Like many high-achieving women, I’m proud of my drive, my ability to manage multiple priorities, and the high standards I set for myself. 

But I’ve got to be honest: sometimes, I can trip myself up. 

My Type A tendencies can lead me down a path where I end up feeling more stressed than successful.

Can you relate?

If you can, then you might also be a Type A. 

If you’re not sure, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you feel a constant need to achieve, even when you’ve already accomplished a lot?
• Are you always racing against time, cramming your schedule with tasks and feeling uneasy with downtime?
• Do you set impossibly high standards for yourself—and sometimes for those around you?
• Are you prone to micromanaging, believing that if you don’t do something yourself, it won’t get done “right”?
• Do you struggle with delegation, preferring to keep control over all the details?
• When something doesn’t go according to plan, do you feel anxious or frustrated, as though you’ve lost control?
• Are you competitive, even if you’re only competing against yourself?
• Do you find it hard to fully celebrate your wins because you’re already focusing on the next goal?

If you’re nodding to more than a few of these, you may share some Type A traits. 

While these qualities can fuel your success, they can also lead to stress, burnout, and a feeling of never being “enough.”

Like last weekend, after a busy and demanding week, I found myself feeling frustrated all weekend.  While my body clearly needed to take it easy, my Type A tendencies had other ideas.

I was struggling to slow down and go with the flow of the weekend.

I was fighting the clock – feeling like there was so much I wanted to ‘achieve’ in the weekend and that there wasn’t enough time.

I set myself an impossible to-do list of tasks that I wanted to tick off throughout the weekend – leaving me at risk of trying to be productive rather than present for my family.

I could feel my cortisol levels rising…..and it wasn’t fun.

Luckily, I know myself well enough and my Type A tendencies – that I was able to catch myself being tripped up by them.

I was hooked on the triad of traits that define a Type A personality—competitiveness, time urgency, and high achievement orientation.

These traits often fuel the relentless drive for success seen in high-achieving women. 

The competitiveness trait manifests in a constant need to measure up, not just against others, but often against our own high standards. 

The time urgency trait creates a sense of pressure to do everything quickly and efficiently, making downtime feel uncomfortable or wasteful. 

The high achievement trait pushes us to set and pursue ambitious goals, often viewing success as a series of milestones that must be conquered. 

While these traits fuel some great accomplishments, they can also lead to chronic stress if not managed with balance and self-compassion.

Recognising these tendencies is the first step toward managing them in a way that helps you thrive, not just survive.

The truth is, I’m still a work in progress. My Type A tendencies aren’t going anywhere, but I’ve learned to manage them better. I’m learning to let go of perfection, to stop the constant race, and to accept that sometimes “good enough” really is good enough. 

Most importantly, I’m learning to give myself grace—and that’s the lesson I hope to share with other high-achieving women like me.

So, as you reflect on your own habits and behaviours, ask yourself: Are you a Type A? 

Can you relate to the drive, the race against time, and the constant pursuit of high achievement? 

If these traits feel familiar, you’re certainly not alone. Let’s work together to harness the power of these tendencies for success—without letting them trip us up along the way.

Want to learn more about Type A traits and how to stop them tripped you up – get on the waitlist for my latest masterclass