My 2 cents:
‘I don’t consider myself a particularly vain person.’ itself is vanity.
It is much better to be motivated by the carrot of pursuit of excellence than by the stick of self-abusive ‘nothing is good enough mentality’. I understand SEAL creed is “The only easy day was yesterday” yet at the same time our men and women in uniform takes great pride in doing their duties.
Constantly setting up for failure is self-abusive. The key is to take great pride in one’s accomplishments without being complacent.
A Taoist loves what she does. That is why she does nothing, yet leaves nothing undone.