“There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time!”
- August 19, 1883 – January 10, 1971
- Born in France
- Designer, businesswoman
- Founded the Chanel brand and advocated modern and simple fashion, especially popularizing the “Chanel suit” and “little black dress,” and contributing to the liberation of women.
table of contents
Quote
“There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time!”
Explanation
In this quote, Coco Chanel emphasizes the importance of prioritizing passion and purpose in life, rejecting the notion of monotony and routine for the sake of simply existing. Chanel suggests that life is too precious and too short to be spent in dull, predictable patterns. She divides life into two essential parts: work—the pursuit of one’s passion, goals, and ambitions—and love—which represents the emotional and personal connections that give life its depth and meaning. By saying that “there is no other time,” Chanel implies that everything outside of these two realms is secondary and unnecessary. She advocates for a life full of vibrancy, engagement, and purpose, where monotony and unfulfilling routines are not given space.
Chanel herself lived a life marked by a refusal to be constrained by conventional expectations. She was fiercely independent, balancing the demands of building a revolutionary fashion empire with her intense, and often complex, personal relationships. Throughout her career, Chanel demonstrated that work and love could coexist, with both driving her to take bold risks, challenge the status quo, and live a life of passion. For Chanel, work was not just about business—it was an extension of her creative spirit, while love gave her life its emotional richness and depth. Both work and love were essential to her sense of fulfillment.
In the modern world, this quote resonates as a reminder to balance career ambitions with personal relationships, and to reject the trap of becoming stuck in the routine of life’s “monotony.” In a society where productivity and efficiency are often valued above all else, Chanel’s words suggest that a truly meaningful life cannot be reduced to merely work or obligations. It’s about investing in the things that truly matter—your passion and your relationships—and focusing on what brings you joy, rather than getting lost in the busy but ultimately unimportant parts of life.
