Codie Sanchez argues that intense ambition isn't something to apologize for. The real regret isn't working too hard, but spending your life on something that didn't choose you. She celebrates being obsessed with your work, especially if you built it from nothing.
Chapters
You know that quote, no one on their deathbed ever said they wish they spent more time at the office? I love it when I hear people recite that because you know what else nobody says on their deathbed? I really regret loving something this much. Like, when did we decide that caring about your work or what you do or that it's how you spend more than 40 hours of your week is embarrassing? Like, who decided that ambition needs an apology? When did we decide that if you think about building something more on a Saturday than hanging out and entertaining yourself, you're broken? I don't buy it. Ask anyone around me. I'm obsessed. And that's very different from being broken. I like waking up thinking about building in this company. I like being the one who cares too much in the room. You built your thing out of nothing, so the last thing you're going to do is leave it all to chance. Me too. If you ask me, the deathbed quote was never about work. It was about spending your life on something you didn't choose, it chose you. I won't tone that down. I won't play it cool about the thing I do for free. My advice to you is be unhinged about what you love. The people telling you to relax, they don't have a better plan for how to live life.
