> Usually it starts when I hit a snag in development, either a bug I can't figure out, not being able to decide how to design something, a major refactor is nee

> Usually it starts when I hit a snag in development, either a bug I can't figure out, not being able to decide how to design something, a major refactor is needed, or the realization I have to learn a lot before proceeding. I'd be surprised if there's anyone here who hasn't also experienced this. In most non-trivial projects, there'll be be some unanticipated knowledge that has to be learned and applied along the way. Sometimes it can take longer than expected. From my experiences I'd guess at least 30% of my dev time gets spent on weird, unanticipated aspects (swatting bugs, or dealing with something I thought would be trivial, or often some third-party thing I can't control). Whether that's my lack of foresight or the norm is another question. But I think it's normal and will diminish over time. As long as you're making things and learning, you'll keep encountering bugs/topics/problems you have to solve. You'll get used to it and recognise it's only temporary.