My Leetcode ability is unpredictable. I either ace the test or I can't finish it in time. The only way to make outcomes predictable is practice, but I have too much agency and not enough time for that.

Leetcode requires a very different set of skills from software engineering. Software engineering isn't so much about solving puzzles as it is about making good decisions. It's about knowing what's important and knowing where the boundaries are. It's about anticipating problems in their broadest form; creating just the right amount of flexibility and allowing the solution to solidify as your understanding of the problem deepens.