Imposter Syndrome: Rewrite the Story Your Brain Tells

Imposter syndrome isn't a flaw in your personality. It's a story your emotional brain has learned to tell.

That's the insight that stuck with me after a TTV workshop with Kara Lambert, a business psychology consultant with over 10 years of consulting experience and a background working with complex mental health cases at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Most advice about imposter syndrome tells you to just push through it. Take action anyway. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Kara's approach is different. She doesn't want you to suppress the story. She wants you to rewrite it.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Kara explains it like this: imposter syndrome lives in the gap between where you believe you should be and where you think others expect you to be.

It sounds like: "I don't deserve this." "They're going to catch me out." "I just got lucky."

These aren't facts. They're stories. And our brains are hardwired to fill gaps with stories when we don't have complete information.

The problem? Our brains default to negative stories. It's survival instinct. Think sabre tooth tiger, not sunshine and butterflies.

Why Your Brain Keeps Finding "Proof"

Here's where it gets interesting.

Kara explained something called the reticular activating system. Fancy name, simple idea: it's the part of your brain that acts like a search filter, constantly looking for evidence to support whatever you're already thinking.

Ever decided to buy a particular car and suddenly seen that car everywhere? Same thing.

If you believe you're not good at LinkedIn, your brain will find evidence. A post that didn't get engagement. A comment that felt flat. Someone else's viral post that makes yours look small. (If this sounds familiar, we've written about how to overcome LinkedIn imposter syndrome with practical tactics.)

Your brain isn't lying to you. It's just selectively presenting evidence that matches the story you've already told yourself.

This is why "taking action anyway" often doesn't work long-term. You can push through, but if the underlying story stays the same, your brain keeps collecting evidence against you.

The Trade-Off You're Not Seeing

Here's something Kara said that stopped me:

"Imposter syndrome doesn't stick around unless you're getting a payoff."

The story you tell yourself helps you avoid something. It protects you from something. You get something out of it.

For Kara, her story about being "too much" helped her avoid putting herself forward for promotions. The payoff? She stayed safe. She avoided rejection.

For someone afraid of posting on LinkedIn, the story might protect them from shame if no one engages, embarrassment if the content isn't good, or proving (in their mind) that nobody wants to hear from them.

The story feels like it's holding you back. But it's also serving a purpose. Understanding what that purpose is helps you address the real fear underneath.

How to Rewrite Your Imposter Story (3 Steps)

Kara shared a practical process based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles.

Step 1: Write Out the Story Without Judgment.
Take the story that plays in your head and write it down. Don't edit it. Don't judge it. Just let it out. "I'm not good at this. People will think I'm a fraud. I don't have enough experience to be sharing advice." Whatever it is. Get it on paper.

Step 2: Find the Actual Facts.
Now separate the story from the facts. Not the feelings. The facts. If your story is "my LinkedIn posts don't work," what are the actual facts? You had one post get 280 impressions. You got a meaningful DM from one post. Your newsletter has a 50% open rate. Those are facts. The story is an interpretation layered on top.

Step 3: Rewrite Based on Evidence.
Now write a new story that's grounded in what's actually true. "I'm building skills. I have systems that support me. I know engagement takes time and that the algorithm plays a role. The data shows some things are working." This isn't toxic positivity. You're not making up a fantasy. You're telling a more accurate story based on evidence.

Protect Yourself From Future Stories

Kara shared a few preventative tools that I found genuinely useful.

Build Your Table: Identify 4-5 people whose opinions actually matter. People who work hard, who won't sugarcoat things, who will tell you the truth even when it's uncomfortable. When someone outside that table triggers your imposter syndrome? Their opinion doesn't get a seat.

Keep a Folder: Collect positive feedback. Testimonials. Emails from clients. Screenshots of wins. When the story starts playing, you have evidence to counter it.

The Power of "Yet": Simple language shift. Instead of "I'm not good at this," try "I'm not good at this yet." It reframes the story from a fixed state to a progression.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does imposter syndrome ever fully go away?

Not entirely, and that's normal. The goal isn't elimination. It's recognition. When you notice the story starting, you can interrupt it faster. High achievers often experience imposter syndrome because they keep pushing into new territory.

How is this different from just being humble?

Humility is accurate self-assessment. Imposter syndrome is inaccurate self-assessment that ignores evidence of competence. If you have results and still feel like a fraud, that's not humility. That's a story that needs rewriting.

Can I use this approach for other negative thought patterns?

Yes. The framework (write the story, find facts, rewrite) works for most cognitive distortions. It's based on CBT principles that apply broadly to how we process experiences.

The Bottom Line about Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome isn't something you just push through. The story will keep finding evidence to support itself.

The work is in understanding the story you're telling yourself, recognising what it's protecting you from, finding the actual facts, and rewriting a story that's grounded in reality.

Your brain is hardwired for stories. You might as well make sure you're telling accurate ones.

If you're struggling with visibility and want a system for showing up consistently, the PACE framework for content clarity can help. Or learn more about building authority as a consultant.

Ready to stop being invisible? Join The Trusted Voice where we help brilliant experts translate their expertise into authority.

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This post is based on a TTV workshop with Kara Lambert, a business psychologist who specialises in helping entrepreneurs work through the fear and imposter syndrome that holds them back from growing their businesses. You can find Kara at karalambert.com and on LinkedIn.