Automating obnoxious stuff like naming and compiling/sorting/sending data.
Finding outsourcers/resellers who are going to work as hard for you as you will for them.
Making clients understand the time frame of ranking and that it's kind of obvious if you just start SEO and stop it in a month, your rankings have a good chance of moving around. Also, the fear behind an invoice covering multiple months...or heaven forbid, a subscription. A lot of clients do understand, but way too many don't, and it's a complete mystery how their businesses stay active with that kind of fear, inability to calculate risk, and lack of understanding in something they're investing in.
Writing nonsense articles targeting nonsense keywords, especially when you like writing. It's fine because it feels like you're playing around and it's easy, but it's such a distraction because it feels like you're playing around. Find better keywords for us, people; we both win in the end.
I persevere by going to my ATM. It's my fortune teller.