Why am I never happy about goals?

the chase is always the fun part son

You now realise hundreds of people have gone through the exact same path as you and some are doing even better

I hate saying this, but you've just gained "corporate-consciousness". Better you realized this sooner rather than later in life

I guess go do something you find to be more interesting or difficult. On the career side maybe go to HF/VC if you're in PE (since it's more competitive and sounds like you're super competitive), if that interests you. Maybe get in even better shape, start or join a startup, hell make a run for politics if that suits you.

Do something that you find interesting since YOLO

Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NIV):

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." 
King Solomon, despite his immense wealth and wisdom, found that worldly pursuits ultimately lacked lasting satisfaction.

A couple of thousand years later, St Augustine in his Confessions wrote, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you". It suggests an innate human longing and a spiritual need for fulfillment that cannot be found in temporary things, but only in God. This quote has been interpreted as a call to seek a deeper connection with the divine and find lasting peace in God's presence

It’s realizing that it’s not as difficult as you thought. Getting a new job is always kind of exciting but there is a definite honeymoon period to it. Theoretically, these roles are difficult enough to warrant higher level’s of pay, but little seems to actually be exciting. I view it as the reality gaining experience and a bit of wisdom. Think back to what excited you in college? Why doesn’t it anymore? Another component could be that you learn roles quickly and maybe get bored quickly and maybe you need to take on more to be satisfied.

This is something many have wrestled with especially in our industry. There's this prevailing mindset of "if I achieve x, then I'll be happy." as a way to defer enjoyment and force a certain level of discipline to progress in our professional aspirations.

This has been the case with university, recruitment, designation studies and so forth. But having reached the goal only moved the goal post. That's because we can derive pride in our accomplishments, and may find enjoyment in a given moment, but we cannot be happy, defined as long term enjoyment, with reaching our progressively difficult goals.

Rather, shift the narrative and not consider your career aspirations to exist in a vacuum. There are a few frameworks, but the one I adopted some years agoo is a combination of the five burners theory and the right faucets of life. Now the semantics of what you call it may differ, but they both address how tunnel visioned some folks can get with specific aspects, sometimes out of necessity. The eight faucets - relationships, career aspirations, financial well-being, spiritual well-being, creativity and adventures, physical well-being, mental and emotional well-being - teach us that keep only one running causes undue stress and strain. Rather prioritize small goals or wins in each area to develop your life. The five burners teach us that our priorities shift from adolescence to adulthood as we shift from career centric views to relationships and family priorities.

Now I know you must have read this and thought... What the hell does this have to do with me? Well, the tie in is that you need to expand your view and shift the mindset from focusing on a stated outcome. Life cannot be paused indefinitely for a promotion, a recruitment cycle, a new career, etc. Be proactive in forming relationships, indulging in creative pursuits, and finding a balance,.however small that may be. It could be a weekend trip every 3-4 months or a monthly dinner with close friends, any way that allows you to indulge in the moment and not further defer or damage these other aspects. 

In doing so, you'll hold less weight to the enjoyment you hope to derive from reaching your career goal and more in working towards it alongside the rest of life. 

Because happiness is in the pursuit

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be

Yeah. I keep having these moments where I’m realizing how truly lame and average I feel. Just browsing Instagram and seeing professional athletes accomplishing great feats, people building businesses, etc. I’m just an office worker.