You may genuinely enjoy the feeling that setting goals and achieving them brings to you, but somewhere along the way, your accomplishments start feeling only briefly satisfying. Long-lasting satisfaction subsides because your mind is already racing toward the “next thing,” and the next thing still doesn’t feel like enough.

For many high-achievers and perfectionists, success can be both deeply fulfilling and incredibly exhausting. If you find yourself constantly striving to do more, be better, and meet the highest of standards, I get it...this was once me, too.

In a world that values success and achievement, high achievers often find themselves in a relentless pursuit of goals, pushing their limits to attain greater heights. While their ambition and drive can lead to remarkable accomplishments, the toll on their mental well-being is often underestimated.

High-achievement stress often comes with an inner dialogue that sounds like:

• “I need to do more.”

• “If I’m not striving towards success, then I must be failing.”

• “My value is dependent on my accomplishments.”

Over time, this cycle leads to tension, self-criticism, anxiety, burnout, and a deep sense of disconnection from yourself and the world around you.

You might benefit from therapy if you:

• Find your mind more focused on the future than on the present

• Are always drained, even after achievements

• Procrastinate because waiting feels safer than risking failure

• Can’t ever relax or take breaks because it feels like there’s always more to do

• Fear making mistakes will make you be seen as imperfect

• Feel like you’re constantly “on-the-go”

• Base your worth off of your performance