A lot of my working week is made up of things nobody sees. Cleaning up a process. Answering a question twice. Making a document easier for the next person.
There is no dramatic before-and-after moment. The reward is usually that tomorrow is a little less confusing than today.
I used to rush past this kind of work because it did not make a good story. Now I am trying to let useful be enough.
Not every contribution needs an audience. Some work earns its value by making the room kinder for whoever comes next.