An Interview With Jennifer Romolini, Author of Ambition Monster<\/h2>\n In a world that often equates ambition with relentless drive, the conversation surrounding what it means for women has never been more crucial. As we\u2019re renegotiating what success looks like in our careers\u2014and life\u2014many of us want to carve out paths that align with our true hopes. In Ambition Monster<\/em>, Romolini bravely unpacks the complexities of ambition\u2014how it fuels our professional aspirations but can also leave us grappling with self-doubt.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s not only her insights but Romolini\u2019s fearless, personal reflection on her professional ambition that led to eye-opening epiphanies. Her sharp humor, paired with honest, often brutal truths about putting your ambition before everything else, inspired my own flashes of realization. In a post-girlboss era where hustle is no longer coated in Millennial pink, the book served as a roadmap for leading a meaningful life beyond the pursuit of success.<\/p>\n
Ahead, Romolini shares the revelations that inspired this gripping, thought-provoking book. She encourages a shift in perspective, urging us to redefine what ambition looks like in our lives, free from the confines of external pressures. Dive into the conversation below.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0Ambition Monster<\/em>, you explore the darker side of ambition\u2014particularly for women. What inspired you to tackle this topic so candidly?<\/h3>\nI\u2019d been going so fast and so hard in my career for more than a decade, but after a health crisis forced me to slow down, I started to realize how trash my life actually was. How little time I spent with family or friends, how lonely and sad and disconnected I felt even though to the outside world, I looked like I had everything. <\/p>\n
\nSuccessful people rarely talk about this. We tend to conflate professional success with happiness in this country. I wanted to pull the curtain back on that a bit because I thought it might help other women who found themselves similarly staring into the abyss of their careers and thinking, \u201cWait, is that all there is?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Workaholism is often romanticized, especially for women trying to \u201chave it all.\u201d How do you think this affects women\u2019s mental health and their relationships, both personally and professionally?<\/h3>\n What often happens is we get so caught in this one-size-fits-all fantasy of success. We imagine that a life that looks good to the outside world and doing what we think we \u201cshould\u201d is what will bring us satisfaction when really, what makes us happiest, or at least most content, is understanding who we are and what we want. And with that information, charting our own unique course. In the race for achievement, we can abandon our most authentic needs and desires which leads to disconnection from self and others, burnout and a numb kind of soul rot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a cultural narrative that ties a woman\u2019s worth to her achievements. How do you think that narrative fuels addictive ambition, and how can women start to disentangle themselves from it?<\/h3>\n One way to avoid blind overwork is by becoming extremely present and\u00a0 intentional about the kind of life you actually want to live and learning how to protect that life and peace at any cost possible. <\/p>\n
\nWhat\u2019s important to you? <\/li>\n What are you willing to devote your time to? <\/li>\n Does your work allow you to live your values?\u00a0<\/li>\n What steps would you need to take to better live a life of meaning and connection?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nI love working but I\u2019ve also had some\u00a0extremely<\/em>\u00a0poisonous \u201cdream\u201d jobs that I should\u2019ve left years earlier than I did. Sometimes we\u2019re so afraid that if we get off the ride they won\u2019t let us back on. We fail to examine if we want to be on said ride in the first place.<\/p>\nIn a world where success is often equated with burnout, do you believe women can find a healthy balance between ambition and well-being? How do you define that balance?<\/h3>\n The questions I just laid out can help get us closer to balance. Also never saying \u201cyes\u201d to something when you really mean \u201cno.\u201d I\u2019m stereotyping a bit here but, from what I\u2019ve experienced, women\u2014much more so than men\u2014tend to want to please. We\u2019re fixers, we crave the positive reinforcement that comes from meeting unrealistic goals, from going above and beyond and doing a better than necessary job. Part of this is systemic\u2014in a patriarchal society, we have to prove ourselves more than men do\u2014but I\u2019ve found a lot of relief in breaking this \u201cgood girl at work\u201d cycle, in bringing more of my B game to work tasks that don\u2019t matter and giving less of a fuck overall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What do you hope readers take away from\u00a0Ambition Monster<\/em>\u00a0about the emotional costs of relentless ambition and the possibility of redefining success on one\u2019s own terms?<\/h3>\nI hope workaholic readers walk away with an urge to blow it all up, to rechart the course of their lives and\u2014whenever possible\u2014put themselves, along with curiosity\/joy\/pleasure, before a job. I\u2019ve heard from several readers that they\u2019ve brought my book into therapy. I can\u2019t think of a higher compliment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/camillestyles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/woman-writing-in-journal-865x1296.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n