The Quitting-Too-Soon Trap
When progress feels invisible, and the quiet makes you question everything.
Trap Therapy™ is the weekly interruption your protective patterns didn’t ask for — but desperately need if you’re done abandoning yourself.
You know that rush when you start something new—the burst of energy, the surge of clarity, the feeling that this time it’s going to work.
Then the silence comes.
No sales.
No comments.
No validation.
And suddenly, what once felt exciting starts to feel foolish.
The Trap
The Quitting-Too-Soon Trap shows up when we mistake silence for failure and patience for punishment.
It’s what happens when we expect instant proof that something is working—and when we don’t get it, we decide it’s not worth the wait.
I’ve lived this trap for more than fifteen years.
Back in 2006, I launched my first business—Freedom International Enterprises. I filed paperwork, opened accounts, built an Alibaba profile, and designed business cards. But when customers didn’t appear right away, I got frustrated and quit.
That pattern followed me through every new idea after that—each one perfectly branded, beautifully planned, and quietly abandoned when results didn’t come fast enough.
Even recently, I sent an email to my 319 subscribers here on Substack. I watched two people unsubscribe, and instantly felt that old urge to walk away.
But this time, I caught it.
And I decided that Get Untrapped is here to stay.
Why We Fall for It
Our brains crave certainty and quick feedback.
When we don’t get either, the fear of wasted effort takes over.
We think we’re being “smart” by cutting our losses—but really, we’re protecting ourselves from disappointment.
We forget that growth rarely announces itself in the beginning.
The work is working—it just hasn’t had time to show us yet.
The Psychology Behind It
Here’s what’s running the show under the surface:
Negativity Bias: We focus on who left, not who stayed.
Short-Term Bias: We overvalue immediate results and undervalue long-term consistency.
Confirmation Bias: We look for signs that match our fear that it won’t work.
These biases keep us chasing quick wins instead of building steady ones.
Self-trust begins when we can hold the tension between no evidence yet and something’s still happening.
How to Get Untrapped
Stay long enough to gather real data. Don’t call something a failure until you’ve given it time to breathe.
Redefine progress. Growth isn’t always visible. Sometimes it’s a shift in clarity, skill, or voice.
Watch your reflexes. When you want to pivot, pause. Ask: “Am I responding to data—or discomfort?”
Practice patience publicly. Keep showing up even when it feels awkward. The proof follows presence.
This is why Get Untrapped™ exists—to help people stop abandoning what’s trying to become something.
We don’t just quit projects—we quit potential.
But staying is where self-trust is rebuilt.
Reflection Prompt
Where are you confusing quiet with failure?
And what might happen if you gave your effort just a little more time?
Work With Me
If this trap hits close to home, start where all clarity begins — with The Trapped Archetype Assessment™.
It reveals the pattern quietly shaping your decisions — whether you’re performing, proving, pleasing, or playing it safe.
Take the free assessment and learn how to get untrapped.
From there, you can:
→ Upgrade to a paid subscription and get access the Untrapped Inner Circle, where we go deeper into the Self-Trust System™ and the weekly practice of staying with yourself.
→ Get your free “Know Your Archetype” Guide as part of your Inner Circle bonus—so you can turn awareness into action.
Because the goal isn’t perfection. It’s staying long enough to see progress.