Burnout Doesn't Come from Hard Work — It Comes from Meaningless Work

People can sustain intense effort for a long time when they believe the work matters. What drains people fastest is pouring energy into tasks that feel pointless -- endless reports nobody reads, meetings without decisions, goals that shift before you can reach them. If you're exhausted but also empty, the problem may not be the hours -- it's the meaning. Start asking which of your tasks actually move something forward, and try to spend more of your time there.