1. You have a hard time prioritizing
While workaholics have a difficult time differentiating between priorities and tasks that can take a back seat, stressing over everything at once, top performers understand when and how to exert their energy and effort in a much more sustainable way.
"A high performer works hard in healthy sustainable ways and feels happy and inspired," Gordon explains in his post. "A workaholic works hard in unhealthy unsustainable ways and feels unhappy and burned out."
2. You need validation from others
While workaholics are constantly trying to gain the validation and approval of their superiors and colleagues, high performers know their worth and perform periodic self-evaluations to continue to better themselves nonetheless.
3. You're just plain busy all the time (probably because of how you go about work)
High performers are focused on the results that come with doing business well. And they do this by being proactive about their time and work, tailoring their days and anchoring the most important tasks.
Meanwhile, workaholics "fill any space in time with busy work because they feel insecure doing nothing," writes Gordon. That said, they have little free time because they allow others to choose how their time gets spent working; rather than being proactive about their work, they're reactive to whatever arises throughout the day.
4. You never know when enough is enough
While high performers have a clear definition of success and work to achieve that, workaholics are always too hyperfocused on what's not enough because success is undefined.
"A workaholic doesn't know what enough is," Gordon writes. "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."
5. You don't take self-care seriously
"A high performer puts themselves first because they know that by doing so, it allows them to serve others at a higher level," explains Gordan. "At times it appears to be selfish, but it's actually selfless because they want to give first-class service to those they work with and for."
Meanwhile, workaholics always put the needs of others first. They may think they're being selfless by doing this, and though they have good intentions, they're really just burning themselves out. And, of course, burnout isn't good for anyone.