Chassidic literature describes the difference between ‘seeding’ and ‘planting.’
When one sows wheat, the product grows quite quickly. When one plants a seed, however, it takes much more time before a fruit grows.
The efforts of a human being are much the same. If your effort doesn’t bear immediate results, do not fret, you might be engaged in ‘planting,’ where the ultimate reward might take longer to materialize, but will be infinitely greater.