Why Isn’t My Big Idea Working? 🤔

Is your passion project stuck in neutral?

This post is for the dreamers who feel discouraged, the doers whose wheels are spinning, and the builders who are not sure what to build next.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve had the experience of results not matching your effort. And you’re starting to wonder if your moonshot is ever going to take off, despite investing your savings, your nights and weekends, and every ounce of spare energy.

This is more than just a creative lull. It can feel like death by a thousand cuts.

The long silence after a submission or pitch. The “we love it” followed by crickets. The promise of support that turns out to be weak sauce. The launch that withered on the vine.

It’s disorienting. And painful. I promise I’m not here to minimize or dismiss your heartbreak. But I also know that if you are reading this, you want to understand what might be getting in the way and what to do next.

Understanding the Roadblocks

There are tangible reasons why passion projects don’t make it to the finish line. Some of them are outside your control. The market may not be ready. Timing may be off. People may not get it just yet.

But some of it is within your control. And that’s where we begin because a project stall is not always about talent or discipline. It can be about clarity, alignment, and sustainability. Or lack of.

Photo by Omar Ramadan on Unsplash

Here are three roadblocks that might be holding you back:

• Lack of Clarity
  You may be trying to do too much. Or trying to serve everyone. Without a focused vision and a clear audience, it’s hard to build momentum. Who else besides you really digs what you’re creating? Where are your people?

• Market Mismatch
  Sometimes our passion doesn’t line up with what the market is asking for. That doesn’t mean your idea is not good. It means you need to reframe so that others can understand its value. Or you may need to rethink your timing. I know that’s not what you want to hear.

• Unrealistic Expectations
  When we set the bar too high or expect quick wins, the inevitable bumps in the road can feel like failure. Disappointment is not proof that your project is broken. It’s just data. And the truth is, the nature of a moonshot means that failure is part of the process.

Case in Point: Annie’s Story

Annie is a wellness solopreneur who had dreamed since she was a teenager of creating a burnout recovery kit. She spent years developing the idea and was proud of what she built: carefully crafted journal prompts, locally sourced herbal teas, and a guided audio practice. She was deeply connected to her mission and poured everything into her launch.

But the launch flopped. And of course, Annie was devastated.

Before she made any big decisions, we did a post-mortem to understand what had happened. Three things stood out.

Lack of Clarity: Annie knew that burnout was widespread, but she hadn’t narrowed her focus to a specific group. She tried to reach everyone, posting across TikTok and Instagram, without a strong sense of who she was actually trying to reach.

Market Mismatch: Some people liked the concept, but the timing was off. Her audience was feeling the pinch financially and didn’t see the kit as a “must have.” Her pricing may have been misaligned, and her audience wasn’t ready to buy.

Unrealistic Expectations: Annie thought she could announce the product and people would buy. But most buyers need time. They need to understand what a product is, why it matters, and whether it’s right for them. She had skipped over the early stages of the marketing process: building awareness, nurturing interest, and earning trust.

At first, Annie assumed the failure meant she needed to shut everything down and find a new job. But what she really needed was space.

Tending to the Emotional Fallout

Annie’s story isn’t just about a launch that didn’t land. It’s about what happens when a deeply personal dream falls flat.

Because when a project stalls, it does not just affect your calendar or cash flow. It can shake your identity.

Grieve the Gap
Annie had to mourn the version of the dream that didn’t happen on her timeline. That grief was real. Grief tightens the lens. Mourning widens it. [Check out this TBD post on grief and creative dreams]

Tend to Self-Talk
Her inner critic went into overdrive calling her foolish, unqualified, and naive. It was only when she named those voices that she could see them clearly. [See this TBD post on managing the inner critic]

Prioritize Self-Care
Leading up to the launch, Annie skipped meals, did all-nighters, and pushed herself to the edge. Once she gave herself permission to rest, she began to see her missteps with more clarity. [Read more in this TBD post on creative self-care]

Feeling all of this was not a distraction from the work. It was the work. Only after tending to her emotional well-being could Annie assess what had gone wrong and begin to move forward.

Taking Actionable Steps

It turns out that Annie didn’t want to abandon her passion project. Even with all the disappointment, she could still feel the spark that led her to create it in the first place. She didn’t need a new dream, she needed a new approach.

Once she tended to the emotional fallout of her failed launch, Annie had the resilience to rebuild. This time with support, clearer strategy, and a timeline that honored both her vision and her capacity.

Bottom Line

If your project is stalled, it makes sense that you might be feeling disoriented. Maybe even heartbroken. You have poured so much into this, and the silence or slow return can feel excruciating.

Stalled does not mean dead. What you are building still matters. Even if it’s taking longer than what you imagined.

Hard truth: there is so much that is out of our control. And at the same time, there are things we can look at to make sure we’re doing all that is within our power.

So take a moment. Look at the roadblocks. Check in with where you are on the emotional roller coaster. And then take a small step to fortify your resilience and rebuild momentum by caring for your emotions.

Journal Prompts

Here are four prompts for paid Moonshot Mentor subscribers to help you explore what is rising emotionally—and what might be ready to shift.

If your project is stalled, these questions are meant to meet you gently where you are. No pressure to solve anything. Just an invitation to listen a little more closely to what is asking for your attention.