What Birdwatching Taught Me About Ambition and Success

Source: Fellow birdwatcher on a trail in Delhi, March 2025

I went birdwatching for the first time this weekend — who knew you could “nature” around Delhi too! I was intrigued enough to give it a shot but kept my expectations low. What if I didn’t find any “good enough” birds? What if there were only one or two kinds? What if I didn’t enjoy the company?

But for the three hours I spent there, the experience just kept getting better. I learned to spot birds among the trees, locate them through binoculars, and appreciate the unique features of even the most common ones. The colors around me felt more vibrant, nature more alive. By the time I was heading back, I felt something shift — an expanded sense of awe, a deeper appreciation for the “normal,” a lightness in my body, and a slowing down of time itself.

I resolved to do more of it. There’s something about being fully immersed in your surroundings, scanning the dense foliage, tuning into both sight and sound in a way you normally wouldn’t. Our trail guide mentioned that some of these birds could even be spotted from our balconies. (Bonus: If you don’t enjoy sitting meditation, this could be another way to practice mindfulness.)

Later, while sharing my experience with a friend, he asked if I had taken notes on the birds I saw and their peculiar features. It was a fair question — many of my fellow birdwatchers seemed knowledgeable, and I had already forgotten half the names of the birds I’d sighted. But as soon as he asked, I felt resistance. I didn’t want to turn this “experience” into an “exercise.”

That reaction made me pause. Why was I resisting “learning”? I realized it wasn’t about taking notes — it was about what I was enjoying in the moment. Maybe, in the future, learning bird facts will add to my sense of awe. But for now, I just wanted to experience it, without feeling the need to progress to the next step.

For someone else, joy might come from studying every detail right from the start.

Isn’t this how we approach so many things in life? We stumble upon something we truly enjoy, and then we immediately want to “get better” at it. But do we really have to become better at everything? Can’t we allow ourselves to simply be amateurs at some things, just for the joy of it?

The same pattern shows up at work. You might start a new venture, a new business line, or a new project, feeling excited and full of energy. But soon, the focus shifts to becoming “better.” What I often get curious about when working with leaders is this: What’s driving that desire for improvement?

Are you doing it because it truly excites you? Or because everyone around you is doing something similar? Because it’s what you’re “supposed” to do? Because if you don’t, others might see you as stagnant?

There’s nothing wrong with having big ambitions, but it’s worth asking — does this goal come from within, or is it shaped by external expectations?

A simple way to check is to listen to your body. When you think about where you want to go next, how does it feel? Does it spark excitement, creating a sense of expansion in your body? Or does it feel like something you have to push yourself toward, like gearing up for a task?

A mix of both is fine. But if you can hold on to that sense of excitement and expansion, you may find yourself moving forward with much less effort.

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