life a lot more fun if your improving at what your doing. if your playing golf and over the course of the year you improve and hit the ball farther and more accurately - or you life weights and you get stronger, or your coding stuff and you can do it faster, whatever it may be. I think there is a way to approach improvement, perhaps with the mindset of detached perseverance which will not only allow you to improve, but will allow you to do so without too much mental torture and will make the whole process pleasant.