An overachiever and insecure person is someone who constantly strives for better but never feels like he has arrived there.

They tend to believe that their value depends on their job, business, or career. As a result, they are not confident in their accomplishments and crave praise to remind them that they are good enough. This poor thinking is often based on past childhood experiences and poorly directed praise from their parents and role models.

High achievers with hidden insecurities are likely to be highly critical of their work performance and have an unrealistic view of their talents and abilities. They fear being unqualified, so they go above and beyond the call of duty to prove themselves to their co-workers and bosses.

You may be an insecure overachiever without even realizing it. It can be disguised as a general anxiety about work or a great passion for what you do. This makes it attractive to employers. They are able to ignore the serious effects this personality trait may have on a person, and instead enjoy the benefits of having an assertive employee endlessly.

Signs that you are an insecure superior person:

You work too many hours

The problem with needing to prove that you’re a hard worker is that there are very few ways to show how hard you work – especially when you’re struggling to feel proud of what you’ve produced. The usual way forward for high achievers is to measure the hours you have worked. For this personality type, long hours mean hard work and success.

These days, there are a huge number of insecure workaholics and overachievers. Most workplaces are filled with people who never feel like they’ve done enough. This means that long work days are very common.

Like a vicious cycle, when they see others working long hours, high achievers feel they have to do the same. There’s nothing worse than being at the bottom of the barrel, even if it’s all in your head.

Insecure high achievers find it difficult to describe this day as a day in which the task was not completed. Instead of leaving work until the next morning, they will work through the night. This can lead to staying up all night and sacrificing any other personal needs until work is done.

You deal with criticism harshly

An overachiever with self-esteem issues thrives on praise and compliments. They need to know that their hard work has paid off, and they need to know that others see it too. They are constantly trying to be the best in their career and will not be comfortable with anything less.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to produce flawless work. Sometimes, even when it’s simple, there are improvements that need to be made. For perfectionists, like most insecure people, any form of criticism is difficult to handle.

Hearing that the work they’ve produced isn’t perfect can send insecure high achievers into a downward spiral. This may lead to more excessive work hours and stress, all in the name of self-doubt. This may lead to feeling undeserving of their job and previous professional success.

You have little time for other interests

As a hard worker and insecure person, your life revolves around your work. This means that there is little time for social life, family life or any other hobbies. You spend your weekends, nights, and even holidays working in hopes of furthering your career and doing your best.

Prioritization is also a difficulty for insecure high achievers. They regularly put work above everything else because they see it as the most important factor in their lives. Without this, their self-worth is depleted and they lose their sense of identity. Continuous work allows them to feel the never-ending stream of self-esteem that they so desperately crave.

However, not having time for other interests can make a person narrow-minded, and cause his work to suffer. If you’re looking to ditch your overdone look, the best way to start is to ease up on your schedule.

You don’t feel good enough

The essential part of being an overachiever and insecure is always feeling like your performance isn’t enough. You constantly strive to be better but never achieve it because the goal is far, unrealistic and often always moving. Secretly insecure high achievers rarely see the true value in the work they produce, and instead often pay attention to its minor flaws. They are always looking for places to improve.

Self-critical high achievers usually look for praise in everything they do, but they are not always good at receiving it. They want to be told that they are successful but find it difficult to believe it. This may seem modest but it is actually the result of deep insecurity.

You believe that your success is just luck

Instead of feeling confident in their skills and abilities, high achievers often remain insecure and find it difficult to believe that they have achieved success in their careers. Instead, they assume it’s just a case of “right place, right time,” and perhaps extra hard work.