1 Learn the concept
The story you tell yourself about who you are becomes your identity, and your identity shapes what you attempt. "I'm not a numbers person" or "I never finish things" can quietly limit a career. This lesson shows you how to notice the stories you carry, test whether they are true and rewrite them honestly. The same skill is what you use later to tell your professional story to employers.
2 See it in action
- Spot the story: listen for always, never and cannot in how you describe yourself.
- Test it: find three pieces of evidence that contradict it.
- Rewrite it: replace a fixed statement with a growing one, such as "I am learning to analyze data."
- Share it: a clear, honest story is also what you say in interviews.
Worked example
Finding the evidence
Limiting story: "I am too old to start."
Evidence against: ten years in customer service, strong writing skills, two finished marketing courses.
Rewritten story: "I bring real customer insight to marketing and I am building the technical skills."
Interview line: "I spent ten years solving customer problems, and now I want to help businesses understand them."
Check: say it aloud. Does it sound true and confident?
3 Study an example
Example scenario
A career changer says, "I'm too old to start in marketing." Listing his evidence, he finds ten years of customer service, strong writing and two finished courses. He rewrites his story as "I bring real customer insight to marketing" and uses it as his opening line in interviews.
4 Apply it and download
- Write the story you currently tell about your career.
- Underline the limiting words.
- Rewrite it in three sentences you could say in an interview.
Worksheet Personal story worksheetOpen, print or save as PDF