This is the age you are the most ambitious

Portrait of smiling woman at blue wall
The age of 33 is when you feel most motivated to achieve your goals. [Photo: Getty]

As we all know, ambition comes in peaks and troughs – some days we wake up feeling ready to conquer the world, and others we feel barely able to even make it through the working day.

But there’s one time of life when we’re the most motivated to achieve our long-term goals – and that’s in our early to mid 30s.

Specifically, at the age of 33.

That’s according to a study of 2,000 adults commissioned by Bupa Health Clinics to mark the launch of ‘I Quit’, a campaign that urges people to “quit the fads and focus on long-term change”.

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While motivation was found to be a struggle among all adults (with over half saying it was a “battle”) those aged 33 were found to have the greatest determination to stick to their goals: from career ambitions to physical fitness.

This was said to be down to the influence of greater confidence, higher energy levels and a more positive outlook.

As part of the research, which was carried out by OnePoll, the team also compiled a list of the most common life goals, detailed below.

Those polled had an average of four life goals – and saving money topped the list.

Top 20 life goals


1. To save money
2. To eat more healthily
3. To get fit/do more exercise
4. To relax more
5. To drink more water
6. To read more
7. To go on holiday to somewhere you've always wanted to go
8. To go travelling
9. To be kinder to yourself
10. To pay off debt/get back on track financially
11. To carry out a particular DIY task/project
12. To spend more time with children or family
13. To drink less/no alcohol
14. To eat less/no meat
15. To practice mindfulness
16. To move/buy a house
17. To study/do a course
18. To learn a new language
19. To stop smoking
20. To cycle/walk to work

Dr Naveen Puri from Bupa Health Clinics said: “Drive plays an important role in achieving our goals no matter what they are. Of course, everyone wants to reach their goals but doing so isn’t always as easy as they may think.”

She added: “Having support can make all the difference and can help keep you on track when facing obstacles along the way.

READ MORE: How many things on this 50 before 50 bucket list have you achieved?

“When setting goals, I would advise making these realistic to your ability.

"For example, if you’ve never run before, why not aim to do a 5K race within three months rather than wanting to run a marathon in a year.

"Once you’ve achieved this, you’ll have a sense of achievement which will give you more motivation for future goals.”

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