I had it on a pedestal – shining, holy, even – a easy, breezy process in which things happened with little effort.  Maybe I was confusing “idealism” from the reality of “ideal”. I guess I’m discovering what practitioners have known forever: Agile is anything but laissez faire.  It requires serious mental discipline.  The discipline and transparency involved is, to put it bluntly: more work.  This is a good thing. 

More work doesn’t mean more difficult work, more ineffective work, more spinning of wheels – it means more tasks complete, less "play time", and a more satisfying "leaving work experience".  Just don’t let all that hard work surprise you.