Are You an Achievement Addict?

Here are the signs:

You love a good goal. The minute you hit a goal you set the next one. If you hit the goal you're a success. If you don't, you're a failure.

You want to be the best at whatever you do. "Meets expectations" feels like a big, fat F on your report card.

You strive mightily to always do things the "right" way, to make the "right" decision and avoid mistakes or criticism at all costs.

If you're not getting compliments and kudos it's a bad day.

Your emotions get the best of you - a lot. You try hard to hide it but ordinary stressors, feedback or unexpected problems send you reeling.

You're the go-to person at the office and at home. If someone needs something they know they can count on you. Never mind that you're completely exhausted and often seeth with resentment about the people who aren't pulling their weight or always make last-minute requests.

It's not your fault that things turned out this way, my friend. This is the way so many of us were conditioned to behave. As kids, in school, in college and on the job.

You fell in line with the idea that your worth is tied to your achievements and keeping others happy.

I did too. It's miserable and confusing. I felt like I'd followed all the rules. Why was I so unhappy?

Because I was over-functioning, driven by perfectionism and people-pleasing.

If you're addicted to achievement you'll never feel calm. You're always jonesing for the next validation fix, always on the lookout for the next problem to solve.

You're overthinking it. The key to settling down is deciding that your worth and value are not dependent on others' opinions of you.

Click here to download my free Discover Your Core Values worksheets.