Feels sometimes like every task gets in the way of some other task, whether it's work, leisure, or those chores and errands and phone calls you have to do to function in this world (so-called adulting).
I was talking to a friend the other day who mentioned that the Economics 101 concept of opportunity cost had really helped him learn the value of time. "Oh?" I said, and explained that opportunity cost—the idea that doing one thing means giving up the opportunity to do a different thing—had always felt stifling, even paralyzing to me. To someone like me, who not only takes things too seriously but also has a pessimistic view of much of life, opportunity cost sounds a lot like "whatever you're doing, it's not the right thing."
Thinking on this later, I realized that mindset is a huge source of frustration I have with myself. I knew that, but hadn't put it in these specific terms. All this time, I could have been blaming Econ 101! Really, though, we are steeped in a culture, here in the US and elsewhere, of never having or doing or being enough. I've been trying to unlearn that for a decade or so with little success. Just gotta keep trying, I guess.
Maybe today is the day I finally try affirmations? Those are popular.