It Looked Like It Wasn’t Working. It Was Just Too Early
I used to believe that if something didn’t work right away, it meant something about me.
If a post didn’t land.
If no one signed up.
If something I created didn’t immediately turn into an opportunity…
I made it mean it wasn’t good enough, or worse, that I wasn’t.
It didn’t matter how much thought I put into it or how aligned it felt when I created it.
If the outcome didn’t show up quickly…my brain filled in the blanks.
Was that not good enough?
Do people not care?
Am I doing something wrong?
It doesn’t take long before it stops being about the work…and starts being about your worth.
Release the expectation.
The Problem Isn’t What You’re Creating.
It’s What You Expect It To Do
The expectation is the thing that quietly ruins the experience.
Because when you believe something should create a result right away, anything less than that feels like disappointment.
Even if what you created was actually good.
Even if it reached the right people.
Even if it’s working… just not on your timeline.
You don’t give it space to breathe.
You don’t give it time to land.
You judge it too early.
No one is going to see one post, one offer, one event…
and immediately decide:
Yes, I trust this person. I’m in.
Especially if they’re new to you.
They need to see you again.
And again.
And again.
People don’t trust you after only one interaction.
This is the part most people don’t want to accept.
No one is going to see one post, one offer, one event…and immediately decide:
Yes, I trust this person. I’m in.
Especially if they’re new to you.
They need to see you again.
And again.
And again.
They need to watch you show up consistently and need to feel what you’re about.
They need proof, not just of what you say, but of how you show up over time.
That’s how trust is built. Because even when you pay to get in front of more people, that doesn’t guarantee conversion. It takes time.
You can run ads.
You can even increase your reach.
But just because there aren’t immediate results, does not mean its not working. Because most of the time, it is.
The purpose of getting in front of more people is familiarity.
It’s giving more people the chance to see you multiple times.
Conversion is a byproduct of that, not the starting point.
When you stop needing something to happen right away…
You show up differently.
You’re less performative.
Less attached.
Less in your head about how it’s landing.
You’re more present.
More honest.
More focused on the actual value of what you’re creating.
You create because you believe in it.
You share because it matters to you.
You trust that the right people will find it, feel it, and respond to it…in time.
And ironically, that’s what makes people lean in.
You’ll start hearing, “I’ve been following you for awhile”, or “I’ve binged all of your content before signing up for xxx”, or even “I see you everywhere”.
So, you need to just keep showing up in the spaces that feel good for you, over and over again.
Stop trying to force the results.
You don’t need to chase validation.
And certainly, please stop measuring your worth against immediate feedback.
Nothing is wrong with you or with what you are sharing. You just haven’t stayed long enough to see it work.
Michelle Gallant
Writer | Creator | Dreamer
Cover Image Captured by: Kristen McGaughey Photography
