You're the one who feels like they never have enough time. The one who people always say "I don't know how she/he does it" about. Sometimes this gives you a positive feeling; you feel like you're actually doing something with your life. However, some people may try to put you down by calling you an overachiever, but they may be wrong. While you may balance a lot each day, you may not necessarily be an overachiever. You may just be a high performer. And that's perfectly okay.
So, which one are you?
1. The "work work work" aspect.
Overachievers are viewed as having a "work, work, work" lifestyle and only seeing end goals to be set to perfection. They are constantly working towards an end goal and are very future oriented versus focusing in the present.
For high performers, while the "work, work, work" aspect might be true, they do value a social life as well. They don't mind putting things on the back burner, if just for a little bit as long as it would not effect the success of the outcome.
Both overachievers and high performers know how to time manage, but they prioritize differently. Overachievers are more likely to prioritize work/goals while high performers will prioritize a balance between work life and social life.
2. How punctual are you?
Overachievers are typically known to be punctual. After all, with so much to do they only have so much time for each thing on the to-do list.
If you're a high performer, you may also be the 'late friend' and never on time to anything. But you eventually get what you need to done. You enjoy breaks. You may not use it as time to catch up on the excess work you have, although that was your original intention. Instead, Netflix becomes your object of attention for days on end.
3. The end goal
Being an overachiever and a perfectionist is not an uncommon combo. The end product must be the best; perfect. An overachiever typically wants to complete everything in the quickest amount of time, so they can move on to working on something else.
High performers will do all they need to do for the end product that is the most productive, but sometimes not necessarily the most perfect. If waiting is what is needed, they will do so. They don't mind going off track to accomplish the most efficient end product.
Whether you're an overachiever or just a high performer, either way you're ready for the real world. Odds are your résumé looks fantastic. However, just know when you've reached your limit. Stress is undoubtedly part of the package, but you don't want to stretch yourself impossibly thin. Remember there's a life to live out there as well. There's only so many hours in a day. But with your impressive skills in time management and getting things done, there's no doubt that a successful career lies ahead of you.
