I find that I have an almost infinite capacity for work if I believe the work will help improve my tank, or if I know that the work is required for the ongoing maintenance of my tank. I have no problem doing 50% water changes twice a week, changing GFO weekly, or swapping out filter socks every other day if my tank needs it (and it does right now, so that's what I've been doing for the past two weeks). So for me, maintenance isn't an issue and doesn't detract from the hobby.
If you can get to a maintenance schedule that works for you and your tank, I think the next important thing is to keep things fresh. That could be getting a new piece of equipment or an upgrade that you've been wanting to try for a while. That could be trading corals with a local reefer to get some new life in your tank, or buying new livestock. That could be a small project like a desktop pico for an invert like a decorator crab or harlequins. Maybe it's breeding one of the more easy-to-breed saltwater fish.
Some people might not need to keep things fresh.. once they have a stunning and colorful SPS tank, they're content to just maintain, coast and enjoy. I personally think I'll always need something new and exciting. Thankfully, there's a lot to do in this hobby, and there's a lot of variety. I've been doing this for almost 10 years now and I've only explored a small fraction of what this hobby has to offer.