This happens to me too, but I try to take a more optimistic look at it. I've found that code that I've written that turned into a monstrosity is code that I'll

This happens to me too, but I try to take a more optimistic look at it. I've found that code that I've written that turned into a monstrosity is code that I'll rarely want to touch again. If I don't want to touch it, then I'm less likely to add (or remove) features, fix bugs, etc. But if I find the time to clean that code up---make it simpler and clearer, usually---then I find that I'm no longer fearful of touching that portion of code. I'm reinvigorated to fix bugs, add/remove features, etc. So yeah, while the intangible effect is, "oh I've made the code simpler that really does feel good," I've also found tangible effects because I'm more motivated to work with that code in the future.