Luck and effort can both belong in the story without meaning the same thing.
Is life all luck, or can you take part in shaping it? In this post, I say that I believe in luck as well as hard work, smart work, consistency and discipline.
Those ideas do not have to cancel each other out. You can recognise that timing and circumstances matter while still taking your own next step seriously. Effort is something to practise; it is not a promise that the world will deliver exactly what you want.
Separate luck and effort in the next attempt
Take something you are working towards and make two lists. In the first, put actions you can take: prepare your application, improve a sample of your work, make a relevant introduction or follow up thoughtfully.
In the second, put things you cannot decide for other people: whether they hire you, reply or become interested in the project. This is not an excuse to stop trying. It helps you see where your effort belongs.
Learn from attempts without rewriting every result as destiny
After an attempt, ask what was within your influence and what you would change next time. If there is feedback, examine it. If there is no answer, acknowledge that you do not know the full reason.
A disappointing result does not prove that effort is pointless. A good result does not prove that effort was the only factor. Keep the lesson specific enough to use. You do not control every opportunity, but you can decide how carefully you prepare and how you respond when one appears.