A lifeguard’s best day ends with everyone going home. Find work where the score is people.

Some work is measured in things that did not happen. A quiet shift on the pool deck means the watching worked, though it looks like nothing from outside and nobody thanks you for it. Work scored in people rather than output tends to be undercounted and tends to matter more. If you are drawn to that kind of job, the absence of applause is part of the deal.

Try one shift this week where you count something different: who you noticed, who you helped, what you quietly prevented. Write three of them down at the end. Then ask whether that scoreboard suits you better.