Are you an Achiever or are you partnered with one? I hope this description of the Achiever personality type and the tips I have provided will bring more self-awareness and help you better manage your relationship with "Yours Truly" and those around you. If you or your partner fit into the category of "Achiever", watch for overly ambitious tendencies that can adversely affect what could otherwise be a healthy relationship.
Here's to happy, healthy relationships with others. And, don't forget to be the authentic you at the same time!
The Achiever Personality
People who are classified as Achiever personalities are driven, success-oriented, pragmatic and often image conscious. Their overriding goal is to feel valuable and worthwhile.
Achievers believe in themselves and strive to become somebody by developing their talents and capabilities. Considered the ‘stars’ of human nature, they can accomplish great things and often are role models, motivating others to be the best they can be.
When at their best, Achievers are self-assured, competent, energetic and poised. They are cooperative, committed and well-regarded by others. Though they do appreciate the typical trappings that accompany success, Achievers go above and beyond in their performance and achievements primarily to receive praise and positive accolades from others. Their need to be valued far outweighs their desire for material things.
When in a place of stress, Achievers can become disengaged and apathetic as well as vein and deceitful, betraying or sabotaging those who have greater success. They can also be overly concerned about their image and what others think of them, to the point of physically changing their bodies through excessive exercise or cosmetic surgery. Their overwhelming desire to impress can lead to arrogance and contempt for others as a way of masking feelings of jealousy. Achievers at their very worst are vindictive and relentless about destroying those things that remind them of their personal shortcomings and failures. They can also become exceptionally narcissistic.
Considered people of action, Achievers often put their feelings in a box and tuck them away, denying their emotions. Achievers can lose touch with their authentic selves early in childhood because of their dependence on attention from others. They can become alienated from their true selves amidst their desire to succeed, losing sight of what they want, who they are, as well as their emotions and interests.
In relationships, Achievers can close themselves off from their partner by denying their emotions. They substitute action and thinking for feelings, building walls by becoming workaholics, becoming overly competitive, and not making a concerted effort to connect with their significant other. But for those Achievers in a healthy place, they offer authenticity, fullness of heart and are gentle, kind souls.
Celebrity examples of the Achiever personality include Prince William, Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong. Prince William and Oprah are two Achiever personalities who function from a place of bettering themselves and helping others to do the same, while Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong have both gotten caught up in fame, fortune and being the best at all costs, unfortunately to the detriment of their relationships and their respective careers.
For those who are Achievers or who are in a relationship with this personality type, here are a few recommendations to access the best parts of this temperament:
- Be authentic and honest about genuine feelings and needs
- Resist the temptation to impress others or over-inflate your importance
- Connect with people at work and in your personal life to attain balance
- Take time to rest and reconnect with yourself
- Work in cooperation with others to attain something more than your personal goals
- Resist doing what is acceptable just to be accepted; discover and align yourself with your own core values
By keeping these points top of mind while striving to embody all of the best traits of the Achiever personality, this temperament can be a a valuable and supportive partner as well as contribute to a happy, healthy relationship.