Look, realistically, it’s never going to be less work than a new non stick pan - it’s heavy, might need some oil now and then and can’t put it in the dish washer.
But if you are like me, once you settle into a routine that you’re happy with you’ll be glad with the freedom that you don’t have to babysit this thing: that it can take a beating the non stick never could, that you don’t eat pfas, that you can stab it, scrape it, wash it, stack it, throw it in the oven, cook at any temperature, heavy mass means even heat and that you’ll never have to buy another one and will probably pass it on to your grandkids or even let it rust and come back to it and will be fine with a bit of love.
I see. The first mistake I was making if I remember correctly was using the same continuous high heat as I would in a non stick and not wait long enough for the pan to heat evenly.
The difference in the amount of mass it carries makes it a different beast to cook in: it takes a while to warm up but also for the same reason it maintains and exceeds the temperature a non stick if you maintain high heat under it.
So try either starting at a low heat and waiting a while to warm up - maybe 3-5min. Or start at a high heat wait 2 mins to get it warm fast and then lower the stove to what would have been a simmer so you don’t overshoot.