This is my last blog to explore the different types of frustration intolerance (FI) discussed in a previous entry, Not All Frustrations are Created Equal.
As summer winds down and the academic year kicks off, the timing of this blog is fortuitous. For many, achievement intolerance beliefs may have taken a hiatus for the summer. As the pressure now mounts, achievement intolerant thinking may prevail, if left unchecked (or, in REBT lingo, the new workload is the activating event).
Achievement intolerance consists of a belief system where individuals think that they can’t stand different aspects of task assignment or completion. Individuals who have achievement intolerance endorse the following statements on the Frustration Discomfort Scale:
- I can’t stand feeling that I am not on top of my work.
- I can’t stand doing a job if I’m unable to do it well.
- I can’t bear the frustration of not achieving my goals.
- I can’t bear to move on from work that I’m not fully satisfied with.
Individuals think they must be on top of their work, must do things well, and can’t stand otherwise. You might assume that individuals high in this type of frustration intolerance also fall prey to the rating game., i.e., individuals think less of themselves when they aren’t on top of their work or don’t do things well. However, research has shown that the two constructs (i.e., achievement intolerance and global rating of self-worth) are actually distinct. Many people cultivate achievement intolerance without thinking badly of themselves. While the two disturbances can of course co-exist, it is important to recognize that they don’t have to.
What is wrong with achievement intolerance you might ask? Won’t the demand for high work standards engender success? A problem arises when reality does not conform to these standards. For example, your boss may assign a task that he or she needs completed in two hours. In this case, urgency trumps excellence. If you have achievement intolerance, you might miss your deadline by obsessing about perfectionism. Sometimes good is good enough.
It is also possible that someone’s to-do list burgeons, despite their best efforts to stay on top of things. It is not likely to benefit you if you think you can’t stand being in this predicament. Reality is that we all have strengths and weaknesses. Thus, you may sometimes be required to do a task that you really aren’t intrinsically that great at doing. If you accept this reality about yourself, you will be in a better position to try to compensate for your weakness and do the best possible job.
Finally, achievement intolerance might limit what individuals accomplish. Success does not typically occur in a linear fashion and setbacks are expected. If we think we cannot stand setbacks (i.e., not doing well), our overall progress will likely be impeded. Do you agree that great success often involves great failure? How do you overcome achievement intolerance thinking?
