You call it a problem, some call it a challenge.

I'd like to posit that "back in the day", people's lives had reached a max in their 20's after they finished school, got a job (unionized and/or indefinite contract), got married, bought a house, started having kids, etc.

Nowadays, school will take longer because you need it to make a decent living - there's too many low paid jobs. Second, to get married and buy a house and such, you need a decent income. To get that, you either need a high education and live in an area where you can use that, or work multiple jobs and have no time for a social life, or be lucky and get a middle class paying jobs in an affordable area.

So it's not just a personal choice from ambition, like you're suggesting, but it's also that the previous generation had it easier. They had the option to work where they live, to buy a house off of that money, and do it all before their 30's.

This reminds me if the college freshman who starts freaking out about post-college life. They immediately regret the college they chose. They're chattering non-stop about the what classes are worth taking.

They later get two internship offers: one from a no name local place where the internship is data science (which they want), but the other is at Googazon Faceple chasing birds off the property. The student inevitably has a meltdown, because they want the prestige of a big four.

This isn't to say that there is inherently anything wrong with trying to min/max life. You'll have a better time (to a point) when you make more money. But let's not forget that if you're spending 5 years in misery for little gain, that's 5 years you aren't getting back.

You only get one life. Enjoy it.

Is life about happiness or is life about pursuing a meaning (you define) and as a by product, happiness is attained sometimes?

Not happiness - enjoyment. The two are closely linked, but you don't inherently have to be happy to get enjoyment out of something.

What I mean is that you don't always have to hit max to be satisfied. Don't get so bogged down in the details that you come up for air after you've hit 50.

This exactly. To achieve the same things that our previous generation achieved (quality of life, financial stability, and betterment of our future generations) takes a lot more resources (time and money), to the point that min/maxing is necessary.

My cousin lives in Texas, where I had a glimpse of what it was like back in the day. Her 2000 sqft house cost 200k, and she paid it off on a 50k salary. She lives very well, and has no financial worries; life is a bit boring for her.

If I were to buy the equivalent house in my current city, it would cost 20x as much. And it's not just housing that's skyrocketed, it's every aspect of modern day living.

It's truly a multi-decade goal, and min maxing is important to being able to achieve it.

If my friends knew I was called a rationalist they'd be shocked and would applaud my growth.

I'm not a min/maxing person, but I do find value out of min/maxing, especially with local optima.

Min/maxing is a great tool in combination with strong personalized value systems, feelings, and a determined will to make your life your own.

I see no problem with trying to min/max life, unless you're philosophically opposed to the systemic issues that a min/maxing society generates.