This is the curse of being an early achiever. I've been in that situation too. I stopped caring about grades and achievements when I got into college (as long as I don't flunk) and it feels so liberating. As long as it's not a fight for survival, there's no need to compete with anyone.I can relate to the grades thing. Back in school, I was never praised for excelling because it was a matter of course, while people were lathered with compliments for performing far worse. I now understand why that was the case, but it still stuck with me.