What is your real motivation for posting. Once you figure that out you will have your answer.

My assumption is you are looking for others to tell you its okay to pull back on the throttle back and coddle you that you wont ever get FOMO about not keeping up with UA.

Otherwise your heart knows the answer but you are afraid of rejection and are looking at simply not trying to avoid that rejection that may never occur. Both of the above are wastes of not only your time but anyone willing to give advice. Make a decision either step up and put in the effort that is required to be in the majors of your choice or don't. If you don't accept it and be happy with your choice.

I've stopped for the most part pushing my military squadron mates to get their apps/interview prep/etc done, because anyone who knows better understands they need to put in hard work and investment, so they maximize their choices/chances to get picked up. The rest are lazy and assume that all of us hired during the last wave were "lucky" simply because they didn't directly see that basically everyone was busting their ass to get their stuff squared away and in a timely manner.