If only I could be graded

In my book, I refer to myself as an A-student at life. It's true. Life might be so much easier if there were report cards for adults.

I would have a clear goal every day -- complete this project and the gold star is mine. I would know my standing in regards to others too. Like the class ranking that was displayed in the front hall of my high school. If saw my name on the honor roll, I could not contain the smile on my face.

Real life doesn't have the same grading system, and sometimes I lament its loss.

It made me more happy than you might imagine at dinner the other night when I joked with friends about the search for an A in my adult life, and their heads nodded with uncontrollable laughter over how they were doing the same thing.

The secret thrill of year-end reviews at work.

The joy of certificates of achievement posted on the fridge at home.

Or book reviews on Amazon. Or signups to my newsletter. Anything that can be quantified...well and that I know I can excel at.

Because I'm not just looking for a grade. It's an A, or why bother.

This is probably the point in my post when I talk about how to give yourself the credit you're looking for outside yourself. That is, if you're like me and love getting a well-deserved pat on the back like many of the good-students-turned-good-adults I am thrilled to call my clients and friends.

But we already know that we should be happy with our lives without outside recognition.

We already know that we are the only ones who can ever give us the credit we are searching for.

In fact, that's what I work on with clients. Defining our version of success so that when we achieve it, we can celebrate like nobody's business.

Woo! Go us!

So just this once, and just between us, I want to revel in the good old days when the report card arrived and you knew unequivocally that you were an A student. Because it was a special moment when nearly everything in life was easier.

Man, wasn't that gold star awesome?