I find it helpful to read accounts of people in old age, near death who are pondering their life and what is/was important to them. I contrast this with my own

I find it helpful to read accounts of people in old age, near death who are pondering their life and what is/was important to them. I contrast this with my own aspirations to succeed in business and hopefully come out with a reasonable plan for everyday life. I try to put myself into uncomfortable situations that I know will have the potential to enrich my life. I try to balance my need to "plan ahead" with the realization that "living in the moment" is far more enriching (but also dangerous at it can negatively effect tomorrow). What good is a mountain of money if you never get to spend it? If I ignore the need to make money how will I be able to enjoy my life tomorrow if I can't provide the basic essentials to myself and my family? I also try to minimize the need to be "happy" and instead look to fulfillment as the measure of "success". IMHO it's not right to say the ultimate goal in life is to be happy, because for many, happiness never comes but they are still able to lead a meaningful life.