Do you think you could’ve learned to not feel that? I feel fine doing an OK job as long as my OK is the standard my employer expects.
I have a rather anxious response to work, probably because of how much was at stake earlier in my career. I was an immigrant with a flimsy work permit that meant if I lost my job I would have to move to another country, with the added stress of being the only income in our family with no real prospect of my wife being able to find a job that would cover our expenses either. We couldn't count on anybody else helping us out either.
It was a lot of pressure, and my fear-driven response was to work as hard as possible and save as much as possible. I got lucky and ended up effectively retiring at the age of forty. Do I recommend it? No, it was a pretty miserable experience. But those were my circumstances and I did what I thought was best for us.
<It's like a prolonged weekend> I tell my friends it feels like I'm getting away with something!
For example, I can afford to be a lousy jogger, because nothing bad is going to happen if I don't become faster. I couldn't afford to be a lousy engineer, because my family could end up homeless in a foreign country. That was the reality I lived at the beginning of my career.
The best part, however, is that I can suck at everything. When I had a job I felt a ton of responsibility to meet a high standard in everything I was paid to do, but now I can afford being an absolutely moronic beginner at everything I attempt, because ultimately it doesn't matter. It's liberating.