Underachieving Overachievers

As a youngster, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said I wanted to be a lawyer. Not only because my mother was one, but because I was a huge fan of LA Law. In college, I thought I wanted to be a pediatrician or psychiatrist (loved watching ER). Obviously, I changed my mind (since both of those shows are no longer on the air) and chose to become a therapist. I completed graduate school, acquired hours and took a licensing exam and voila! I am now licensed to provide psychotherapy.

Hooray.

We have been taught to believe that with education comes more career satisfaction and success. The American dream is within our grasps, especially when we cross the stage and get that degree. Many people decide to pursue higher education because their passion and interests have lead to a path that requires more education. But let's keep it real...the allure of financial success (mo' money) is often a huge part of the equation. Who wants to pay $80K for an education to come out making $35K?

That's right...that was me!*

So clearly it wasn't just about money for me. I'll admit, I'm a bit of a nerd and I like learning. I'm also competitve and driven; how better to prove your success than to get an A on a paper, son? Scholastic aptitude aside, getting a professional degree signified one other thing: I am an overachiever. Unfortunately, being an overachiever doesn't mean your overachievingness equates to success. While the desire to get another degree was about satisfying expectations for my future success, it most certainly did not guarantee it.

Isn't that some bullcrap?

Many overachievers are coming out of whatever professional school and are learning this the hard way. We are smart, gifted, talented and completely under-employed. All those A's do not translate to the dream job. It's a bitter pill to swallow when the student loan people start asking for their money back. Most of us are ill-equipped to deal with the disappointment of not getting what we want, especially in this area of our lives where we have always, well, achieved.

So how do we sustain a positive attitude in this situation? Alcohol. Wine is really helpful in making you feel happy. It is admittedly difficult in our current economy and job market. However, there might be something we're putting in the universe that could be creating an obstacle regarding our employment. One of the downsides to being an overachiever is that we sometimes forget that we're not superior human beings; our expectations may not be the most realistic. If you are underemployed or unemployed, now is the time to dig deep and develop other aspects of yourself that have been neglected. When you're not working or are unhappy with your work situation, it's important to have other outlets. Have you been meaning to write? Organize your baseball cap collection? Learn how to square dance? Whatever it is, do it! Hopefully, all the positive energy you're putting into other aspects of your life will get you closer to your real/dream job.

And while it may take some time for it to happen, you'll finally know how to allemande left like a pro.





*See, when I was interviewing other therapists prior to attending school and looking at websites for various programs, all of them forgot to mention one small little detail - you will be broke. They waxed poetic about the fulfillment of helping people reach their goals and how we contribute to the betterment of society. What they neglected to mention is that you start off being severely underpaid and when you mention that you're a therapist to people, they either want you to therapize them on the spot (like at a party when you have a drink in your hand) or they stop talking because they don't want you to analyze them. Did I mention that you're severely underpaid? Ending rant about profession now.