If you’re overly serious about your work and end up feeling stressed after work every day, then something’s got to change.
The truth is that being a high achiever and an overachiever is not the same.
If you want to be successful at work and still want to balik kampung on time daily, read on.
The differences between the two
High achievers don’t push themselves too hard, but on the flip side, overachievers do the opposite.
High achievers focus on the process, where they take small steps and do not unnecessarily rush things through.
They are also more emotionally intelligent and can set realistic expectations for themselves.
Unlike overachievers who need to reach a certain goal because of something else—like to fill an emotional void or something—high achievers strive for meaningful success only.
Why being a high achiever is better
High achievers find pleasure in the little things they do and enjoy the process of achieving the goals they set out for themselves.
They are also more worried about not trying than failing, so they stay motivated to move forward even when things get hard.
But more important than anything else is that high achievers love feedback—the good and the bad. This may not be the case for overachievers.
Red flags that may reveal you’re an overachiever
If you find your mind telling you this repeatedly:
“I must get this done or else I’m never good enough.”
Then it’s a telltale sign.
You may also find yourself pushing yourself excessively, feeling guilty whenever you stop to rest.
Image Credits: smallbusinessbonfire.com
The fact of the matter is, if your self-worth has a direct link to your achievements, then something is not quite right.
Why being an achiever is not as good as you think
Eh, some of you might be thinking, what’s so bad about overachieving, right?
After all, you work hard, achieve more than your peers, and your bosses are super proud of you. Who knows? You might even be included in the next round of promotions.
This is true, but it’s not as healthy as you think it to be.
You see, when you push yourself to do more than what is expected of you all the time, you can’t help but start to feel very discouraged at a certain point in time. You may compare yourself against others and feel that whatever effort you put in, it’s not enough.
In short, your brain’s telling you to do more and more.
Without you realizing it, it may start to affect your personal life too. Your one-track mind hinders your work-life balance and rest time becomes no time.
How to make the shift
For those who want to make the shift from overachieving to high achieving, you’ve got to remember a few things:
- Focus less on doing the “task” and more on how you feel about it. Though “doing things” help us achieve success, only when our motivation is right can we break through and get far.
- Reshift your motivation away from pushing yourself to living a more easily contented life. Yup, high achievers can still make mistakes but they don’t let it hold them back. It’s all about taking what you learn from your successes and failures, and using it as an opportunity to grow.
- Leave perfectionism behind so that you don’t burn out easily. Set achievable goals from now onwards and then push out of your comfort zone every once in a while (not every single time).
Being a high-achiever without burning out
Do you know how to be a high achiever without burning out? Very simple, just remember this—slow down.
No matter how hectic everything seems, don’t forget to take some time off to relax and rest. You’ve only got one life to live, and you don’t want to spend it all at work just to bring in the money.
Live behind the perfectionist mindset too. 99% is good enough, it doesn’t always need to be 100%. Making mistakes is part of being human, and there’s no need to bash yourself up over them.
Also, I came across this speech given by Hamza Khan, the author of The Burnout Gamble, which I thought would help peeps are who going through burnout from being an overachiever.
It’s only 8 minutes long but packs a lot of valuable bite-sized lessons. You can watch it here:
Or if you’ve got at least 20 minutes to spare, this speech by the same person gives you a more elaborated version (with terms and more powerful illustrations) of the previous speech. Watch it here:
As we close, know that being a high achiever is great, but being an overachiever? Not so much. There’s a fine line between achieving your goals and burning out, and it’s wise to find that balance. Taking on too much and failing to regulate yourself will lead to stress and exhaustion. So manage your expectations, and make sure that you’re not sacrificing your health or mental well-being in the pursuit of money and career success.