Yup, but it goes both ways. I end up over-eningeering as some feeble attempt to avoid technical debt, only to realise my over-eningeering /is/ the technical debt. Or I end up with relatively simplistic / specialised code that needs an entire rewrite and migration process any time something is added. Either way, it's a bunch of rewritten code mixed with paralysing anxiety about writing bad code.

Get used to, and even good at rewriting. I enjoy it, and I realize that I may never have the best idea of what's appropriate at one point in time, but rather accumulate an approximation over time as I reshape the code to the best of my knowledge. And I develop tools and practices to aid me in refactoring faster and with more confidence. Most importantly, keep throwing yourself into it.

I think we as developers underestimate the value of a 100 line Python script. Everything could be hard coded and inflexible, but it's still easy to refactor because you can keep the whole thing in your head.

"Bad" design can be fine if it's kept simple.

How refreshing it is to read these very honest findings about oneself's abilities!

I also did a lot of hobby projects and open source work. Still, in my early career, I was over-engineering everything including my own hobby projects. I think I was trying to put my signature on the work and I unwittingly achieved this through unnecessary complexity.

I was thinking of good code as something I had to invent, but now I feel like it's more like something I have to discover.

My tendency now is to aim for over-simplicity in hobby projects. I already have to deal with over-engineered garbage at work I have no choice but to accept, so I don't want to bring those headaches home.

You’re just practicing in your spare time, so your subconscious knows what to do when it gets to work on Monday. ;P