It took me a long time to arrive at this conclusion, but we really aren't the masters of our own fate. And we can't write our own stories as perfectly as we like, editing out the bad bits, so that we may drive up a smooth and steady road.
This doesn't mean we don't have anything in our hands. "That man can have nothing but what he strives for." (53:39) Meaning, for example, the more you study for an exam the higher are your chances to get 100%, but it might so happen that the question you skipped comes in the exam, or you forget an answer, or outright miss the question. The truth is that "Success can only come from Allah." (11:88) The only thing in our hands is our own efforts, our own choices and Dua most importantly. So if you can't immediately see the reward of the good you did, think of all the other times when something unexpectedly good happened to you. It might have been Allah's compensation for your previous good deed. "We do not let the reward - of anyone who does a good deed go to waste." (18:30)
That's why, if you have left your fate in Allah's hand, then don't fret. Because "They plan, and Allah plans. Surely, Allah is the Best of planners." (8:30)