Making and breaking a plan

I've just been listening to Carolyn McCall CEO of Easyjet on her career and how she hasn't had a plan in her career, but responded to events as they arrived. There is a strong emphasis on ambition and determination for success today but I wonder if a strong drive can make you too focused on what is in front and the mileage needed with too little attention paid to the wider horizon and the possibilities that may be running alongside your busy path. McCall gave the appropriate advice about doing what you like and not trying to please others when choosing a career but I think decisions about life events are not always this simple. There is a common trend that having a good mentor or role model makes for more confidence and success and that old cliche of successful men having a good wife in the background has shown time and again that when you aren't worrying about the housework you are more likely to achieve your goals. So what about the successful women? McCall thanked and appreciated her husband and also said that her children grounded her. Do we all need someone to come home to and who will pass the glass whilst commiserating on the day? Certainly, when I was married, the evening ritual was the de-brief, taking it in turns to go first to rant, weep or celebrate the day's events. Although it pains me to say it now, I know that without having a partner to say: "don't worry darling, they're all fools and you can do this job because you are brilliant" I doubt that I could have continued in my career.
So, if you are single and childless and don't have a close personal friend who is there for you every day - is it impossible to succeed? Do we need the restriction of family life - the school run, the unplanned events and crisises of others - to force us to be more productive and creative with our time? How does the single person sustain their self belief without feedback and emotional transaction?