Why does effortlessness instruction cause resistance and anxiety?

The instruction to achieve effortlessness makes me feel intense resistance. I believe that if I'm not striving or exerting control, I am failing. This inability to simply 'be' causes great frustration and spikes my anxiety. My name is Arjun, DOB 8th June 1987. Time: 3:30 PM. Location: Bangalore. How can I convince my mind that true progress is achieved by letting go of effort?