Great work gives future effort a better starting point.

The main benefit of good work is often not the work itself but the position it leaves the next effort in. A solved problem stays solved, a clear map saves the next person the exploration, a good decision removes a whole branch of future confusion. Progress is largely made of better starting points.

When you finish something, spend a little more time leaving it in a state someone could build from. Notes, tidy edges, the reasoning behind the choices. That last hour often matters more than the previous ten.