A high performer’s #1 goal is to do business. The only thing that matters to them is the results. If they can’t see a way to create value at the moment, they facilitate or strategize instead. They know that like the economy, business comes in waves, therefore, they get ready during the dips so they can capitalize during the upswings.

A workaholic’s #1 goal is to be busy. Workaholics fill any space in time with busy work because they feel insecure doing nothing. The insecurity comes from not knowing their value. They believe that the busier they are, the more important they must be. As a result, they find a way to be busy even when it’s not busy season instead of periodically hibernating throughout the days, weeks, months, quarters, and year for when the highs come.

A high performer knows what is enough. Whether we win by 1 point or 50 points, it doesn’t matter. A win is a win. High performers seek more in the areas that matter, but they know what enough is in the areas that don’t matter so much. This comes from having a clear definition of success.

A workaholic doesn’t know what enough is. I’m not good enough. This isn’t good enough. I don’t have enough time. I don’t have enough support. They are always focused on more and seeking to maximize everything because they don’t really know what success means to them.

A high performer knows their self-worth and can thus work with a sense of freedom. This comes from doing periodic self-evaluation of their performance so that they can constantly improve. They create their own feedback loops rather than waiting on feedback from others.

A workaholic relies on external validation from their boss, colleagues, and clients and thus works with a sense of fear. They wait for external evaluations such as mid-year or annual reviews done by others to understand how well they are doing.

would you say you are high performer/ workaholic ?