That's interesting, I would say I'm almost the opposite of this. I feel like cringing at your own work is a sign of growth - it just shows that you can clearly see certain mistakes that you weren't capable of realizing when you made it.
I would say I'm most afraid of stagnating. I think a life where I can complete a story, look it over, and then come back a few months/years later and say "Nah that last one was crap, check this out" would be superb.
In any case, even if we don't think our old stories are great, I don't think we should be ashamed of them just for their quality. We only grow by doing, so working and improving is something we should look back at with pride.
(And besides, a story that you look back at and cringe over may be something that others read fondly, so there's solace in that I suppose)