One lesson from a manager I worked with has stayed with me for years:
Never have a “maintain” mindset toward something you want to sustain.
A product, a system, a team, your skills, or even your career.
Because if you only put in the same level of effort, eventually you may fall behind.
The environment changes.
Expectations change.
People change.
Technology changes.
What worked yesterday may not be enough tomorrow.
Sometimes, just to keep something at the same level, you need to put in more effort than before.
More attention.
More learning.
More adaptation.
More intention.
And I realized this principle applies far beyond work, from friendships and relationships to anything personal, emotional, or even spiritual.
Anything we truly want to sustain requires continuous effort.
If you want something to last, you have to keep putting effort into it.