It's something that inevitably pops in my head whenever I try to do something without an immediate benefit. Sometimes I try just for the hell of it to follow through, weeks or months. In the end it's just not fulfilling enough and I lose interest. After doing this for a while, now every time I see one of these 'better yourself' ideas I just think what's the point? But there has to be something else, since you and others swear that it somehow changed your life. Hence my question.
To the person talking about therapy, the above also applies to that.
To train your brain to handle being able to do things that aren't fulfilling. It's basically the neurological version of working out and keeps your willpower at a point where if you need to exercise it, you can. As an extreme, imagine someone who doesn't have the willpower to fast being confronted with medical tests that require it. If the 'exercise' is necessary for health, might as well pick exercises with long term benefits.
To the person talking about therapy, the above also applies to that.