I can testify to this, but would also like to add something that OP's ACT idea somewhat skirts that I think is a bit understated: the importance of knowing when to NOT THINK.
When I was an accountant, my teacher once said "How do you eat an elephant?" (dramatic pause) "One bite at a time."
Frequently, the line between amazing achievement and wistful thinking is shutting up, turning off the "what if" part of the brain, and plowing into it.
I'm not saying people shouldn't think ahead, but smart people usually have the opposite problem of mental over-investment toward non-result-generating thoughts.
When I was an accountant, my teacher once said "How do you eat an elephant?" (dramatic pause) "One bite at a time."
Frequently, the line between amazing achievement and wistful thinking is shutting up, turning off the "what if" part of the brain, and plowing into it.
I'm not saying people shouldn't think ahead, but smart people usually have the opposite problem of mental over-investment toward non-result-generating thoughts.