The meaning of achievement

Reflection: What is your greatest achievement at work?

• What would you say?
• What would your manager say is your greatest achievement??
• What would your friends say??
• What was the day you felt more alive at work??
• Are there any discrepancies?

What makes one achievement more meaningful or rewarding to you than other achievements?

What is meaningful or rewarding is usually something that feels good and is somehow sustained; often closely related to an action or outcome related to our value system. We often evaluate our achievements in relation to our values. Others evaluate achievements in relation to theirs. As a result, what we consider our greatest achievements may be quite different to what others would report our greatest achievement to be.?

Personally, I find meaning in 'being of service to others’, and find the sort of work that addresses this value very rewarding. As a result, a sense of achievement is more likely to be experienced on the days I have been helpful in some way to someone. I may have ‘achieved’ a lot of other types of things during the week, but those achievements where they have been of service are the most important to me. Realistically, if kindness and compassion are important values for you to practice and demonstrate, then no matter what kind of job you do you can make a point of demonstrating those values in some way and therefore feel a sense of meaning and achievement.

Some of our colleagues are very interested in publishing articles, but only in ‘top’ journals, feeling anxious or angry when they can’t reach their ‘quota’ of accepted publications. This is a very important part of their identity as academics and they feel a sense of achievement when they have accomplished these very specific and difficult outcomes. Other people focus on money, property, attractiveness, commission, assets and have all sorts of different ways to measure ‘achievement’.?

So if you’re unclear what your values are, or you aren’t clear how they can be incorporated into developing more meaningful work, it’s actually very important to take some time to reflect on ways to do this as one person’s approach is not going to deliver the same sense of achievement.?

Is achievement orientation a good or a bad thing?

Some of us are inherently achievement oriented; at times an achievement orientation can be so fused with esteem that it takes over. At times, when other aspects of life are not working out as planned, or bringing meaning, or joy, our achievements become more appealing and achievement orientation turns to obsessionality. These levels of, or distortions of achievement orientation or as some call it ‘clinical perfectionism’ are often linked to stress, tension and anxiety, sometimes depression and imbalanced life. This sounds a bit like: ‘If I didn’t achieve this, I am a failure’.?

Being achievement oriented doesn’t necessarily mean that it goes too far. Having goals, experiencing a sense of achievement can be a great connector and inspiring as well as a conduit to engage in life, have new experiences and explore strengths and face fears, confront challenges and learn that you are resilient, you can cope with more than you think you can.

If this resonates with you a little, look for achievements within the so called ‘failure’. Look for the micro lessons or gains, rather than the overall completion of a goal. Adapt, adjust and move through the moment by carefully considering these smaller achievements, resetting and self compassion. When comparing self compassion to self criticism, a compassionate mindful mindset results in better outcomes (and we can assume process too!).?

-Dr Sonja Skocic, Director of Clinical Programs / Senior Clinical Psychologist?