Imposter Syndrome: You’re “Not Good Enough”—But You’re Also Doing Just Fine

Let’s be clear: Imposter Syndrome isn’t about you being bad at what you do. It’s about your brain thinking you’re an imposter, even though you’re crushing it.

It’s like having a voice in your head that says, “You’re a fraud, everyone’s going to figure you out any second now…” while you’re literally killing it, making progress, and proving that voice wrong every day.

In fact, the more you succeed, the louder that voice gets, right? Because that’s how “I’m not good enough” works. The moment you’re actually good enough, that voice gets its job title changed to “Chief Freak-out Officer”.

Let’s break it down:

Imposter Syndrome is just another limiting belief loop—one that was learned a long time ago and now runs on autopilot. It says, “You’re not good enough to have this, you don’t deserve this, you’re faking it.” That voice will be there no matter how much evidence you throw at it.

The Loop: “I’m Not Good Enough” → “I Can’t Have This” → Impulsive Freak-out

Here’s the thing: Imposter Syndrome is just another version of that old, trusty limiting belief pattern: “I’m not good enough”.

And when we say “not good enough,” we mean you’re literally operating with the mindset that you’re not worthy of the results you’re creating. You’ve got all the evidence (e.g. actual results) that you are good enough, but your brain hasn’t gotten the memo. So, it runs you through a loop:

• Step 1: You succeed, you win, you get what you wanted.
• Step 2: You feel like you’re faking it, like you don’t deserve it, so your nervous system freaks out.
• Step 3: You sabotage yourself. You procrastinate, you stall, you create drama.
• Step 4: You get results you’re proud of. But because you haven’t processed the loop, the cycle repeats.

Why Does This Happen? Simple: Your Walnut Brain Is a Drama Queen

Here’s the deal: your Walnut Brain (the emotional part of you that feels everything) doesn’t care about logic or evidence. It only cares about survival.

So when you succeed, your Walnut Brain thinks it’s walking into a party it wasn’t invited to. The result? Anxiety, second-guessing, and panic. You’re not just winning—you’re breaking the script, and that feels unsafe.

The Walnut Brain doesn’t want you to go too far out of bounds because if you do, it thinks you might get hurt.

But what’s actually happening? Your Cognitive Brain (the one that logically gets things done) is saying, “Look, you’ve got the skills. You’ve got the results. You deserve this.” But the Walnut Brain doesn’t listen. So we end up back at Step 4 of the loop: self-sabotage.

📚 Research Insight

A 2024 study published in BMC Nursing found that stress and emotional reactivity impair cognitive function, which affects decision-making and emotional regulation. This study supports the concept that individuals experiencing imposter syndrome may feel paralyzed despite evidence of success due to emotional overwhelm.
Read the study →

The Truth: You’re Not Faking It, You’re Just Rewriting Your Identity

The trick isn’t to convince yourself you’re good enough. That’s temporary. The trick is to rewire the belief that you’re not good enough in the first place.

If you’ve tried to talk yourself out of imposter syndrome by repeating “I am enough,” we’ve got news for you: It doesn’t work. That’s just a temporary coping strategy.

You need to recondition the loop itself. Rewiring happens when you identify the core belief that drives the imposter syndrome panic (spoiler: it’s often tied to childhood fears of not being “enough”) and shift it at the emotional level.

Still stuck at the starting line?
Our guide breaks down why your brain shuts down under pressure—and how identity-level therapy rewires executive function from the inside out.
📁 Download: Why You Still Can’t Start — And What Actually Changes It →

Here’s How Therapy Actually Helps You Break the Loop

1. Identify the Belief Loop
   • It’s usually some variation of “I’m not good enough,” “I’ll get found out,” or “I don’t deserve this.”
   • Once we map the belief, we stop it from being on autopilot.
2. Recondition the Belief
   • You didn’t choose this belief—it was learned. So now we can replace it with a healthier response.
   • No more drama.
3. Start Acting From Your New Identity
   • When you believe you deserve success, you stop sabotaging it.

The Takeaway: You’re Not Faking It — You’re Just Learning a New Script

Imposter Syndrome isn’t your fault. It’s just your nervous system playing catch-up with your results. Once you break the loop, you’ll start to see success as a natural part of who you are—not a fluke.

So go ahead—keep succeeding. It’s your new identity.

🧩 Pattern Connection: Perfectionism

Imposter Syndrome often manifests alongside Perfectionism, which is a core pattern in identity-level therapy. When someone feels like they have to be “perfect” in every situation, they create an internal conflict where anything less than flawless performance triggers feelings of failure or inadequacy. Perfectionism makes individuals feel that if they aren’t constantly performing at the highest level, they are “faking it,” which fuels Imposter Syndrome. It becomes a vicious loop: the fear of being “found out” leads to overcompensating with perfect behaviour, which only reinforces the belief that they’re not good enough or deserving of their success.

💬 Ready to Rewire the Loop?

If you’re ready to stop sabotaging your success and finally embrace your achievements—let’s talk. Book your therapy session today and learn how we can break your imposter syndrome loop for good.

Book a consult →