In spite of the headline that might suggest otherwise, I don't think the author was suggesting inaction through futility and nihilism. Rather, as he mentions in the conclusion, it's about accepting that we don't have as much control over circumstances as we'd like, and to let go of external standards and situations:

...that's precisely when you can throw yourself at life's real hard challenges: the impressive accomplishments, bold life choices, and deeply fulfilling relationships. You get to live more intensely, because you're no longer making your full participation in life dependent on reaching some standard – of productivity, of certainty about the future, of competence, etcetera – that you were never going to reach in the first place.