I can really empathize with the last two paragraphs -- I tend to not emotionally feel so well when I'm trying to optimize hard, because I won't know for a while whether I'm optimizing hard enough. Maybe this is where the whole 'goals' thing comes in -- it seems to be setting up a feeling of 'I will be satisfied if I achieve X', where X is something that you know whether you accomplished.
I'm interested in the structure of your file, as well as the contents of your 'Rules and Heuristics' section -- can you give any more detail on this?
When I try to figure out how to balance personal happiness with saving the world, I think a lot about burnout. If I make a major change - e.g. changing careers - what are the chances I'll burn out and become a lot less useful as a result?
I've never burned out, so I don't know where that edge is for me (plus I suspect the edge moves around depending on circumstances). I'm obviously biased on the topic: there's the temptation to tell myself "This will prevent burnout and make me more effective in the long run" every time I want to do something.
Some things people here have described as causing burnout:
Going through the motions of a religion you don't believe in
Training yourself to feel guilty whenever you relax
Pursuing altruism too exclusively (That post suggests Bostrom's parliamentary model as an antidote).
Do you have more examples? Have you burned out? Are there things that you think have kept you from burning out?