— For the Teen Who’s Had Enough of Being Perfect at Everything
You wake up with a calendar that would drive Google into a panic attack.
Math examination at 9:00.
Drama rehearsal at 11:00.
Debate practice after school.
Basketball trials.
Music class.
Oh, and don’t forget to script that podcast, tape a reel, and hand in the science project — all tonight.
Now smile, be nice, get it all right, and don’t forget to act like you’re having the time of your life.
Because obviously, if you’re not good at everything, then you’re at the back.
Welcome to the Overachiever Olympics
Let’s try to recall this:
You must be a teenager in your writing but speak like a TEDx speaker.
You have to be athletic and artistic and unstoppable academically.
You must be confident on stage, quick on exams, cool on interviews, chill on Instagram, and emotionally available for all.
And in the meantime — glow with stunning skin, straight A’s, fabulous abs, and “balance.”
Let’s call it what it is:
Emotional gymnastics.
You’re leaping over fire hoops on a daily basis and still doubting whether it’s not good enough.
Why Your Brain is Losing It (And It’s Not Your Fault)
You are not lazy.
You are not ungrateful.
You’re merely being asked to operate like a high-performance machine in the teen’s body that also needs 8 hours of sleep, human touch, and genuine happiness.
The stress of doing it all — absolutely everything — all the time is draining a whole generation of bright minds before they even become adults.
What Needs to Be Said (But Never Is)
Perfection is not a goal.
Excellence? Yes. Effort? Always.
But perfection in everything, every day, in all positions?
That’s a trap. A gold-plated, shiny, anxiety-inducing trap.
And then there’s the dangerous part — the closer you get to arriving, the more people expect you to stay.
Your success becomes the standard, and your burnout is ignored.
So, What Do You Actually Do When You’re Drowning?
- Choose Where You Shine
You don’t need to be a 10/10 in each and every room you enter.
Select your lanes. Make them yours.
The remainder? Do it for fun, not perfection.
- Reclaim What “Impressive” Is
It’s not your résumé that empowers you — it’s your presence.
Your capacity to concentrate, to dive deeply, to arrive regularly.
It’s what renders you unforgettable — not a 27-point CV at 16.
- Speak Up Before You Break Down
Burnout does not follow fireworks.
It sneaks in silently.
If your calendar looks like jail, tell it.
If your smile is unnatural, indicate so.
You can’t win fights you’re afraid to call.
Remember Yourself
“Do it all doesn’t equal do it all perfectly.”
“I can love something without being the best at it.”
“Rest isn’t weakness — it’s strategy.”
I am not a brand. I am a human becoming.
Ridhhima’s Academy Last Word —
This is not a school. This is a revolution for actual learners. Here we don’t create performers. We create thinkers, feelers, creatives, resistors, leaders — learners who can say: “I’d prefer peace to perfection.” “I’d rather have passion than pressure.” “I’d rather be complete, not just brilliant.”
So the next time the world holds its breath for your next performance, stop. And ask: Is this costing me, or depleting me? Because you owe the world not perfection — you owe it your truth.
Ridhhima’s Academy 
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