Understanding the psychology of high achievers. What drives high achievers' success?

When the poet Virgil put forth the phrase, “fortune favors the bold,” has he arrived at this insight after observing patterns of successful living in people around him? 

All around us, we see and hear of people who get stuck with their goals, and those who stick with their goals until they reach their success. The latter, we call high achievers, use their ambition and self-discipline to reach goals that are meaningful for them, often also providing significant and positive impact on others. 

Success comes with challenges and obstacles. 

In order to better understand the psychology of high achievers, and to find ways to improve their mental health, researchers have studied several aspects that make people transform to high achievers. 

Stress. Several studies have found that high levels of stress seem to plague people who consistently achieve their goals. One significant cause of their stress is related to high pressure from society, families, and themselves. They also tend to be perfectionists. Added to that is their fear of failing and feelings of isolation. 

As a result, high achievers tend to battle with fatigue and other stress-related signs almost on a daily basis. 

Tendency to be perfectionist. There is a strong link between being a high achiever and perfectionism and high intelligence. Their motivation to discipline and motivate themselves are because of their desire to do things right all the time. 

On the other hand, when high achievers let perfectionism get the better of them, they tend to be more anxious and even depressed compared to others with low perfectionist tendencies. 

Intense pressure. The source of pressure can vary, but the heaviest come from how the person’s family and peers, and society views success. High achievers are overcomers of these pressures, but down the road, they pay the price with their mental wellbeing. 

Studies have shown that there is increased risk for high achievers to abuse substances in order to cope with the pressure. 

Stress relief for high achievers

According to studies, there are a variety of ways that high achievers use to manage their stress. These include both healthy and sometimes harmful practices. 

• Time management
• Effective planning
• Overworking
• Letting stress pile up 

It is crucial for high achievers, their families, peers and society to provide support so that stress does not become overwhelming. 

When researchers wanted to find out how medical students coped with the stress of medical school and perform well to achieve their goals, they found out that these medical students had help-seeking methods and stress-relieving methods. 

Help-seeking methods: 

1. Seeking clarifications from teachers
2. Discussion of course content with fellow medical students
3. Seeking emotional support from guardians/parents
4. Seeing support from religious organizations

While high achievers are on the cusps of achieving success, they also need healthier coping practices. 

• Increase self-compassion. Check for feelings of self-criticism and self-judgment. These feelings tend to chip away at a person’s self esteem in the long run. Instead, practice more kindness and understanding to one’s self. 

• Make goals realistic while challenging oneself. This can help high achievers manage stress and increase feelings of control. Goals are still meaningful, and provide a sense of fulfillment when achieved. 

High achievers create an inspiring kind of atmosphere around them, and making sure that high achievers also grow in their stress-management skills will bring lasting and positive change in the world. 

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