How long before you can reasonably say something is or is not doing anything?

Followed, this answered three questions I had. Not on the search function but the pattern is familiar.

What do you do about the fee? Do you just pay it? Three years in on Correos and it lines up.

Sorry for the basic question, but how do you actually start one of these diaries? Five years in on a decade of lurking and it lines up.

Is it normal to feel worse before better? Nobody told me that.