I'm going to talk about my younger sister, Rabia, who's twenty-two and studying pharmacy in Lahore. She's the most driven person in our family by a long way.
Her ambition is to run her own chain of pharmacies, but not ordinary ones. She wants them to have a small consultation corner where a pharmacist explains medicines properly, because she's noticed that a lot of older patients, including our grandfather, don't really understand what they've been prescribed. It's quite a specific goal, and that's what makes it impressive.
What she's doing about it is pretty relentless. Alongside her degree she works three evenings a week at a busy pharmacy near Liberty Market, partly for money but mostly to learn how the business side works: stock, suppliers, dealing with difficult customers. She's also taking a short online course in accounting, and on Sundays she meets two friends from her course who are interested in going into business with her. They've already written a rough plan and costed out the first shop.
To be honest, my feelings are a mixture of admiration and a bit of worry. I admire how clear she is. When I was her age I had no idea what I wanted, so I find her focus inspiring, and it's pushed me to take my own career more seriously. But I do worry that she rarely switches off. She's missed family weddings because of shifts, and sometimes she looks exhausted. I've told her that her plan will still be there if she takes a weekend off. I think ambition is wonderful as long as it doesn't swallow the rest of your life.