WHEN I’m tasked with an assignment or job, I always try to do it to the best of my ability. I work above and beyond to get said tasks completed. I even try to do more than what is required of me. Many people around me will say that this is one of my best qualities and it’s what I’ve always been most popular for. Ever since I was a little girl, this has always been one of my strongest characteristics, but as of lately, I feel as though it has become my weakest. The more I read up on said quality, the more I understood that I am an “Overachiever.” This label finally allowed me to understand why I am the way I am. The striving to go “above and beyond” finally made sense.

As an overachiever, your biggest fear is failure. You will do whatever it takes to complete the tasks at hand, but you also try your best to never fail. Any form of failure for an overachiever proves devastating. Overachievers are concerned only with completing the task. They equate success with reaching the finish line of goals and tasks. Overachievers are also perfectionists. They will oversee and micromanage every aspect of a task, even if it’s a group task. They are also most concerned with the future and tend not to live in the present. Their minds are constantly on “what comes next” and how they can think ahead to plan what comes next. Many might see these as “good qualities.” They can be, but there are also many downsides to living this way. All of these characteristics of an overachiever can cause severe anxiety and fear. It can also lead to being severely burnt out and overworked.

I feel crippled whenever I receive negative feedback from someone about a project I’ve done, or when a task wasn’t completed as planned. When things don’t go as planned, I tend to get frustrated and sometimes I end up taking that frustration out on others closest around me. I’ve also noticed that I have a constant need to surround myself with other overachievers because they “won’t hold me back” with my goals and plans. I also feel as though I take on too many responsibilities. This results in me working more than the average person at my age. I can’t seem to say, “No, thank you” to a task, even though I know that I already have enough on my plate. When things don’t go my way, I tend to become anxious. As I type this article, I am also very burnt out from my studies and my work life. I am in a constant state of being tired and not having enough time on my hands. As such, I came to the realisation that I need to slow down and breathe for a bit.

I hope that this article can allow those who are just like me to introspect and self-actualize about going above and beyond in every aspect of life. It’s good that you want to succeed at everything you do and not only succeed, but also be the best. However, you do this at the risk of disrupting your mental sanity. You will overwork your mind and body to the point where you can’t cope and won’t be able to get anything done at all—like myself at the moment. You ought to realise when to stop and when to say NO. There’s no need to rush to the finish line and there’s also no need to allow yourself to be overworked, just so you can upkeep an “image” for others to see. The only person you’re in a competition with is yourself and the minute you realise that, the more this concept of wanting to overachieve will make sense.

You won’t be able to actively get rid of this quality completely from your being, but what I can say is that the least you can do is take care of your mind and body frequently. Do not neglect your mental and physical health. You can practise self care, connect with friends and family and even try talking to a counsellor when you feel these urges and anxiety of overachieving comes on. Life’s already hard as it is, the least you can do is be kind to yourself.