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Myth: overachievers are happier because they get more work done.
Reality: happiness isn’t directly related to the amount of work you do. It has to do with the quality of work and the work-life balance you have achieved. Â
Yes, overachievers may seemingly have more accomplishments than their peers.. but it’s a bit more complicated than that.Â
The time they have put in to receive those accolades have come at a cost
It’s an attractive idea to think that overachievers are completely happy and it may seem that way on a purely surface level.. but the extra time devoted to work comes with a sacrifice, usually in their personal life.Â
You end up missing out on relationships and your friendships falter due to your devotion to work.
It's Not Sustainable - Burnout is REAL!
You can only keep up the façade for so long.
It’s possible overachievers can maintain a steady pace of working longer shifts and devoting extra hours to work outside of clocked-in hours, but eventually burnout will hit.Â
That crash is inevitable.Â
Stay Consistent & Balanced
By staying consistent and maintaining a work-life balance, you’ll stay happier and healthier longer.Â
You’ll also be more content and proud of the quality of work you’re producing in your career (or at your job). This leads to greater productivity in the long run, making you significantly less likely to suffer from burnout.Â
Don't Avoid, but Don't Strive
Embrace working hard on a project. Always put your best foot forward. While you can accept a BIT of overachieving, you shouldn’t be striving for it.
That being said..
If adopting a “work harder” mindset helps enhance your work-life balance, GO FOR IT!
Balance is Key
Don’t forget that! The biggest drawback of being an overachiever is that you end up picking up the slack when your fellow employees hit the brakes on their own workload.Â
I’m definitely not an advocate for doing more than you reasonably should at a job. Stay in your paygrade lane.
Please don’t fool yourself into thinking that doing more work is going to make you happier or that your job will either promote you or pay you more if you do.
Take Your Time for your Mental Health
Take your time off work and put it towards what you need most.
- Put more effort into your personal life
- Maintain your friendships & relationships
- Focus on self-care for your mental health
- Relax
- Fix any areas of your life you’re neglecting
All of these things decrease stress, which is just as important for your physical health as it is your mental health.
Be content doing your best in your life, not just your work. Yes, it’s a learning process, especially when you’re a recovering people pleaser like myself.Â
Whatever you’re doing..
- Self-care
- Relationships
- Parenting
- Work Projects
..Just give it your all (which is your best).
Don’t think that overachieving will make you happier.
It probably won’t.
Resources
Struggling to find that work-life balance? Having a hard time shutting down the “work” side of your brain?
I have a bundle for you!Â
- Worksheets
- Journal
- E-book
- Coloring Pages
