boil the ocean 

To waste one's time attempting to do the impossible.

Scope is too big to do in one project. Break it up into more than one. Don’t try to solve every problem at once. Identify a couple, address them, and move on.

You're wasting my time. You might as well be boiling the ocean.

Perhaps your scheme to connect all the computers together in the Internet in order to communicate with alien intelligence is a bit ambitious. Try something less difficult like boiling the ocean.’

In Obama's first year as President, he was trying to boil the ocean.

boil the ocean by doubleyoujiii January 23, 2010

boil the ocean 

The art of overdoing somthing to the point that it is ridiculous.

In a meeting Tony turns to Todd and says, "C'mon man we dont have to boil the ocean"

boil the ocean by Bromistic Kiwi February 25, 2014