Private Equity Associate - flailing in my role

When I am being completely honest with myself and reflecting on how I have performed in the first 7 months of my role at a reputable MM PE fund (major city), I realize that I am not cut out for this job. I won't get too deep into the details of my significant shortcomings as an associate, but I make consistent mistakes, am slower than the other associates, and have general trouble engaging in the projects that I am staffed on. I wouldn't say that I am falling short enough that I have felt pressure to perform better or be let go, but I would realistically say there's a 99% chance that my contract would not be renewed at the end of my two years.

This all has occasioned some pretty deep self reflection lately. I have come to the conclusion that private equity (in an investing role) is not the right place for me. I am confident in my analytical abilites and intelligence / work ethic, but I find the job incredibly boring and have no motivation to get better. The hours are also worse than when I was a banking analyst, which is something I am severely jaded by.

I am looking to Wall Street Oasis, which has been a beacon of career knowledge for me for some time, to help me figure out the best path forward. I have considered lateraling into an early stage investing role, investor relations, FoF / secondaries, and even exploring opportunities on the sell side where a better work life balance is achievable. This job has been very taxing on my mental and physical health, so ideally I want to leave sooner than later. What is the best approach for pursuing something else for someone that probably won't have shining references, but a solid resume (and I would tangentially add very good interviewing skills; seems that I faked it until I made it to this point after all...). Additionally, how do I spint this story to recruiters? I greatly appreciate any input on this situation I have found myself in!