I am.
Guilty, as charged!
And perhaps you are, too.
It’s a common struggle for high-achieving women like you.
But I’m learning to tame my over-achiever tendencies.
What does that mean, you ask?
It means I’m trying to keep the “good” parts of striving for achievement
- The drive to do my best
- For others
- And for myself
But leave behind the dysfunctional part.
- The destructive part
- The part of my brain that tells me I’m not fully worthy if I’m not achieving “X”
Because that’s a lie our brain tells us.
And the bigger problem with that is that “X” is always a moving target.
The truth is we’re all fully worthy, just as we are.
We were born that way and we will die that way.
And no amount of achievement will make us MORE worthy.
The tricky part is our drive for achievement is, in part, what helps us succeed.
It got me to where I am in my career and in my life.
Perhaps you would say the same in your life.
But it became dysfunctional when I couldn’t turn it “off”.
After achieving so many things in my career, it still wasn’t enough.
I was still chasing achievement.
- The next degree
- The next opportunity
- The next promotion
It was like somehow my value as a person was tied to the “proof” of achieving the thing.
And it seemingly worked for me. Until it didn’t.
Until I found myself in burnout. TWICE.
It was my drive for achievement, my pursuit of the next thing.
Without questioning WHY I wanted it or even IF I really wanted it.
Without pausing to look back and celebrate all that I had achieved.
Or pausing to truly appreciate everything I already had.
And here’s the thing …
Being so focused on getting that result, that next achievement.
Was STEALING the joy and the fun out of my work.
It became all about the hustle, the joy was gone.
So I began my journey of unraveling my over-achiever.
Reconnecting to the pursuit of excellence simply for the joy of the experience.
For discovering who I can become along the way as I stretch myself. Step out of my comfort zone. Explore and grow.
Unraveling my attachment to the outcome itself.
It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.
Because all we really have is today. This moment.
None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow.
💜 Take pride in your work today, as it is
💜 Experience the joy of a worthy pursuit
💜 Rediscover your love for your work
If this message resonated with you, and you’re ready to start unraveling YOUR over-achiever,
I can help you with that!
Here’s to ditching the hustle and finding the JOY in every day,
Denee