The Ambition Trap
How to Stop Chasing and Start Living
Most of us think ambition means doing everything in our power to get what we want. But this approach costs us our health and wellbeing, and ultimately upholds oppressive systems. In The Ambition Trap, leadership coach Amina AlTai shows you how to break the cycle of overwork once and for all—and finally create the greatest, most joy-filled work of your life.
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Ambition in its purest form is simply a desire to unfold. It’s neutral and natural. But as a society, we have a tendency to chase our bigness from a place of pain.
In the book, I help you uncover the roots of your painful ambition that’s holding you back—whether a childhood wound of abandonment, cultural biases about who’s allowed to be ambitious, or structural scripts that incentivize us to equate our identities with our jobs. I offer strategies for aligning your work with your deepest “why” and most natural gifts, honoring the natural rhythms of production, rest, and recovery, and stop instrumentalizing your body and those of others to get ahead. It turns out, ambition isn’t a dirty word. It’s an invitation to design a life with even greater purpose, meaning, and joy.
Praise for The Ambition Trap
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“Challenging the notion that ambition has to mean sacrificing our well-being, this book is for anyone tired of the hustle and ready to create meaningful work and a life they truly love.” –Minda Harts, bestselling author of The Memo
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“Smart, nuanced, and inclusive, Amina AlTai encourages us to stop chasing external validation and instead align our ambitions with who we truly are.” –Sahaj Kaur Kohli, author of But What Will People Say?
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“The book you didn’t know you desperately needed. The Ambition Trap cuts through the noise of ‘grind culture’ and replaces it with a soulful, practical path to success on your own terms.” –Dr. Neeta Bhushan, author of That Sucked. Now What? and host of The Brave Table podcast
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“A glorious book for everyone looking to understand themselves and underlying societal systems that hold perceptions of ambition in place, Amina offers insight and actionable ideas for a new definition of your ambition and yourself.” –Stacy London, stylist, designer, mid-life advocate, and NYT bestselling author of The Truth About Style
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"If you're looking to unlearn hustle culture values, and gain tools to help you build a healthy relationship to your goals - this is the book for you! AlTai addresses all the elephants in the room when it comes to why we become overworked, overwhelmed, and burnt out. Her words remind us of the beauty we have within and how we can be ambitious and live fully.” -Yasmine Cheyenne author of Wisdom of the Path and The Sugar Jar
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“Amina helps us get real with ourselves and do the work needed to rest, set boundaries, and overcome burnout. Her writing is refreshing, and the exercises are practical and insightful…I highly recommend this book.” –Minaa B., social worker and author of Owning Our Struggles
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“The Ambition Trap is a paradigm-shifter for anyone who’s ever felt caught between desire and self-doubt...it boldly encourages us to embrace our gifts with confidence and unapologetic determination” –Gay Hendricks, author of Five Wishes and The Big Leap
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“Amina's book is a beautiful offering for those looking to explore their fullest potential and to do so with wholeness and integrity. She shows us that these pieces are not mutually exclusive but essential components of how we can thrive.” –Matt McGorry, actor, activist, and empowerment coach
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Simply put: This book is a permission slip to chase your wildest dreams (the key word being “your”). Not the dreams sold to you by society. With practical exercises and stories that will have you nodding along, Amina helps you explore your unique gifts, values, and the impact you want to make on the world. She’s offering all of us a lifeline—a way to step out of the bullshit trap of balancing “too much” and “not enough”—and to finally live your ambition out loud. -Rachel Rodgers, bestselling author of We Should All Be Millionaires
Hi, I’m Amina!
Amina (pronounced AH-MIN-UH) and I’m an executive coach, proud immigrant and chronic illness advocate. I work with the most awesome humans on the planet, from Fortune 500 leaders to VC-backed founders, Olympians, and every other star of a human you can think of. My gift is seeing other people’s magic and how they can best leverage it for a life they love.
I work one-on-one with clients and also partner with progressive companies such as Google, Roku, Deloitte, Snap, Outdoor Voices, NYU and HUGE for corporate talks and training. I was a founding coach for Chief (the women’s leadership network), am an Entrepreneur Magazine expert-in-residence, a Forbes contributor and was named one of Success Magazine’s Women of Influence. I’ve been featured in goop, Well+Good, The New York Times, Yahoo, NBC, and more.
