I will say I was 100% dialed into the job. I could answer just about any question related to what I was working on and I knew the languages/platforms/domain be

I will say I was 100% dialed into the job. I could answer just about any question related to what I was working on and I knew the languages/platforms/domain better than anything I've worked with since. That could be a positive if something out of your control doesn't take it away from you and leave you hanging. However, the law of diminishing returns definitely applied and my energy reserves were depleted within a few months, never having a chance to recharge. I recall towards the end I would catch myself sometimes just staring at the monitor for an hour or more, doing nothing. I also think this was a one-time shot for me—I lost something I can't get back and wouldn't have it in me to do this again. In some video games you can deplete stamina, but permanent debuffs can drain max stamina. I like to think of it as the first happening, then eventually the latter.