Overachieving Can Kill

From a young age, I have always felt like I have had something to prove to others. I am not quite sure where that frame of thinking stemmed from but one thing I am aware of is my drive to always be ahead has made me a bit obsessive. It is not until recently that I have realized overachieving can actually KILL. It can kill you spiritually and mentally. I have been so caught up in being ahead and making a "mark" within my social class that the focus is sometimes only on overachieving and not on what I am actually trying to achieve.

When I say overachieving I mean I was that girl who took honors, advanced placement, college readiness and dual enrollment classes all year round. Also while working and being super active in different organizations in school and to wrap that all up and put a bow on top I am a social butterfly- too social of a butterfly at times. So all in all, this acute case of being an overachiever causes you to burn out rather quickly and be super hard on yourself at times.Surprisingly, I have somehow managed to keep up with this lifestyle I have been creating for myself.

For me personally transitions have always represented growth and new endeavors but with every "growth-spurt" I become a little more self-aware. Being in college has made me come to the realization that now is the time to reinvent yourself. In college, you have an ample amount of opportunities to figure out who you really are despite the facade you have created to portray to the world. I constantly have to remind myself that it is okay to be a little fish, in a big pond, because little fish can still make ripple waves too. Just because you are going at your own pace does not elude to mediocrity. It is important to prioritize what must get done versus what can wait.

Greatness does not come overnight. Greatness comes with many days and quite frankly many long nights. When you plant a seed you must not fuss over the rate in which it is growing you must be more concerned with the nutrient it is receiving in order to grow. If you know what it is you want to achieve in life you have already planted the seed of success. Whether it be big or small. Society tells you that things should be done in a certain way or time frame. However, if you really sit and think about it, when has society ever really given great advice? The most successful people have broken free of societal standards.

When reevaluating if overachieving is benefiting me or killing me I have had to make sure that whatever it is I am trying to achieve is for me and only me because ultimately I come first. When you are doing something you really want to do, no matter how stressful it can present itself to be, it is always a bit more enjoyable and the outcome is always rewarding. By nature, I think I will always go the extra mile when asked for a yard but I must say spreading myself too thin just causes unneeded anxiety and stress. I may not know everything but one thing I do know is, it just fine to take it slow sometimes. Life is a never-ending journey you are consistently in a state growth.

-xo "V"