you experience bumps along the road. And if it’s helpful, save the aspirational affirmations and quotes in this article when you need an extra boost of encouragement.

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