Four Reasons you Struggle with Change as a High Achiever.
Change is hard. However, if you’re a high achiever, here are four things that may be impacting your ability to navigate change.
You take on too much at once.
High achievers are full of big ideas and dreams. When inspiration strikes it’s tempting to take on all the things all at once, and generally choose to do so alone. This strategy often leads to becoming overwhelmed, operating from analysis/paralysis, overthinking and underperforming. Until finally, you get so overwhelmed that you burnout and quit.
The key to success is creating a realistic strategy with goals and micro-goals to keep you on the path but at a pace that is manageable and sustainable.
The change you’re making isn’t aligned with your value system.
If the outcome you’re striving for doesn’t align with your value system chances are that taking action is going to feel unmotivating and unispiring. For many high achievers this lack of motivation is viewed through the lens of being “lazy” or “uncommitted” so you try harder but only end up feeling poorly about yourself and your ability to create progress only to then get caught up in the shame cycle believing your lack of progress is a result of “being lazy” or “unmotivated.” When in reality you are simply disconnected from the outcome because it doesn’t align with your values.
If you’re stuck in this category go back to understanding your ‘why’ and how that answer aligns with your values.
You believe that the change will be “easy, breezy” and don’t plan for setbacks.
Despite best intentions or even best laid plans, setback can and do happen regularly. The issue is that when a setback presents its self it’s taken as a “sign” that things are out of alignment or “not meant to be.” Your brain tells you “this shouldn’t be this hard” and you become discouraged. This leads you to self-preservation mode turning on the fight or flight response.
Having a contingency plan is useful if you’re struggling with navigating setbacks. Who can you ask for help or feedback from? What are 2-3 ways you can problem solve for this setback?
You’re flying solo without support or accountability.
We touched on this point earlier, but flying solo can be lonely and overwhelming. Without community who can you turn to when you’re grinding away everyday and wondering what your next best steps are? Who do you turn to when you’re feeling discouraged, stagnant, or unmotivated? You need a community of like-minded people and accountability buddies to support you when you need it most. Without community and accountability the path to amazing accomplishments is isolating and may even take you longer to accomplish because you have to go through all the ups and downs solo.
To avoid flying solo, identify at least one trusted confidant/support person that you can turn to when you need it most.
If you’re way over the stress, chaos, and exhaustion of your high-pressure lifestyle, I am here to help. Contact me for a free consultation where we discuss how to create a life that has more margin for the things you really want to be doing.