--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've spent years in therapy excavating my…" description: "\"I've spent years in therapy excavating my endless, often fruitless drive to overachieve. I have learned that being successful hasn't made me happy. It'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/rachel-simmons-4183_drive_i-ve-spent-years-in-therapy-excavating-m_2034417.jpg" --- # I've spent years in therapy excavating my endless, often… ![“I've spent years in therapy excavating my endless, often fruitless drive to overachieve. I have learned that being successful hasn't made me happy. It's just made me successful. I even call myself a recovering overachiever.” quote by Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/rachel-simmons-4183_drive_i-ve-spent-years-in-therapy-excavating-m_2034417.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/rachel-simmons-4183_drive_i-ve-spent-years-in-therapy-excavating-m_2034417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/rachel-simmons-4183_drive_i-ve-spent-years-in-therapy-excavating-m_2034417.jpg) > “I've spent years in therapy excavating my endless, often fruitless drive to overachieve. I have learned that being successful hasn't made me happy. It's just made me successful. I even call myself a recovering overachiever.” [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing that external success does not guarantee internal happiness, leading to a self‑identified recovery from over‑achievement. **In simple terms:** Success ≠ happiness; over‑achievement can be hollow. Key Takeaway Reevaluate what truly fulfills you. Themes self‑awareness mental health success achievement recovery Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice personal development When to use this quote - career planning - personal therapy - goal setting - life coaching Key Concepts identity self‑compassion balance Questions to Reflect On - What does success mean to you beyond status? - How can you align achievements with personal values? A Different Perspective Success may still be pursued for external validation, not intrinsic joy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drive/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Overachiever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overachiever/) ## Related quotes > [Formula for success: Underpromise and overachieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/formula-for-success-underpromise-and-overachieve/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I'm one of those people who always tries to overachieve. I want to do more. I want to do bigger things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nik-wallenda/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-always-tries-to-overachieve-i-want-to-do/) [Nik Wallenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nik-wallenda/) > [I think a lot of gay kids in the midwest or in places not in New York have to overachieve in order to sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-wooster/i-think-a-lot-of-gay-kids-in-the-midwest-or-in-places-not-in-new-york/) [Nick Wooster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-wooster/) > [Don't get mad at me for trying to do the best I know how in my life. It is better to have tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredericaehimen/don-t-get-mad-at-me-for-trying-to-do-the-best-i-know-how-in-my-life/) [FredericaEhimen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredericaehimen/) > [I always try to overachieve. I feel I have something to prove every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-thomas/i-always-try-to-overachieve-i-feel-i-have-something-to-prove-every-day/) [Frank Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-thomas/) > [I was always pretty organized in high school and my mother, she always pushed me to just overachieve, both my parents. (They) let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremih/i-was-always-pretty-organized-in-high-school-and-my-mother-she-always/) [Jeremih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremih/) > [Overachievers don't think reasonably, sensibly, or rationally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/overachievers-don-t-think-reasonably-sensibly-or-rationally/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [“I'll go all out, ace every test No doubt, outdo all the rest Don't pout or settle for second best So I won't stop,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-lynn-rose/i-ll-go-all-out-ace-every-test-no-doubt-outdo-all-the-rest-don-t-pout/) Katherine Lynn-Rose > [I'm not lazy in the morning-my alarm clock is an overachiever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-lazy-in-the-morning-my-alarm-clock-is-an-overachiever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was a real overachiever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-henwick/i-was-a-real-overachiever/) [Jessica Henwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-henwick/) > [The fact that I was a believer, a Christian, everybody immediately thought this guy's a minister, he's so nice and, oh by the way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-singletary/the-fact-that-i-was-a-believer-a-christian-everybody-immediately/) [Mike Singletary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-singletary/) > [I know I'm an overachiever, and I'm not apologetic about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/i-know-i-m-an-overachiever-and-i-m-not-apologetic-about-it/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [I'm a standard overachiever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wolf/i-m-a-standard-overachiever/) [Michelle Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wolf/) > [Whoever's job it was to keep the room clean was clearly not an overachiever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hamilton/whoever-s-job-it-was-to-keep-the-room-clean-was-clearly-not-an/) [Steve Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hamilton/) > [I am not fat, I am a Nutritional Overachiever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-fat-i-am-a-nutritional-overachiever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Rachel Simmons > [There are no shortcuts to genuine friendship. Relationships are built over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/there-are-no-shortcuts-to-genuine-friendship-relationships-are-built/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [Prom drops girls squarely into the beauty spending pipeline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/prom-drops-girls-squarely-into-the-beauty-spending-pipeline/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [From childhood to adolescence, girls face mixed messages about displaying power and authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/from-childhood-to-adolescence-girls-face-mixed-messages-about/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [Having a baby on my own is a dream come true, but in my world, there's no sheepish spouse on his way home from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/having-a-baby-on-my-own-is-a-dream-come-true-but-in-my-world-there-s/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [The Internet foments outrageous behavior in part because it is a 'gray area' for social interactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/the-internet-foments-outrageous-behavior-in-part-because-it-is-a-gray/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [When I went to prom in the early 1990s, I seesawed between my wish to get asked by the right guy and ride in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/when-i-went-to-prom-in-the-early-1990s-i-seesawed-between-my-wish-to/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people stay for a while, and give us a deeper understanding of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/some-people-come-into-our-lives-and-quickly-go-some-people-stay-for-a/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [My experience is that aggression is a universal trait in human beings - girls feel it in any sort of environment, same-sex or co-ed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/my-experience-is-that-aggression-is-a-universal-trait-in-human-beings/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [In the age of girl power, we're loath to send a message of surrender to our girls. To the contrary: we've doubled down on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/in-the-age-of-girl-power-we-re-loath-to-send-a-message-of-surrender/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [You might be thinking that some people are just naturally good at speaking up, and others just aren't - game over. Not true. Speaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/you-might-be-thinking-that-some-people-are-just-naturally-good-at/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [Most parents would not hesitate to assume responsibility for their child's behavior on a playground, at school, or in someone else's home. What happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/most-parents-would-not-hesitate-to-assume-responsibility-for-their/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [I was a single mom by choice at 37, and if my love life hadn't quite panned out, most everything else had. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/i-was-a-single-mom-by-choice-at-37-and-if-my-love-life-hadn-t-quite/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [A girl's social networking profile is a persona she constructs, a photoshopped billboard on the information superhighway. It also offers a salve for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/a-girl-s-social-networking-profile-is-a-persona-she-constructs-a/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [You don't learn how to say 'hey, I have a problem,' but you also don't learn how to hear it. There's a total breakdown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/you-don-t-learn-how-to-say-hey-i-have-a-problem-but-you-also-don-t/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [Many girls aspire to a version of selfhood that puts a psychological glass ceiling on their potential to succeed. They suffer from what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/many-girls-aspire-to-a-version-of-selfhood-that-puts-a-psychological/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) [Explore all 115 Rachel Simmons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) ## More Drive quotes > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [It turns out that social networks drive a heck of a lot of traffic to blogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/it-turns-out-that-social-networks-drive-a-heck-of-a-lot-of-traffic-to/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I hate cars that much, I don't even own one. The last one I bought was a Honda CR-V which I didn't even take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/i-hate-cars-that-much-i-don-t-even-own-one-the-last-one-i-bought-was/) [Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/) > [To see classic rock, you had to go to an arena. But punk was happening everywhere, even in little towns in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-callahan/to-see-classic-rock-you-had-to-go-to-an-arena-but-punk-was-happening/) [Bill Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-callahan/) > [“Some women walk towards a better future. Others have chauffeurs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/some-women-walk-towards-a-better-future-others-have-chauffeurs/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [“never fall asleep in a Dumpster, never underestimate a bee, never drive a convertible behind a flatbed truck, never get old, never get drunk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/never-fall-asleep-in-a-dumpster-never-underestimate-a-bee-never-drive/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [My dad is a competitive guy. That's a part of me. It's just a certain drive, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auston-matthews/my-dad-is-a-competitive-guy-that-s-a-part-of-me-it-s-just-a-certain/) [Auston Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auston-matthews/) > [“Why would you do that? Why would you act like you didn't know how to drive?" "Isn't it obvious, Sage? No, of course it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/why-would-you-do-that-why-would-you-act-like-you-didn-t-know-how-to/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [If you have more downforce, everything becomes much easier. Drivers drive better, engineers they have more room for setup, the tyres are working better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kubica/if-you-have-more-downforce-everything-becomes-much-easier-drivers/) [Robert Kubica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kubica/) > [“Our capacity for love isn’t like a gallon jug that you fill up from rest stop to rest stop as you take a drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rojstaczer/our-capacity-for-love-isn-t-like-a-gallon-jug-that-you-fill-up-from/) [Stuart Rojstaczer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rojstaczer/) > [To be an entrepreneur, it just takes a lot of persistence, dedication, and drive. No matter what happens, you have to be wiling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-banerjee/to-be-an-entrepreneur-it-just-takes-a-lot-of-persistence-dedication/) [Jeet Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeet-banerjee/) > [I don't drive smart cars; I don't go on fancy holidays. 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