163: Right Ambition, Right Time, Right Effort: Three Conversations that Shaped the Sustainable Ambition Method

2025
Written By Kathy Oneto

Overview

In this episode, I share conversations that informed the Sustainable Ambition method and appear in my book, Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work. 

I wanted to revisit these segments with Heather Ainsworth, Dr. Sahar Yousef, and Jack Hsueh because they are wonderful examples of the pillars of Right Ambition, Right Time, and Right Effort and how they align to create Sustainable Ambition.

From aligning your ambitions with your values to prioritizing timelines and regularly celebrating your progress to what training for an ultramarathon can teach us about pacing ourselves, these three guests shared experiences that illustrate what thriving in life and work can look like.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • Why Heather Ainsworth says she may have “played small” and what that taught her about living a values-based life

  • Dr. Sahar Yousef’s daily mindset hack for honoring your future self

  • How desire without discernment can lead to reckless ambition

  • What ultra-marathoner Jack Hsueh teaches about sustaining effort — and why finishing isn’t the only definition of success

  • Plus, how to pace yourself, redefine ambition, and stay in the game for the long haul

Resources Mentioned

Thanks for Listening!

  • Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at podcast@SustainableAmbition.com

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Kathy Oneto
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164. Kathy Oneto and Neha Mandhani on Endurance, Exploration, and Evolving Goals
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162: Dawn Graham Interviews Kathy Oneto (Part 2): Inside the Journey to “Sustainable Ambition”