In addition to the GP, I'll add there's a certain level of naïveté of being young that makes one feel like they were better than they were. I'm mid-40s and am probably the best I've ever been at writing good code, but sometimes I can get vapor locked knowing all the things I need to account to for. When I was younger I just coded because I didn't know any better.
So when I get stuck now, I just start writing code like I would have when I was early 20s.
Not in my mid-40s yet, but vapor lock is a great term. I also try to do the same, just write crufty code that works, hopefully clean it up some as I go.
> I also try to do the same, just write crufty code that works, hopefully clean it up some as I go.
I account for this in planning. POC -> POC validation -> Finalv2ForReal -> Finalv2ForReal validation
It gives two shakes at a decent solution with some built-in learning. If this looks like too much for business then well I tried I guess I'll do less work for the same amount of money (inevitably the stupid shit that got prioritized goes away). And I documented what I would have done and can point at it when POC as a service is ermmmm ... less than performant.
So when I get stuck now, I just start writing code like I would have when I was early 20s.