25 Jan 5 Habits
5 Habits That High Achievers Should Break To Avoid Problems, Stress And Burnout
Motivation Thursdays with Mrs. Samuels
This letter is for the High Achievers. People describe high achievers as intelligent, hardworking, efficient, and successful.
High achievers tend to be task oriented, respected in their professional roles, reliable, organized, pillars of the community, and maintain a full social schedule (pre-COVID).
There’s a good chance, that if you’ve received this letter, you are in fact a high achieving person. While high achievers play an important role in society, work places, and leadership, they also have a high tendency to experience anxiety, relationship problems, stress, and burnout. High achievers tend to run themselves ragged trying to maintain their status.
1. Refusing to say NO. You CANNOT always expect yourself to save the day by shouldering more responsibilities.
What or who are you saying NO to when you say Yes to another commitment. It is your spouse, your children, your need to take care of yourself?
2. Not asking for help.
Everyone relies on others to a degree. Make reasonable asks, express gratitude, and reciprocate favors. YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO.
3. Too much comparison with other people.
Make personal comparisons that focus on your own progress-where you’ve been and where you’re heading.
4. Not being present in the moment.
Try to slow down and enjoy the journey. What are you missing out on by always worrying about what’s going to happen next?
5. Relying on achievement to feel worthy.
The satisfaction from success is often short lived. We have value as human beings regardless of what we achieve. Never let your value be determined by other people’s perception of you.
So, if you are reading this, you are about to enter one of the hardest times as a high achiever…the HOLIDAYS. Filled with expectation, extra time with family, expenses, family drama, and so on.
This is a time where high achievers tend to lose it. Instead of focusing on unmet (or unrealistic) expectations of yourself and others, take a pause, focus on the moment, what would you rather feel? You are the only one keeping you from achieving the goal of feeling calm, relaxed, happy, content, and grateful.
Amanda Samuels, LMFT
Other Motivation Thursdays Articles by Mrs. Samuels
• 5 Habits That High Achievers Should Break
• “I’d agree with you but then we’d both be wrong.”
• “Sit with your anger long enough until it tells you its real name.”
• “Stay in your lane… if you want to come into mine, please signal your intentions.”
• “This is from Billy, not Amanda (Full Disclosure).”
• Survival Mode is part of what we go through in this life at times
• Not winning, especially if this is how the news is broken to you about your couch!
• Motivational Change vs. Behavioral Change
• “Your emotions are valid, your reaction to your emotions might not be.”