Don’t Say “I Can’t Do It” – Ask “How Am I Going To Do This?”

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While reviewing my coaching notes recently, I found another lesson that keeps coming up with clients who get stuck in their training.

When you catch yourself saying some version of “I can’t do this” or “it’s too difficult”, take a brief time out and ask yourself instead:

“How am I going to make this happen?”

It’s a small shift in wording, but it changes everything. You move from doubt, uncertainty and paralysis, to problem-solving, momentum and positive action.

When Do We Say “I Can’t Do That”?

Here are some classic examples from a training session (and any resemblance to things I may have asked you to do is entirely coincidental):

  • When someone suggests a heavier weight than you were expecting
  • When someone asks you to perform an exercise in a less stable position than usual
  • When someone asks you to progress to a more advanced variation
  • When someone asks you to combine several exercises together

Do any of these sound familiar?

The good news is that the fix is simpler than you’d think.

So, How Are You Going To Make It Happen?

Here’s how I put it into practice:

  1. Catch yourself. Notice you’re about to say “I can’t do that.”
  2. Calibrate. Ask yourself: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how impossible does this actually feel right now?”
  3. Pick your angle. Depending on your answer, work through one or more of the following:

Reduce the task

  • How can I make this easier?
  • How can I make this smaller or shorter?
  • How can I make this simpler or less complex?
  • How can I break this into smaller chunks?
  • How can I make this safer?

Leverage what already exists

  • How can I make this similar to something I can already do?
  • When have I done something this hard before — and how did I manage it?
  • Who or what could help me do this?

Lower the standard (temporarily)

  • What does “good enough” look like here?
  • What’s the minimum I need to do to make meaningful progress?

Reconnect to your reason why

  • What’s my reason for doing this that’s bigger and more important than the difficulty?
  • What happens if I don’t do this?

Once you’ve worked through even a few of those questions, something shifts. Instead of being a rabbit frozen in the headlights, you’re actively looking for ways to make your success happen. The outcome stops being in question. You’re just figuring out the method.

That opens up momentum, movement, and a lot more doors than you’d expect.

From "I can't" to "How can i?"

In Summary

You can turn a stuck, hesitant mindset into one of growth and forward momentum simply by replacing “I can’t do it” with “How am I going to do this?”

And if you’d like support making that shift in your own training, I’m here to help you solve exactly these kinds of problems, so your health, strength and fitness can thrive.

Contact me here