Are you feeling the pressure to always be perfect, to always achieve more? If you’re a high achiever, you might often find yourself trapped in a cycle of relentless striving, where no matter how much you accomplish, it never feels like enough. This is what I call high-achieving anxiety—a constant, nagging voice that tells you perfection is the only acceptable outcome.
But here’s the truth: success doesn’t have to come at the expense of your well-being.
For high achievers, it’s easy to forget that when you’re good at something, your 80% is someone else’s 130%. Often, people aren’t looking for perfect—they’re looking for "good enough" and are grateful when you deliver something that’s simply great. But if you burn out trying to be perfect all the time, that’s no good to anyone, least of all yourself.
Perfectionism Kills Progress
Perfectionism isn’t just stressful—it’s also a significant barrier to progress. When you’re so focused on making everything perfect, you’re less likely to take risks, try new things, or push yourself out of your comfort zone. You might spend so much time tweaking and refining that you never actually finish what you started. This obsession with perfection can hold you back from achieving your full potential.
The pressures we put on ourselves, especially as women, can be overwhelming. Society often expects us to excel in every aspect of our lives—career, family, personal development—without faltering. These expectations can be suffocating and can lead to burnout if we’re not careful.
The Gender Gap in Confidence
Did you know that for a man to apply for a job, he typically needs to believe he can do just 20% of what’s listed in the job advert? In contrast, women often feel they need to be confident they can do between 80-90% of the job before they even consider applying. This statistic highlights a significant gender gap in confidence, driven in large part by perfectionism.
Women, particularly high achievers, often feel they must meet or exceed every requirement before they’re willing to put themselves forward. This mindset not only limits opportunities but also perpetuates the cycle of high-achieving anxiety. The fear of not being perfect can stop you from pursuing roles and opportunities where you could thrive.
Redefining Success with Thrive in 2025
It’s time to break free from the shackles of perfectionism and redefine what success looks like for you. Thrive in 2025 is designed to help you gain clarity, reduce stress, and set realistic, meaningful goals that align with your true self. This event is about more than just what you achieve—it’s about how you feel while achieving it.
Together, we can work to shift the narrative from "perfect" to "progress." Let’s focus on setting achievable goals, embracing imperfection, and recognising that your worth isn’t tied to being flawless.
Perfectionism may feel like a necessary driver of success, but in reality, it can hold you back more than it pushes you forward. By learning to manage high-achieving anxiety, you can unlock your true potential and create a more balanced, fulfilling life.
Let’s work together to redefine success—not just as what you achieve, but how you feel while achieving it.
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