The Overachiever’s Riddle: Are You the Answer?
- outofsmallthingsli
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
What do you call an overachieving perfectionist who thinks everyone else’s needs come before her own?
Someone who can go from 0 to 60 in 2.3 seconds meeting everyone else’s demands—often before they even ask?
Someone so busy making sure the world keeps spinning that she forgets she’s the one getting dizzy?
Answer: Probably you.
It’s a funny (but not-so-funny) thing we do. We tell ourselves it’s just who we are—helpful, reliable, productive. We take pride in it. Until we don’t. Until we’re exhausted, resentful, and wondering why no one is taking care of us.
Why? Because we trained them not to.
We set the expectation that we’re fine. That we don’t need help. That we love doing everything. (Which, sure, we kinda do—until we don’t.)
So how do we break the cycle?
1. Catch yourself in the act. Notice when you’re solving a problem that wasn’t actually yours to solve. Did anyone even ask you to do this? Or did you swoop in out of habit? Just pausing to notice is a game-changer.
2. Check in with yourself. Do you actually want to do this? Or do you just feel like you should?
3. Start small. Whether you say it out loud or just to yourself, try: “I don’t have to do this right now.” It might feel like breaking an unspoken contract, but guess what? The world won’t end.
4. Relearn the word “no.” It’s a complete sentence. Bonus points for saying it without over-explaining.
Here’s the truth: Your needs matter, too. You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t need permission to set a boundary. You don’t have to be everything for everyone.
So maybe the real riddle is this: What would happen if you took care of yourself the way you take care of everyone else?
Answer: Let’s find out.
High five ✋
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