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The desire to attain superior outcomes in one’s profession, academics, or athletics is generally regarded as a commendable trait.
However, on occasion, individuals may sacrifice their health and well-being, disregarding their own needs and those of their loved ones, in the pursuit of professional triumphs. Such conduct is characteristic of individuals with achievement neuroticism.
What is overachiever syndrome?
The English term “overachiever” had a positive connotation initially, describing students who surpassed academic expectations, aspired to attend prestigious universities, and pursue exceptional careers. Fueled by their passion for achieving their objectives, these individuals often became leaders or established their own successful businesses.
In the 1960s, psychologist David McClelland found that the desire for success is one of the strongest motivators for a person in any action. It drives them to self-improvement, work, and moving forward. Other motivators, such as the desire to concentrate as much power as possible in their hands or to establish relationships with other people, do not inspire people as strongly.
According to research carried out by those who follow McClelland’s theories, the aspiration for achieving success started to hold greater significance in people’s lives by the 1990s. However, the researchers observed that certain individuals who have a tendency to overachieve, the pursuit of their goals could lead them to take unethical shortcuts such as cheating or cutting corners.
Individuals who are determined to accomplish their objectives are not limited to corporate environments. They could also strive to excel as an ideal homemaker or father to raise gifted children, or even turn their hobbies and fitness routines into competitive pursuits. Pursuing excellence in one’s area of interest is commendable, but it should not be at the expense of personal well-being, happiness, or be driven by an obsessive fear of failure.
Individuals who are overachievers typically experience a sense of relief rather than joy upon reaching their objectives, due to their inherent perfectionism that hinders them from enjoying the process. Consequently, they must constantly contend with their inner critic, often setting unattainable goals and then berating themselves for not meeting them. Despite attaining a high level of success, they cannot escape the burden of anxiety and self-doubt.
Expressions and thoughts that reflect a tendency towards achievement include:
- “I never allow myself to relax and continuously strive to improve.”
- “We must achieve sales growth at any cost, regardless of the means.”
- “Clients only care about the outcome.”
- “Weekends are for those who aren’t winners. Our team doesn’t take them.”
- “If I don’t achieve this, then I am worthless.”
- “Every morning, I wake up at 5 am, meditate, make a to-do list, take a contrast shower, go for a jog, work until 9 pm, train at the gym, and read a motivational book.”
- “I haven’t been on vacation in five years, I don’t have the time.”
- “I can only spare three hours a week for dates.”
- “Those who can’t lose weight are weak. I haven’t eaten carbs for two months because I have a goal and I’m working towards it.”
- “I went to work with a fever – I would rather die than fail to complete everything.”
What are the factors that contribute to the development of overachiever syndrome?
Due to childhood settings. Often, overachievers are conditioned from childhood to be prepared to make any sacrifices for victory. Such attitudes can be instilled by parents who want to see their child only as an excellent student, virtuoso musician, or athlete and prioritize achievement over enjoying life. Teachers or coaches in sports sections can also contribute to this, striving to raise prodigies and champions.
Due to lack of self-confidence. Overachievers are afraid that in case of failure, other people will understand that they are not really worthy of respect. Instead of accepting themselves with their strengths and weaknesses, they hide their vulnerability behind a mask of a winner.
Due to the feeling of guilt for idleness. Overachievers can find it difficult to allow themselves to relax and rest due to a sense of guilt about wasting their time meaninglessly and unproductively. To get rid of it, they strive to find a new goal as quickly as possible.
In addition, it is difficult for people with such a problem to realize their own worth beyond their achievements.
What are the risks associated with overachiever syndrome?
The desire to achieve the goal at all costs and perfectionism lead to emotional burnout, constant feeling of anxiety and family problems.
Overachievers are in a closed circle. They find a goal, experience strong anxiety due to fear of failure, exhaust themselves with work, or procrastinate due to the impossibility of doing everything perfectly. After completing the task, they feel short-term relief, but then it all repeats. At the same time, overachievers often cannot resist the urge to burden themselves with new tasks – and often do not even fully realize it.
At the same time, an overachiever can give the impression of a very successful person, even close ones often do not realize how unsure of themselves they are. They may also seem happy, but their emotional well-being depends entirely on their accomplishments. The lack of achievements can lead to depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive-compulsive syndrome.
How can overachiever syndrome be managed?
If excessive ambition has become a problem for you, it is worth changing your attitude towards work. This does not mean that you need to give up on striving for goals. It is important to prioritize and find new meanings. Here are some steps you can take for this.
Think through your actions. Before tackling a new task, it’s worth asking yourself how important it really is to you. It’s better to take a step back first, to consider your motivation and priorities. Perhaps this goal is not worth putting all your effort into it.
Check your assumptions. Think about what will happen if you give up on achieving your goal or experience failure. Write down your assumptions on paper and think about what this could lead to.
For example, you may think that if you don’t work late into the night, you won’t be able to complete the plan, and this will ruin your career. Try conducting a small experiment and working an hour less. After some time, evaluate the result – most likely, it will turn out that after-hours don’t affect productivity too much and it’s not necessary to stay late.
Give a new definition of success. Perhaps you grew up with the idea that success is victory and achievements. But over time, priorities change – you can come up with a new definition for yourself, not based on fear of judgment or failure.
It is worth asking yourself what is important to you in your work, what success looks like from the perspective of personal well-being and health, whether hobbies and communication are important for it. By reviewing your priorities, you may realize that you want to travel or spend time with your family instead of working too hard.
Start with small things. Based on your definition of success, choose one simple action that will help you get closer to it. For example, if you want to improve your fitness, start with a ten-minute workout or walk after lunch. If you want to communicate more with your loved ones, plan at least one non-work meeting per week.
Enjoy the victories. Instead of immediately moving on to a new goal, give yourself some time to celebrate even a small achievement – it improves your mood. At the end of each week or month, it’s worth evaluating what you have accomplished, what made you feel happy, and what went well. It’s important to celebrate not only progress in work, but also steps taken to improve the quality of life. Perhaps this week you went to yoga twice or attended a great concert with friends – this is also a reason to praise yourself and rejoice in your achievements.
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