On Stating the Obvious

Sometimes self-denial is not its own immediate reward.

That is to say: Sometimes, when you're having a crappy day (even if for no readily apparent reason), and you have just enough time to do that thing you don't want to do but really should do and have been putting off for weeks already, and you get over yourself and do that thing - sometimes finally doing that thing does not make you feel any better.

But I guess that's part of the point of mortifying the flesh, eh?