I have seen my share of high achievers, self defined type A personalities. I have probably fallen into that category myself a time or two. What I find interesting is how they, and much of the US population defines success. I have seen media portray success as money or a good job. I have seen it portrayed as getting strait As or having everyone know you because you are popular. I have seen it as getting drunk/high and getting laid. What I see less often, both in the media and in personal accounts is the goal of contentment and joy as a measure of success.
It is so offended believed that to be successful you need something you don't currently have. A bigger house, pricier car, shinier hair, smaller waist, you name it. This leaves us with the urge to want more or less or different. Always striving for something out of resch, and once you reach it you realize there is something else you need to truly feel the success. It is an endless ladder leading to a life that is less than happy. Why choose that?
Now in no means am I suggesting we stop striving. Goals are important. Yet, within those goals, think about how you are defining success. Does it include things that make you genuinely happy? If you are a checklist person maybe in your daily to-dos you put something that will brighten your day, help you care for yourself or bring a smile to your face. These things don't have to cost a dime. The best things in life are free. When you change your perception and definition of success you may find that the journey to success gets you much farther.