Reframing The”I Can’t’s”

I can’t’s are easy. They make it easy to dismiss the task at hand. Easy to quit. Easy to move on and forget about it. Easy to do and complete. 

But. “I can’t’s” inhibit growth. They divert your attention. They help you feel good about your decision to not push forward and figure it out. They keep you right where you are. No growth. 

Sometimes “I can’t’s” just need to be eradicated from our language and choices. Other times they just need rewiring. Tonight was a rewiring night. 

I was drilling before Jiu Jitsu tonight with a friend, and working a spot that was challenging. My arm is still not 100%, but I haven’t really pushed to find a current limit. Tonight, drilling the same thing over and over, I met that limit. My partner told me my left arm had stopped framing. Well, I COULDN’T frame. It was maxed out. I WAS framing as best I could, it just wasn’t doing anything, more so just resting on his body. It had nothing left. 

It was a point at which I could’ve easily said, “I can’t,” and frankly, it would’ve been true. But instead, I took my other hand, pinned it over the top of my left hand to help support and make a frame (albeit a weak one), and kept working. Instead of quitting and moving on and blaming my arm, I found a way to modify. That provided the reps I needed and growth that I would’ve otherwise missed out on. 

“I can’t’s” are lame. They never lead to growth, never to lead to figuring things out, and never lead to opening new doors for exploration. They’re just easy, and that makes them appealing. 

My arm was weak and angry for about 20 minutes, and then got back to baseline. Pushing it was good, and it was needed. Tonight, easy didn’t win. Hard did. And that’s a great ending to a Monday.