Are you just doing an okay job most of the time even if you seem to put a lot of effort in your work? Then maybe you’re not doing it the way you should. Like maybe you’re not working in the right context to just do a great job naturally. Let me give you an example:
I’ve have been working as a computer programmer for about 5 years but never got really fulfilled by what I accomplished during that time. Most of the time I just seemed to do what they expected of me, without any kind of special appeal or any touch of creativity. I started my own company in hope that I could find clients with whom I could work on my own terms but after about a year I finally gave up after seeing that I didn’t find anyone to work with and also after understanding that I really had no interest in doing that. I finally decided that I don’t want a career in IT anymore but I still continue to work on some personal projects for my own pleasure/interest. What I found is that I get a lot more satisfied by my work now that I do it for myself and that I have total freedom over what I’m doing. I’m not trying to stick to somebody’s vision, I’m just creating new things for myself, I have fun doing it and I have no deadlines, I just take the time I need.
Some would say that it’s easier to create something if someone imposes on you a theme/subject and a deadline, while I agree with that, I think that you would get a more “true”/meaningfull/interesting result if you create something in total freedom. It will definitely be harder because you have no base to stand on, but the end result will surely have something unique and satisfying for you.