We all know what ambition entails. Yet few recognize the exceptional leverage that investing in it offers. For example, even though both of us had typical middle class upbringings, our ambitions led us to envision and realize a success beyond that.

For some, the idea of fully connecting with their ambition may seem daunting, but the process is actually quite intuitive. It’s what we, as human beings, were always meant to do.

The first step is to acknowledge what you want most out of your career and life. Do you want to run your own boutique? Do you want to work in a high-powered position within a corporation that values your unique brand of genius and skills? Do you want to finally make that film you constantly think about but have been putting off making for years? Be completely honest with yourself.

If this question perplexes you, that’s okay. Try approaching it from a broader perspective. Perhaps you don’t know specifically what you want to achieve in your career and life, but you know what you want to experience in them. What do we mean? We’re going to tell you another story.

After Jason graduated from college he wasn’t completely clear on what his passions were or how they would be practically realized in his professional life. What he did know was that he was passionate about freedom—the freedom to do what he wanted when he wanted. For Jason, the obvious avenue to this kind of freedom was to embark on a highly lucrative career path that would allow him a great deal of independence.

Once Jason realized that the need for freedom was paramount to his experience of success, he pursued it without looking back. This knowledge eventually led him down the entrepreneurial route.

Entering a new field like entrepreneurship without any experience can be intimidating, to say the least. Jason relied on his ambition and intuition to serve as the driving forces to push him into this new, unknown terrain. Ambition and intuition can move you into a career experience defined by fulfillment and success, just as they did for Jason.

Even though pursuing a passion that lies outside your comfort zone may feel risky, this kind of pursuit is actually the safest and most secure approach to success. Our genius lies where our passion lies. If you invest in your genius and allow it to flourish, your life experience will follow suit.

Bottom line: if you are passionate about a goal and put enough hard work and effort toward its realization, you will be successful. Most things that are worthwhile don’t come easily. This is where ambition enters the picture. It is the force working behind the scenes that allows you to continue to work and move forward when you encounter obstacles or setbacks.

And who doesn’t? So cultivate and nurture your ambition by connecting with it and using it often. Allow it to be a powerful force in your career, and watch the tremendous transformation that takes place as a result.

This article is an excerpt from the book “The Whiteboard: Go from Blank Canvas to a Productive, Leveraged, & Highly-Profitable Business” by Chris Haddon and Jason Balin. Please click here to see more.