I think back to my days as a young tot, sitting at my tiny desk in front of my teacher. She’s standing in front of my class as she asks who wants to volunteer to get the milk for snack time. Immediately my hand shoots up in a desperate pursuit to be in charge of such a pressing matter.
Then I think, this is where it all began.
From that moment on I found myself wanting to be apart of everything. Playing every sport, joining every club, volunteering at every event— I craved the involvement. It’s a desire that never really goes away and trust me, it comes with both highs and lows. Here are things you find to be true if you grew up as an overachiever.
Planner-Crazy
Every overachiever has their trusty companion, the one friend that will never leave their side through anything, someone who keeps them sane. Obviously, that friend is your daily planner. This little guy makes shopping for school supplies every semester so much fun, especially when you find the aisle dedicated to the leather fellas. Finding the biggest and most detailed one is essential, with all of the different calendars for your hourly, daily, weekly and monthly needs at your disposal. And once it’s all yours? It’s filled with post-it notes, highlighter marks, paperclips…pretty much every office supply you can find. And you bet you’re not leaving the house without it.
Making Plans is an Official Ordeal
“Sorry, I’m not sure if I can go to the gym during that time. How about the time slot between 5:30 and 7?” We’ve all used a line like this. When it comes to planning friendly affairs, especially the simple ones, it’s usually on your terms. But you can’t blame yourself. How are you expected to blow off that club or that meeting when they’re counting on you? This can sometimes cause some major conflicts with friends or dates, but always remember that the right friends will understand and support you through your crazy schedules.
Bored on Vacations
Ah yes, every overachiever’s dream: a break from it all. Right in the eye of the storm we’ve all desperately hoped for just a little relief. Then when we are finally ]granted a small breath of air—whether it be a holiday, a break in semester, or maybe just a free Saturday—we feel something that is every overachiever’s worst nightmare. Boredom. After all the desperation that we had to maybe get a chance at relaxation, it usually plays out that after one episode on Netflix you’re feeling a bit meaningless and usually resort to doing crazy, unproductive tasks.
Dominant Friend
Friendships usually play out that there is a leader and a follower, and you, my overachieving friend, are the leader. It’s so hard not to be, and luckily you have a friend that has no problem with you letting you take the reigns (even though they’ve referred to you as a bossy-pants multiple times). Calling the shots on plans for the night, picking places to eat, even deciding on an outfit for them. But don’t stress out if you think you’re being too controlling. Every friendship needs to be managed somehow!
Resume Length
Every overachiever has run into this problem more than once. Revising that resume gets stressful. How are we expected to fit all of those clubs and volunteering hours onto one page? And don’t get me started on job history and hobbies. You’re forced into ‘sub-categorizing’ everything that you can just to get a complete and truthful resume.
Whatever you may be feeling as an overachiever, don’t forget how successful you’ve been and how much more success there is to be had out there. The world would be a mess without you guys.