When Nothing Seems to be Working: Getting Through the Latency Period Without Losing It

Anyone who has ever put in a lot of effort only to face limited results knows the feeling — the frustration, confusion, and even anger at not reaching the desired outcome of their efforts.

It’s a difficult time, a time it can be really difficult to keep working.

Half a year ago, I launched an offer, The Marketing Playground, and I promoted it for a week before anyone signed up. I was doing the work, getting inquires, wondering if I had made a mistake, and no one signed up until week two of promotion.

This latency period between effort and outcome is rarely talked about and drowned out by the people shouting that you can make, “Six-Figures, in Six Hours, with no skill, no experience, and no audience! Just pay me and I’ll make sure you’re a millionaire by next Tuesday! By the way, no guarantees and no refunds.”-space

So we tend to think that we should see immediate results, like growing a business is like going through the McD’s drive thru.

You order at the window and three minutes later you have your ‘food.’

Despite what you see in the ads, the latency period between effort and outcome is NORMAL. It’s also a time of tremendous growth, if it’s approached with compassion.

The Latency Period
The latency period is the time in-between putting in effort and reaping the rewards.

“The day you plant the seed is not the same day you eat the fruit,” as the adage says.

Its the in-between time when it seems nothing is working out as planned — the time between when no one is listening and everyone gets it.

This is often the toughest part for entrepreneurs, yogis, healers, & coaches… anyone who wants to make a difference in their community but may not be getting immediate results for their hard work.

It can feel like the only thing moving you forward is a promise, a dream, you’re running on pure faith.

It can feel disheartening and discouraging when our efforts don’t seem to be paying off; however, it’s important to remember that the latency period doesn’t necessarily indicate failure.

It just indicates that refined communication & context is needed.

Why We Need To Persevere

Perseverance is not about pushing through something until you force an outcome that doesn’t feel right. Rather, it’s about being patient and allowing yourself to discover new possibilities, different paths, and practice the art of curious refinement.

As Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed 10,000 times — I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

When you realize that your efforts are taking longer than anticipated, you have an opportunity to reassess how you’re going about it, what is truly important for your growth, and to keep refining.

The Benefits of Perseverance

The benefits of persevering may not be evident right away; it takes time for the compounding effects of your efforts to show up in your life.

However, when they do show up, they are often quite surprising! With each step forward, even if it doesn’t seem like much progress has been made at first glance, there is still evidence of growth.

In addition to tangible results such as increased income, audience growth, or realizing that you need to create in a way that works for your energy because business is a longterm game, perseverance brings about intangible rewards such as self-trust and deeper awareness.

When things aren’t going according to plan or when no one seems to be listening yet, remember this post!

The latency period is normal.

Persevering through the latency period between effort and outcome has its own set of rewards —like knowing that you can make it through the tough times, and reminding you to savor when everything is flowing well.

Trust yourself enough to keep going until you reach your desired destination with grace!

Have you gone through a latency period in your business? Let me know below.

About the Author :

Emily Grass is a business growth strategist for service based entrepreneurs.

Through her work, she helps them build their businesses online through their offers, content, and audience.

Emily has grown her own business through marketing her yoga, meditation, and coaching services on social media.

She believes that the more heart centered, soul led people with money, the more the world will change and the faster that human consciousness will evolve.

It is her mission to help as many service based entrepreneurs grow their businesses as possible - so they can make a bigger impact in the world.

You don’t need to start from scratch, start from inspiration.