From The Mind Illuminated, p. 117:
Meditation is a series of simple tasks, easy to perform, that only need to be repeated until they bear fruit. So where is the sense of difficulty and exertion coming from? We usually describe a task as difficult because we’re dissatisfied with our performance, which means we’ve started judging. Your expectations haven’t been met, and maybe you’re starting to doubt whether you’ll ever succeed, which can sap your motivation. You’re not actually struggling with meditating, you’re struggling with unrealistic expectations and an idealized image of what you think “should” be happening. As a result, it feels like you’re forcing yourself to do something you think you aren’t very good at. If you believe those feelings, the ego-Self naturally wants to avoid blame. If you can convince yourself that you’ve been trying really hard, then the ego-Self doesn’t feel guilty for not meeting its own self-imposed expectations. You can blame the teacher, the method, or concoct a story about how meditation isn’t right for you. The real issue isn’t that meditation takes too much effort, or that something is innately wrong with you, it’s your judgment and expectations.
Useful to keep in mind.