Once we have set a goal for ourselves, for instance spiritual realization, achieving that goal will likely require us to identify an effective task and then repeat that task regularly. The monotony of this reality means that the onset of boredom can become a serious threat to our progress. When the mind is dull and restless this tends to obscure the inspiration that might normally propel us into action. However, if we are committed to our goal, we need to find a way around the problem.
When boredom sets in, a skillful approach is to see this not as a dullness but rather as a change of condition from the experience of what we thought was interesting to what we are now judging as uninteresting. In other words, we need to make the current condition our meditation practice and examine the condition of the mind that is arbitrarily attracted to certain states of affairs over others.
The answer to the current problem can always be found in what is happening in the present moment. Or put another way, our experience in the present moment points directly towards a solution. If we allow boredom to become an excuse to give up, we will never be able to see these answers. What happens when we direct the mind to the experience of restlessness or impatience? Although the state of boredom is uncomfortable, is it necessarily unbearable? If it is not, this in and of itself is already a significant discovery because it means that we are capable of overcoming what might otherwise be a troublesome barrier to success.
Even more beneficial for us is the development of this method — bringing the mind into the present moment and accepting what we observe — over a period time and integrating it into our lives. If we train in this way and commit ourselves to mindfulness, there are very few problems that we cannot overcome.