Unwritten Chapters: Moving Past What Didn’t Go as Planned

 Self-doubt is like a quiet whisper that turns into a roar if left unchecked. It creeps into your thoughts, making you second-guess your decisions, ideas, and worth. One minute, you are confident in your ability to deliver, and the next you are spiraling into a cloud of uncertainty, questioning every little thing you do. This is the stage I find myself in now - a place where uncertainty lingers and doubt settles. It's the kind of doubt that does not just tap you on the shoulder but holds you back from trusting your own abilities.

Sometime back I created content ideas for a client, The client gave me themes that they had already curated and my work was to come up with ideas for each theme. I was also given a chance to come up with one theme. I did my research wrote the ideas and sent them, I felt good about the work I produced at the time. Fast forward I checked their pages and I noticed that some of the ideas I had worked on - especially those under the themes they gave me -had never been implemented. Suddenly, that creeping doubt rushed in. I started to feel like my ideas weren't relevant, the voice in my head insisted that my ideas must not have been good enough, that I had failed to understand the theme, or worse that my contribution wasn't valuable. Self-doubt amplified every one of those thoughts.

I have sat with those feelings till recently, I felt inadequate every time  I wanted to start something but the situation kept replaying in my mind. It was as if the lack of implementation was a direct reflection of my abilities. The longer I thought about it the more I convinced myself that I didn't fit in and didn't have what it took to continue generating creative ideas. But then, something clicked. I realized that I was beating myself up over a theme that wasn't mine to begin with. I had merely provided ideas a structure that had already been set. I was blaming myself for something that was beyond my control,  for circumstances that didn't reflect my abilities at all. And in fact, the one theme I did create was implemented - even if only for a short time. That was a reminder that my ideas had value even if I didn't see them being used consistently.

This whole experience highlighted just how powerful self-doubt can be. It makes you internalize failure in situations where you’re not actually at fault. It convinces you that you don’t belong or that your efforts don’t matter when, in reality, the circumstances may have little to do with you at all. Self-doubt thrives in these moments of uncertainty, feeding off your insecurities. It blows small things out of proportion and makes you question your entire ability to contribute. But the truth is, just because something isn’t used or followed doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. Sometimes, decisions are made that are out of our hands, and that doesn’t reflect our worth or capabilities.

If there’s one thing I’m learning, it’s that self-doubt can be loud, but it isn’t always accurate. Just because something didn’t go the way you expected doesn’t mean you’ve failed. You’re not defined by the things that don’t happen, and your value isn’t measured by how much of your work gets implemented. You’re still learning, growing, and showing up—and that, in itself, is more than enough.

So, the next time self-doubt creeps in, remember to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You’re still on the path, even when things don’t seem to fall into place the way you imagined. Trust yourself, and know that one moment of uncertainty doesn’t undo all the hard work and potential you carry. It didn't go as planned and it's okay, you are still enough 💖✨