A double shift tells you exactly how much you want the thing you’re working for.

Wanting something is cheap when it costs nothing. Sixteen hours on your feet is where the wanting gets measured, because that is when the honest answer surfaces. Sometimes the answer is yes, this matters enough. Sometimes the answer is that you are working toward something you never actually chose, and that is worth knowing too.

After the next long one, ask yourself what the money is for, in one plain sentence. If you can answer it, the tiredness has a shape. If you cannot, that is a sign to change the target rather than to work harder at it.