I appear to have just wasted pretty much the whole day playing an automation base-building game in a way that, when I take a step back from it, I don't actually find all that much fun. I don't know why my brain prefers to do the repetitive things over and over instead of just automating, like the game intends, and freeing myself to move up to higher-level game mechanics. I just sit there manually shuffling resources back and forth, getting bored, for no reason. Clearly I just have stupid-brain.
It's a thing you have to force, for the first few times, and for me, it's because there's the chance for 100% efficiency in a build, but if you automate the stuff you need to do that, you have to tear it up to get to the end product, or you don't get full efficiency, have some parts that cycle on and off due to varying resource production and consumption further back in the process.
I'm getting to a point where I create a factory for one thing, then dump it into storage. If I need it in a future product, I'll set up a new line for it. Each product is going to have its own set of machines from resource to product.
Sometimes you need a nudge to get over the hump, though, and stop doing the thing you know works. Yes, automation loses a bit of efficiency, but it also frees you up to consider more plans.
I also find using a planning tool helps a lot, if you're trying to go for something that feels efficient.