So I have been a fan of Valerie Hayes for MANY years and naturally I was SO excited when she came on board as a sponsor to the Mrs. Oklahoma International pageant. Too bad my year is almost over! But, whoever becomes Mrs. OK Intl 2010 will have the AMAZING opportunity to work with and learn from Valerie. Here is a recent article from her new blog called Everyday Beauty Queen. You can visit www.everydaybeautyqueen.com for more great articles! I highly recommend it! And thank you so much Valerie for becoming part of the Mrs. OK Intl family!

What Exactly is an Overachiever?

January 27th, 2010

Okay, so I know you’ve heard this phrase over and over again, “She’s such an overachiever”. You’ve probably said it about a friend or co-worker, or maybe you’ve even said it about yourself. But what exactly IS an overachiever?

Naturally I would never do anything as predictably mundane as quote the Merriam-Webster dictionary by telling you that the definition of an overachiever is “one who achieves success over and above the standard or expected level especially at a young age”. Okay, so this definition means someone who has pleasantly surprised us with their accomplishments – I get it.

But is that how we actually use the word “overachiever” in everyday conversion? No it really isn’t. We hear: “I don’t know why she studies so hard; she’s such an overachiever.” “She gets up super early to get her workout in; she’s such an overachiever.” “I want to make sure everything’s perfect – you know how I am – I’m such an overachiever”. Somewhere along the way the word “overachiever” has come to have negative connotations. Its word cousins in everyday conversation are “perfectionist” and “obsessive”. Now is that really what you’re trying to say about yourself when you say you’re an overachiever?

Or do you really mean that you’re a True Potential Achiever? Do you mean that you ENJOY stretching yourself and your capabilities? Do you mean that you’re a life-long learner and love learning new skills and developing your current skills to their highest level? Say the phrase “I’m a True Potential Achiever” to yourself right now and ask yourself, “How does that make me feel?” I’m gonna’ bet that it feels a whole lot better than calling yourself an “overachiever”. Just think of all the things you could accomplish if you gave yourself permission to see yourself as a True Potential Achiever and started using words and phrases that reflect your interest in expanding your possibilities as well as your realities. (I can see the difference in you from here!)

EBQs know that to create the person they want to become, they’ve got to SEE it, HEAR it, and FEEL it. EBQs know that personal development is a never ending game of challenging themselves to achieve the next level of mastery – and that there’s no possible way anyone can achieve their true potential if they are thinking negative thoughts about themselves. It just can’t be done. So stop referring to yourself as an “overachiever” – that phrase is just soooo last season. Start using a label that more accurately tells your story: you’re a True Potential Achiever!