Growing up in a household full of doctors isn't easy, to say the least. Ever since I was a little girl, certain lessons have been hammered into my brain- "Don't call me when I'm on call", "Don't play with the stethoscope" and finally "Don't ever back down." So I grew up to become a huge over-achiever. I was always taught that going above and beyond gets you somewhere in life. Now, this lesson has helped me an indefinite number of times in my life, but I've suffered from it as well numerous times.
The biggest question that I would at least try to find an answer to is why we feel the need to do something extra, something more. Being an over achiever has two sides ( much like every other human issue)- being so hardworking that one goes beyond what they are required to do, but also something we do to make up for deficiencies.
During my entire life, I have never turned in a homework assignment late. My parents have many painful memories of me waking them up at 3 in the morning asking them for help on how to divide 16 by 2, since I forgot to finish my first grade math homework. Now it's not like one late or missing homework page would bring my grade point average down- I was in the first grade! But for some reason, the idea of turning in my homework late made my physically sick. This over achieving behavior has stuck with me. In seventh grade, we had to write our own plays starring various characters from Greek mythology. The week leading up to our showcase, while all my friends were busy memorizing their lines, I was too busy painstakingly hand sewing authentic Greek robes. And I had already memorized my lines the second that I wrote our groups play script. While simultaneously taking charge of our Math class's project to tutor the school's sixth graders. It's not as if that I were a bossy person, it's just that I enjoyed overwhelming myself and going beyond what people expected me to do. This behavior definitely has its benefits. The extra studying I would do for tests by reading extra textbooks I had bought myself would help me get higher scores, or the twice daily dance practices I would do at home helped to get me promoted to a senior dancer in my dance school's performing troupe.
The biggest consequence of my 'over-achieving' tendencies is that I have become entirely burned out, and essentially, fooling myself. Throughout middle school, if there was a question on a test or assignment that I did not know the answer to, I would flood my paper with facts and details about topics relevant to the subject that I was asked about. This method worked wonders when I was younger since I would score 100% on the questions and even get bonus points for my outside information. However, AP tests don't work the same way as middle school teachers. I could write all the fluff that I could for my answers, but unless I actually wrote the clear, concise answer down, I would not get all the points for the question. As a result, I had to completely change up my study style. Instead of focusing on every single little detail, I started to focus on understanding the bigger picture first. Once I studied all the theory and notes we had, I started going to outside sources for more information. I also had to learn that sometimes getting straight to the point was the best answer I could ever write down on a test; the "writing fluff" doesn't equal a perfect answer. Similarly, I had to learn that sometimes it is okay not giving every single bit of energy I have in every little thing I do. It is okay to skip a workout or a dance rehearsal once in a while if I am wiped out from staying up night studying for a test or finishing up my homework. It is also okay if I just take a day for myself to lie around and watch Netflix, since every minute of my life does not have to be consumed with doing something productive.
Being an over-achiever is in no way a bad thing; in fact, it helps us become tremendous, hard working people, who go above and beyond to complete their tasks. However, the lesson that I want to point out is that sometimes we can all lose ourselves in our work, and become enveloped by all the work we do. It is perfectly alright to slow down, take a beat, and realize that as long as you have reached your standards and goals that you have set up for yourself, you are on the right track.
