Think about these quotes

“I remember looking at my mom hanging clothes on the line and she wanted to teach me how to do these things because, in her mind, my success would be to find a great paying job as a maid. But I clearly remember thinking one day, “This was not going to be my future.” Oprah

In the Forbes article “From Poor As Hell to Billionaire..” Tyler quoted “I like to challenge the system and see what I can do differently.”

Do you see the common perspectives here? 

They all see something that is not yet visible, and they believe they can challenge the current circumstances to achieve greatness. 

An overachiever is defined as “one who achieves success over and above the standard or expected level. Merriam Webster.

Overachievers have been able to achieve above the set expectations because they believe to a certain extent in pushing boundaries, challenging systems, and venturing on paths where no one has been before. It is especially hard to convince overachievers of impossibilities because they have a track record of accomplishing things that other people once saw as impossible or extremely challenging. 

Breaking the ceiling and going above limitations, while it has many perks, also comes with many challenges that are personally tasking to an overachiever. 

So why do Overachievers need a higher power in their lives?

#1 To increase their discernment 

One of the obstacles to being the first one to achieve a thing is that there are few people who can advise you on the next direction to go. It is hard to measure someone’s performance when that person is a category all by herself, as in the case of Simone Bile during the Olympics. What may be considered failure personally is defined as success in the public eye. 

Being connected to a higher power that’s omnipresent and omnipotent allows this overachiever to continue to break the right limits and achieve success. This higher guidance helps them to be aware of the danger zones. What usually happens when they are constantly overperforming is that people start seeing these extraordinary performances as ordinary and expect that same level if not higher each time. Without higher guidance to set the clear boundary,  it can get dangerous when overachievers try to keep up with the public expectations of them to do more than before. 

Also having that high level of discernment allows overachievers to push boundaries at the right moment and step back when it is no longer necessary. Naturally, we are wired to keep doing things we know that have worked in the past, but when time changes we need to quickly adapt and that’s always a challenge if we are not willing to get uncomfortable going the opposite way.

#2 To manage their competitive spirit

All overachievers are naturally competitive to a certain level. The very idea of wanting to go above the standard is fueled by the spirit of competition. While this is always a great attitude to be successful in life, it is not always healthy. The mind, body, and soul sometimes get tired of performing over the standard and simply need rest. If not careful, an overachiever may see those physical signs from the body as symptoms of weakness and try to push harder. Overachievers tend to believe they can go one more mile or one more day and still come out on top. Unfortunately, that is not always the case in reality.

Because overachievers are also naturally stubborn, which has worked for them thus far, a higher power who is not easily persuaded is a necessary presence in forcing their hands to take a sit and bow. Having that higher power in their lives reminds them of their imperfections and human-ness and provides the humility they need to recover before the next challenge. 

Getting to a level where you start believing that you are untouchable is actually the most vulnerable position to be, as a human. 

#3 To provide clarity.

An overachiever who has succeeded in moving the needles needs a higher source of inspiration for their next move. Once you’ve gone above the expectations, going back to “normal” will feel like a failure. Because great ideas do not simply come out of thin air, an overachiever needs to be grounded and develop a routine that will continuously fuel their ingenious spirit. 

Contrary to what the media portrays, it’s not always the luxurious vacations, the penthouse, or the medals that fuel the next performance, it’s deeper than that. Being now in an environment where people tip-toe around telling you the truth or hesitate to advise you because of your successful track records, clarity may be harder to attain. 

A higher power is never afraid of hurting your feeling with the truth. That power is also never afraid to push you toward the right people and send you reminders of why you started this race in the first place. A simple walk may turn into your next company because you understand the need to connect to that power at every crossroad.  That power has your trust and your eternal respect. And that’s why the relationship works. 

That higher power cannot be a person because humans fail each other, that’s what we do. And some offenses are costly and harder to forgive than others. Risking your talents with complete trust in another human is guaranteed disappointment. We cannot truly love one another until we fully accept that we will fail each other at some point in time. But a higher power, like God the creator of this perfect universe, will deliver each and every time. 

Who’s your higher power?