The chronic performance trap keeps you stuck in believing nothing is ever enough— undermining success and sacrificing your health and relationships—even your life.
Labor Day, observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates the social and economic achievements of American workers. Everybody loves a good worker, but very little is written about the problems of overloading, overworking and overperforming—all of which can undermine career success. Chronic performance is the constant attempt to get every task done as flawlessly as possible, and then some. Eduardo Briceño, co-founder of Mindset Works and author of the new book, The Performance Paradox, says you can ask yourself four questions to see if you are caught in the chronic performance trap:The Chronic Performance Trap
While it may seem like minimizing mistakes is a reasonable use of our time or that appearing decisive is a wise career strategy, these habits can have a devastating impact on our skills, confidence, jobs and personal lives, according to Briceño. “Chronic performance could be the reason you might be feeling stagnant in some area of your life,” he told me by email. “You might be working more hours or putting more effort into tasks, yet you never seem to get ahead. Life feels like a never-ending game of catch-up. That’s chronic performance—throwing more energy at tasks and problems yet staying at the same level of effectiveness.”The ‘Never Enough Cult’
Manisha Thakor fell prey to chronic performance that she calls the “Never Enough Cult” in her new book, MoneyZen: The Secret to Finding Your “Enough.” Thakor coined the term “moneyZen” to describe a brand of financial well-being that focuses on financial health as a precursor to emotional wealth. Thakor spent decades building a successful career in finance, managing up to $6 billion in assets and jetting around the country every week. She was also a workaholic who was unraveling in private, at several points landing in the hospital with stress-related illnesses. Now she dedicates herself to educating people about their finances and how it relates to their time and quality of life.
I spoke to Thakor, who told me she remembered that crisp spring day when she accepted the yellow pills from the elegantly dressed woman in a few rows behind her on a flight to New York, sealing her initiation into the Cult of Never Enough.
