We are by all means a nation of overachievers. We work, work, work until we can't possibly work anymore, and then somehow we find it within ourselves to keep going. If we don't have a nervous breakdown first.
A lot of overachieving stems from the workplace. You know how it is....you want to prove yourself to the boss, or be the golden child of the office who can do no wrong, or you plain and simple just enjoy going the extra mile time and time again.
But how does overachieving play out in our everyday lives? When does too much literally become too much?
Take for example a normal day at the gym. For me this includes some cardio, maybe a circuit of weights, and some ab exercises just for good measure. I get to the end of my set of crunches, lie back on the mat, and think to myself that I should go ahead and do at least 10 more.....just to really push myself.
Okay, nothing wrong with a few extra crunches you might be thinking. And let's face it, I could probably use them, but why do I feel the need to add even more onto an already full workout?
For whatever reason, most of us are not completely satisfied with ourselves unless we exceed our expectations. It's not enough for us to simply reach a goal, do a task, and be done with it, we want to take that goal or whatever it might be to the next level.
Since the first of the year I have made a point to make time in my schedule to write. I don't always get to it every single night, but a good four nights a week I am down in my office clicking away on the keyboard. Some nights are more productive than others, that's just a given with writing. But on those nights when I only pump out five instead of 10 pages, I actually feel somewhat disappointed in myself. As if I have failed at something or not given it my best effort. Those are the times when I have to kick myself mentally and remind myself that as of a month ago I wasn't writing nearly as consistently as I am now, which means I have made great strides in just a matter of weeks.
But you see what I mean? It's hard to celebrate the small accomplishments, or even the fact that we did what we set out to do. There is this ingrained sentiment that we must do it to the max each and every time.
I suppose not everyone thinks this way. But for those of us who do, I think we need to remind ourselves from time to time that underachieving is something to be celebrated. Sometimes it's worth cutting a few minutes off your workout to go home and spend time with family, and even though it doesn't always feel like it, that pile of work sitting on your desk probably CAN wait until tomorrow. We don't need to berate ourselves for not being perfect, for not being able to do every single little thing that comes our way.
There's nothing wrong with making progress in small increments. And yet it's hard to let go of the mindset that everything we are working for can be achieved all at once. There's a thought.....exceeding expectionas and instant gratification. A connection, perhaps?
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