You’re capable of more than you give yourself credit for. Seriously. Sometimes, the only thing standing between you and the breakthrough you want is how you talk to yourself. Words have power. And there are five words I’ve noticed that quietly kill progress before it even starts. I learned this the hard way from a recent consultation that stuck with me.
I offer free 15-minute calls to help people get quick wins with AI and automation in their businesses. A lot of folks appreciate the help, but one company really tested my patience. Every suggestion I made was met with, "We can’t do that because..." followed by some excuse that shut down the possibility before we even started. "We can’t advertise on YouTube because no one in our industry does it," they said. "We can’t try this because..." and so on.
That phrase , “I can’t because” , is poison for growth. When you say it, what you’re really saying is, “I won’t because.” You’re making a choice, but pretending you don’t have one. It creates a story where failure is pre-decided, and therefore, there’s no point in trying. That mindset traps you in the same spot, year after year.
I’ve caught myself doing this before. I bet you have, too. It’s human to want to avoid risk or failure. But here’s the truth: when you say, “I can’t,” you’re closing doors, even if they could open.
It reminds me of a poem I heard back in college when I pledged my fraternity. It goes, “Excuses are tools for the incompetent. They build monuments of nothingness. Those who choose to use them seldom amount to anything.” That stuck with me because it’s brutally honest. Nine times out of ten, the “I can’t” you’re telling yourself is just an excuse. A way to avoid the discomfort of change or effort.
But what if you flipped it? What if instead of “I can’t,” you said, “How can I?” or “I will find a way”? When I shared this with my co-host Justin, he pointed out something insightful: sometimes there really *is* a legitimate “I can’t.” Maybe physical limits, legal boundaries, or unique constraints make some things impossible. So what then?
That’s a fair question. In business, though, I rarely see true “can’ts.” Usually, it’s about being too zoomed in on the problem. For example, a guy at an event challenged me, saying, “Social media won’t work for my B2B coffee supply business because offices aren’t scrolling looking for coffee.” That’s a classic “I can’t because” mindset.
Then a woman in the same room jumped in with a real-world example. She used TikTok to show her office team having fun on Halloween. That simple video went viral and brought in new business through LinkedIn. That’s proof that even industries you think are “boring” have opportunities if you approach them with creativity and willingness.
If you feel stuck with a constraint, don’t stop at the first “no.” Zoom out. Look at the bigger picture of what you want to become. Maybe your current system can’t plug into the automation you want. Fine. Then change the system. If you want new results, you have to be willing to change your approach.
One way I like to clarify this is through what I call a “shift map.” On one side, write down where you are now, what kind of business owner, leader, or person you are currently. On the other, write down who and where you want to be. The gap between those two points is the shift, action you need to take.
You can’t cross that gap by saying “I can’t.” You do it by deciding what you *will* do, then taking the next smallest step toward that. Change isn’t about giant leaps, it’s about consistent, small moves forward.
Remember, nothing is truly new under the sun. Whatever you want to do, someone else has done a version of it before. Learn from those people. Read their books, watch their videos, study their paths. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to take the wheel for your own ride.
If you want a King Move to take away today, it’s this: examine your “I can’ts.” Ask yourself if they’re real limits or just comfortable excuses. Then choose your path forward with intention and ownership.
Your mindset shapes your reality. Change your words, change your results. That’s a lesson worth repeating.
If you want to explore this deeper, listen to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/king-moves-ai-entrepreneur-success-lessons-business/id1855769367
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