Is your Hyper Achiever running you?

Hyper, ‘over’ the top, too much, frenetic.

The hyper acheiver is the part of you that says life is really short, don’t stop now, you only get one go at this. Not in a loving, encouraging way, instead it feels like the treadmill speed is powering up. The voice says; look at all the other people who are doing it better, who have more success, more keynotes, more invites.

It can run us. And we have a choice of whether or not to listen to it. Your greatest potential will be reached when your hyper achiever is not in the driving seat. It’s ok to be an achiever, it’s noticing when you slide into hyper.

Shirzad Chamine, author of Positive Intelligence, defines the hyper achiever as being highly focused on external success, leading to unsustainable workaholic tendencies and loss of touch with deeper emotional and relationship needs. The hyper achiever bases happiness on the next success that hasn’t happened yet, a risk for ourselves and our teams if we are only happy when we are achieving.

This part wouldn’t say enjoy this, you made this happen, it’s amazing.

I am building the mental muscle of knowing when the drive for success is running me. It is so easy to slip into hyper achiever mode, it’s a well worn path and yet it’s where stress, not joy, comes from.

It is the part of me that compares myself to others, so that I can subtly criticise my own efforts. It’s the part of me that makes it difficult to say no to ‘opportunities’ (because everything is an opportunity for success, right?!), it’s the part of me that justifies squeezing in work during a holiday even though I know creative ideas need space.

And thankfully it’s only a part. I’m better at recognising it, and the lies it tells about success. It has also made me acutely aware of these voices in those I coach, how sneaky they can be in distorting your meaning of success.

Do you have this hyper achiever part? How does it run you, what does it say?

What are the situations when it has a lot of airtime (hint - low energy, a situation not going to plan, spending time with the wrong people, not investing in your needs, social media when you’re h-angry)? How do you manage it?

A few tips to try -

1. Cut yourself some well deserved slack

2. Notice when it shows up, in what situations, with whom.

3. Name it, it will help you to see the damaging side effects and perhaps even the humour in it.

4. Focus your attention on something else when you hear it. Chamine suggests 10 seconds on a physical sensation, your breathe, a part of your body.

5. Appreciate yourself, your mistakes and achievements, your everyday.

6. Take a well earned break over the festive period, to rest and refresh.

And for the part of you who is looking forward to a new decade, and wants to create space to set meaningful goals, join our online workshop in January to learn How to Set Goals To Successfully Thrive in 2020. Click here to find out more.