I Can’t Do It” - The Most Dangerous Phrase You’ll Ever Say

September 15, 2025

(And why your inner toddler might be braver than you are)

Let’s be honest…

How many times have you whispered (or loudly declared) these four magic words?

“I can’t do it.”

Usually followed by a sigh, a biscuit, and a bit of mild procrastination.

Sound familiar?

Four words, nine letters, zero evidence.

You’re not alone. But let’s unpack this because you’re more capable than you think. And you probably know it too.

We’re All Born Fearless (and a bit clumsy) Watch any baby learning to walk and you’ll see it, they stumble, topple, faceplant…

And then they giggle and try again.

Not once does a toddler throw their hands up and say, “That’s it! Walking’s clearly not for me. I’ll just crawl forever.”

So what happens?

They just do it.

No fear. No ego. No overthinking.

And if you’ve ever been skiing, you’ll see this again, as flocks of fearless five-year-olds bombing down the slopes like they’re in the Winter Olympics, while grown adults cling to the button lift in mortal terror.

Why?

Because nobody’s told those kids they can’t.

So… they just do.

Then Something Changes… Fast forward to adulthood and suddenly we’re experts at talking ourselves out of everything:

“I can’t apply for that role.” “I can’t launch that idea.” “I can’t do public speaking, I once turned red ordering coffee.” Where did that unshakable toddler confidence go?

Well, somewhere between being told to be “realistic,” fearing embarrassment, and collecting a lifetime supply of limiting beliefs, many of us traded in courage for caution.

Fear Has a Sneaky Disguise Here’s the thing: fear is clever. It often shows up wearing a disguise:

“It’s just not the right time.” “I need to learn more first.” “I’ll wait until Mercury isn’t in retrograde.”

Sound familiar?

But most of the time, these are just excuses with a really good PR team.

Wanting to Change Isn’t Enough (Sorry) Now, don’t get me wrong, wanting to change is a fantastic place to start.

But it’s not the whole journey.

Reading books, listening to podcasts, collecting affirmations on your vision board like Pokémon cards, none of it matters if you’re not doing anything with it.

💡 Knowledge + Action = Power Not: Knowledge + Netflix = Transformation (sadly).

You can know everything about change…

And still stay exactly where you are. (With a certificate of attendance to prove it.)

So What Does Work? Trying. Starting. Failing. Learning. Trying again.

You’re never going to feel totally ready. (Newsflash: nobody does.) But starting before you're ready is how you grow.

Let’s Talk About Failing (AKA Learning in Disguise) We’ve been trained to see failure as this big, scary monster under the bed. But it’s really just experience with a sense of humour.

It’s the awkward first pitch. The slightly tragic first video. The business idea that made you £8.47 in six months.

And yet, it’s how you learn.

The people you admire didn’t get there by playing it safe. They’ve tripped, flopped, fallen and got back up with better stories and a bit of scar tissue.

So Why Do You Think You Can’t? Because someone told you? Because it didn’t work before? Because you’re scared of looking silly?

Look, I once wore socks with sandals because someone told me it was a fashion statement. I’ve recovered and you can too.

The truth is, you can do far more than you give yourself credit for.

You just need to stop asking the people who aren’t doing it, and start learning from the ones who are.

Take Responsibility, Take Control When you take ownership of your choices, something shifts.

Suddenly

“I can’t” turns into: ✅ “I’ll give it a go.” ✅ “I’ll take that first step.” ✅ “I’m allowed to suck at this before I get better.”✅

That’s when momentum builds. That’s when things change.

Ask Yourself This... What have you been putting off because of fear, doubt, or someone else’s outdated opinion?

A new career path? A side business idea? Speaking up in meetings? Signing up to that course you keep stalking online?

Whatever it is, just start. Even badly.

Because action creates clarity. Perfection? That’s just procrastination in fancy shoes.

Final Thought: Rewrite the Script Next time your brain says “I can’t do it,” try responding with:

“What if I can?” “What if this goes better than I think?” “What’s the worst that could happen, embarrassment and a great story?” You don’t need to be fearless. Just brave enough to try.

And who knows? That next attempt might just change everything.