Everyone, in fact, is different. When we celebrate someone's great success, it is rare that it represents the typical negative wisdom we all learn about how to behave at work. A bit like love at first sight, true admiration is an unexpected, rare but incredibly beautiful phenomenon that nobody really sees on a daily basis, but is nonetheless real and all too real to those that enjoy it.
Even if you end up doing exactly what is expected of you, you should be enjoying life in general and not just with the stress of the work. It's one thing to do a day or two of work, and what ultimately counts is one's inner motivation to continue to go forward and improve one's capabilities. It is always best to have a non-threatening environment that doesn't force you to work.
Working out these aspects of your personality will affect your interactions with those who work for you as well as your overall self-confidence. It also determines whether or not you are comfortable taking on projects that you might not be quite ready for. As I stated before, a little pride goes a long way.
One of the characteristics that I identified that made me feel good about myself was that I let people know what I wanted in my life. I've noticed that I'm the kind of person that, when someone says they can do something better, I don't usually complain or do a bit of knee jerk resistance. I let them know what I want and then I move on to other things. If I'm giving them my best effort I believe they appreciate it.
There is nothing more fake, indulgent, vain, narcissistic, or pathologically anxious than a person that has a complete idea of what they want from life, and if they have all the things in this world, and will receive all the recognition, appreciation, and validation they need, well that is just what you want yourself, isn't it? They only question their own worth when their emotional and physical needs want from life.
While there are many ways to achieve one's goals, I think it's important to remember that even if you are aiming to be more productive, it is equally important to enjoy your work. Whatever your definition of "work" is, it is essential to remember that it is an enjoyable activity. In fact, for many, it's the most enjoyable of all.
Throughout the years I have witnessed the drive for excellence, but most often it is not working out. I have also witnessed the attitude of some participants about such achievements, but I have been present in many places where nothing has happened, and what actually did happen took place because the attempt was made to deliver on the claim of achievement.
It is in some cases harder to train these habits and exercise the dignity necessary to face challenges, which of course leaves the person with little time to really find out the obstacles, regardless of the outcome. This in turn leads to declining self-confidence and giving up on achieving their goals, which in turn leads to severe consequences including losing a job or career due to not being able to overcome a personal problem.