Play it when the feeling hits: before a meeting with senior people, after a promotion, or when you open a task you don’t yet know how to do. It takes two or three minutes. Afterwards, write down one piece of evidence that you’re here on merit, and keep adding to the list.
Read by Ivy
01Feeling like a fraud is a feeling, not a fact. Capable people feel it too.
02People who know my work chose me. Their judgment counts as much as my doubt.
03The evidence is real. Work I’ve finished, and people who thanked me for it.
04Not knowing something yet doesn’t make me a fraud. It means there’s room to grow.
05Everyone here is still learning, even the confident ones.
06Praise gets a simple thanks. No explaining it away.
07Luck may open a door. I’m the one who walked through and did the work.
08Asking questions is what competent people do at the edge of what they know.
09I compare my work with my own from a year ago, not someone else’s highlights.
10I earned this seat. Now I do the work in front of me.
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Why it’s written this way
Imposter feelings don’t go away when someone tells you you’re brilliant, because the feeling isn’t listening to opinions. It responds better to evidence. So this loop doesn’t try to convince you you’re exceptional. It points you to facts: someone chose you, you’ve finished real work, people have thanked you.
The first note does the most important job. It separates the feeling from the facts, so you can notice the feeling without obeying it. The next notes collect the evidence, then answer the most common imposter thoughts in turn: I don’t know enough, everyone else is sure of themselves, it was just luck, I shouldn’t ask.
The note about praise is small and practical. Explaining away a compliment is a habit, and saying thank you instead is a habit you can practice. The loop ends by bringing you back to the work in front of you, which is the best answer to the feeling anyway.