Each and every target reached should be the first step towards an even higher achievement. This is what ambition is all about, and although one needs to be careful so as not to over-estimate one’s capabilities, it is important that one sets an aim and tries to reach it. If one is not able to do so, then there is always something else that could be obtained.

In the same way, a country should also set its targets and work hard to achieve them. Once they are reached, there is always another target ahead. If the set target is not attainable, then there is always another goal that can be achieved.

It is the government of the day that sets these targets for a country. Each time an election is held, political parties present their programme and people vote for the programme they think would suit them – and their country – better. The winning party would then need to embark on a five-year plan aimed at implementing that programme.

Not all promises that are made before an election are fulfilled. Circumstances change, and what looks achievable one day might not be so the next. There are also occasions when something that looks within reach and easy to attain will turn out to have too many obstacles to overcome, and it either takes longer to get to the destination or else the plan needs to be changed.

Still, every government does its best to carry out what it set out to do. What is of utmost importance is that governments must be the first to express confidence in their people and take a positive approach when dealing with problems.

Optimists say that “there are no problems; there are only solutions”: there is always a way to overcome a hurdle, whatever that might be. In other words, the challenges that we have to face should be turned into opportunities.

And this is why governments need to be “optimistic” and see every test as a chance to improve the situation. Being negative and holding back is not the ideal way to face difficulties. Being positive and taking calculated risks is the best method to deal with them.

Calculated risks. What is a calculated risk? How far can governments go without putting their country and their people in jeopardy? It is one thing taking a gamble with one’s own life and paying the consequences of a failure or enjoying one’s success; but it is a completely different matter when it comes to put the country’s future on the line.

And this is why governments need to find the right mixture between ambition and caution. It is good that they do their best to achieve the targets that they set themselves, but this should not be done at the expense of the overall wellbeing of the citizens they represent.

This is where the opposition comes in too. Among other things, the role of an opposition is to “help” the government find this balance, encouraging it to reach its goals but keeping it in check when the need arises.

One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that a term of office lasts a number of years, and governments cannot be expected to carry out all their plans within months of taking office. It is natural that they seek to complete their programme towards the end of the legislature in a bid to be re-elected.

The important thing is, after all, that governments work hard to attract investment, generate jobs, improve the infrastructure and carry out a million other jobs to enable their people to live a better life.

Then it is up to the same people to give them a vote of confidence or elect others to take their place.