This post may serve to confirm everyone's long-held (and never denied) suspicions that I am truly a workaholic, and that my job, in many ways, defines who I am. But I don't care. I'm so happy that I have to share this.

I was awarded the highest rating by my senior managers for my performance in 2007. What does that mean? Well, it means that I was rated the highest among my peers in Asia for my particular function.

I expected it. Truly, I did. After all, I worked my butt off this year (almost literally, given the weight I lost). I did the job of two people, and I did them well. And I kicked ass in all of my additional duties. And while I didn't doubt that I would get that rating, the moment I saw confirmation of it when I received my performance review, the biggest, widest grin ever popped onto my face.

To be more specific, only the top 10% of my peer group get awarded that rating, and there is usually a large amount of discussion by senior management about who should go into that 10%. Apparently, so my manager tells me, there was no such debate regarding me. The moment my name came up, everyone agreed that I should be the benchmark by which everyone else would be measured by for this year.

I'm not writing this because I want to brag. But having started out in a company which did not appreciate all my hard work in any way, I am that much more grateful that I am now in a firm which has given me countless opportunities and has rewarded my contributions.

It's definitely going to be a challenge to maintain that rating now that I have moved to a much bigger playing field... but I certainly will be doing my best to achieve that.