“I can’t do that.”

“I can’t even draw a stick figure.”
“I can’t even stand on a skateboard.”
“I can’t play a tune.”
“I can’t type that fast.”
“I can’t…”

Really? Well I have some questions for you:

• How often have you really tried?
• How much have you educated yourself about that particular thing you “can’t” do?
• How much training did you get?
• How much practice have you put in?
• Did you make doing whatever it is a priority in your life or were you just expecting to miraculously wake up one day with this new ability?

Because, while it is true some people are more naturally talented at some things than others, most people who are good enough at something for you to notice how good they are at that thing have put in countless hours practicing that thing.

So is it really any surprise that you’re not as good at something as someone who has trained themselves to do something is?

Be very wary of the limitations you place on yourself. Repeatedly telling yourself that you can’t do something, will eventually make it true, simply because you convince yourself to never try.

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford

And let’s be frank, perhaps with countless hours of training, you still won’t be as good at something as you want to be — we all have our own areas of difficulty (as well as excellence) — but you will certainly be better than you were when you started. And you will likely have learned something valuable in the process.

You rarely get better at anything without experience. And that also means countless failures.

So don’t say you can’t do it if you haven’t made repeated attempts and failed.

Don’t say you can’t do it if you’ve barely ever even tried.

As a wise person once said, success is 99% failure.

You’ll never do great things unless you make the effort and try.

Related:

• Growth and Discomfort : Getting outside of your comfort zone
• Step Outside Your Comfort Zone and Study Yourself Failing
• “It’s too late.”
• There is a big difference between “can’t” and “it just isn’t a high priority.
• Offsite: “I don’t have time” vs “It’s not a priority”
• Your world will change dramatically…
• Self-imposed limitations: A tough pill to swallow
• Goal setting and breaking the “I can’t” excuse addiction
• “Can’t.” You keep using that word.
• You’ll never do great things unless you make the effort and try.