Author: Alina Aronova, Founder of Almax Executive Advisory and “Go to Executive Coach for High Achievers”
I have been researching the topic of Overachievement for a long time. There have been a lot of articles written about this quality. Also, when I watch movies and see overachievers it is so easy to see what they need to change to improve their quality of life. Ironically, it is so easy to give someone advice vs. applying the same advice to yourself.
While I have been giving this topic a lot of thought I find it hard to write this article. How do you summarize concisely and eloquently who you are, how your brain is wired, what values you have, and why you had to apply them wholeheartedly to everything you did over the years? How you might have felt misunderstood by others who questioned your never-ending drive for achievement, and commitment to self-improvement as if it is not something normal and needs to be managed. Why for you this is the only way of being… Do not forget about the guilt, especially once you become a parent. Did you question your choices of heavy business travel, attending a business school at night for six or seven years during the formative years of your kids? When kids get older and start to act out a little do you feel it is all because you were not around as much when they were little? Do episodes of the imposter syndrome feel even more severe to you because you are never supposed to show any lack of confidence given your track record? Also, when other people believe in your capabilities it weights even heavier on your mind because now you do not have the right to fail. When I was doing my research, I found a lot of articles that list the qualities of overachievers. Those are listed below. 1. Never ending drive 2. Fear of failure 3. Self-criticism 4. Unrealistic expectations 5. Time urgency 6. Result over a journey to get there 7. Heritage 8. Guilt 9. Eager to please 10. Self-neglect The point of my article is not to explain each one. I think they are self-explanatory. As I completed a mental self-assessment quiz, I realized that I am 9 out of 10. Heritage does not apply to me as much but everything else applies too much. The “overachiever” is a classic double-edged sword. You have qualities that give you a competitive advantage and take you far in the career or life path you choose for yourself but there is a heavy price to pay as well. It is different for everyone. You might alienate some people in your life, often it is your loved ones. You might have to find a way to live with stress and constant dissatisfaction. You might feel very lonely and misunderstood, or even envied at work. It is ironic that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, but simple happiness or peace of mind often seem unattainable. The advice I have been often given is to stop pushing myself too much, stop driving myself crazy, find a way to enjoy what I already achieved. While this is not what was said, in my head I heard an encouragement to give up and settle. I simply could not accept this advice. However, as you progress with your career and your life journey you start to realize that the intensity you apply in your work just can not be sustained. You do not want to get to a point of the crash and burn professionally or even personally but you are still unwilling and unable to betray the values that made you who you are. What if there was a way to have your cake and eat it too? By reinventing yourself from the overachiever into the high achiever you can continue your journey of professional and personal success but leave the dark side of overachievement behind…. You can evolve your mindset and your approach to continue your successful track record and unlock your Limitless Leadership potential while doing it in a more fulfilling, healthy, and sustainable way. Armed with this conviction, I created Limitless Leadership Framework which allows you, your team, and your organization to unlock your limitless potential. If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more visit our website.
Alina Aronova, Founder of Almax Executive Advisory and “ The Go-to Executive Coach for High Achievers”
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