run around in circles

Translations
бегать по кругу
He felt like he was running around in circles, not making any progress with the project.
Он чувствовал, что бегает по кругу, не добиваясь прогресса в проекте.
Definitions
To engage in a lot of activity without making any real progress; to waste time and effort on tasks that do not lead to a solution or result.