Have you ever shaved a Yak?
Yak shaving is the process of doing something that seems pointless. However, it is actually necessary to solve a problem, which in turn solves a problem, which in turn solves another problem and so on, until much later, you solve the real problem you are actually working on.
Alot of adventure games are notoriouse for Yak Shaving. It becomes tediouse work and practically makes you feel like you are wasting time until you have completed the problem.