> needs to do a long task with many repeated steps
> writes a script to do it
> writing the script takes more time than actually doing the task
but the satisfaction of seeing that script working :)

That's how we roll!!

It hurts how true this is

Whenever I'm given a new task, I always ask: "Am I going to have to do this more than once?"
If the answer is not an absolute and completely guaranteed NO: here comes a script.

If you have to do it more than once, the time isn’t wasted, even though you use more time writing the script than actually doing the task

Mandatory XKCD on task automation:

https://xkcd.com/1205/

The script may not do much. The script my not save much time. But you've invested some time to build that script. You've flexed your muscle on a language that you might not have known. You'd probably come up with a new way to implement it. You might even extrapolate that script later on to do many other donkey works. The script probably will become a starting point to someone else who doesn't have to know the intricacies of what is happening. It's never a wasted time. It's always a value add to yourself.

@tacticalKimchi I never said it was a waste of time, but from a prospective of a non programmer you could have done it by yourself to save some time.