550. The Problem with Straight A's
Better Than Happy
Jody Moore
4.8 • 5.6K Ratings
🗓️ 30 January 2026
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Is getting straight A's actually preparing you for a successful, fulfilling life… or could it be quietly working against you?
For many of us, being the "good student" became part of our identity early on, shaping how we measure success, effort, and even our worth. But what happens when life no longer hands you a clear rubric, a step-by-step roadmap, or external validation for doing things "right"?
Join me this week as I explore why straight A's aren't always the advantage we think they are. I unpack how perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking, and reliance on external validation can actually make growth harder later in life, and why real life requires nuance, trial and error, and the ability to tolerate being "good enough" in some areas so you can go all in on what truly matters.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | straight A's way to go kiddo congratulations you nailed it or did they I grew up in a world |
| 0:10.5 | probably like you that emphasized that the best thing you could do is to get straight A's in school |
| 0:16.9 | certainly if possible if you're capable of it, should absolutely be getting the highest |
| 0:22.2 | grade possible. Now, do I think this is a problem? Maybe not, but sometimes yes. And this is because I |
| 0:30.2 | work with a lot of adults who later in life create problems for themselves, many of them were |
| 0:36.0 | straight A students. Today, I want to open your mind up |
| 0:39.3 | to simply consider other possibilities. Let's go. This is the problem with straight A's. |
| 0:49.2 | Welcome to Better Than Happy, the podcast where we transform our lives by transforming ourselves. |
| 0:56.7 | My name is Jody Moore. |
| 0:58.7 | In the decade plus, I've been working with clients as a master certified coach. |
| 1:03.5 | I've helped tens of thousands of people to become empowered. |
| 1:06.6 | And from empowered, the things that seemed hard become trivial. |
| 1:11.7 | And the things that seemed impossible become available. |
| 1:15.5 | And suddenly a whole new world of desire and possibility open up to you. |
| 1:21.0 | And what do you do with that? |
| 1:23.9 | Well, that's the question. |
| 1:26.3 | What will you do? Let's find out. |
| 1:31.3 | Sometimes listening to a podcast is enough, but sometimes you'll feel inspired to go deeper. |
| 1:37.8 | If you hear things that speak to you in today's episode, consider it your invitation to a |
| 1:43.2 | complimentary coaching workshop. On this live, |
| 1:46.6 | interactive Zoom call with me, you'll get a taste of the power of this work when applied in |
| 1:51.8 | real life. You can participate or be a silent observer, but you have to take a step if you want |
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