We have all heard the saying, often attributed to Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”
It is deceptively simple. On first glance it seems like motivational fluff, the kind you nod politely at in a seminar and then forget. However, it reveals a lot about how our beliefs shape our actions, our results, and even the quality of our daily lives.
At its core, this phrase is about mindset. The psychology is straightforward yet powerful. Cognitive psychologists refer to it as self-efficacy, a term popularized by Albert Bandura. Self-efficacy is our belief in our ability to execute tasks and reach goals. When you think you can, you approach challenges with energy, resilience, and creativity. When you think you can’t, every obstacle feels insurmountable, every setback confirms your doubts, and even the most minor task can feel like climbing Everest. Your brain is not simply observing reality; it is interpreting it through the lens of your beliefs, and your beliefs shape your behaviour.
Here are some examples
Work Example 1: Presenting to the Board
Imagine you have to pitch a new idea to your company’s board. If you walk in thinking, “I can do this,” your voice is steady, your slides are clear, and your arguments flow naturally. You anticipate questions and answer with confidence. Your mindset gives you the presence and composure to succeed. Contrast that with walking in thinking, “They will see right through me,” and suddenly your hands shake, your sentences fragment, and even the best ideas can fall flat. The reality is the same room, the same board, but your mindset makes you either effective or ineffective.
Work Example 2: Learning a New Software
You are asked to use a new project management tool. Thinking “I can master this quickly” encourages experimentation, asking questions, and persistent practice. You learn fast, make fewer errors, and gain mastery. Thinking “This is too complicated, I’ll never figure it out” leads to hesitation, avoidance, and repeated mistakes. Again, your belief is shaping the outcome.
Work Example 3: Negotiating a Deal
Negotiating requires a mix of strategy, patience, and assertiveness. Believing you can secure a good outcome gives you confidence to propose terms, listen actively, and respond with clarity. Believing you cannot makes you either overly defensive or too hesitant to ask for what you need. The other party may not even notice your lack of skill, but they will certainly notice your lack of confidence.
The same principles apply to our personal life.
Personal Example 1: Training for a 5K
Deciding to run a 5-kilometer race can be daunting. If you believe you can complete it, your training is consistent, your setbacks are minor, and crossing the finish line feels inevitable. If you believe you cannot, every mile seems painful, every early morning is a chore, and you may give up before the start line. The distance hasn’t changed; your mindset has.
Personal Example 2: Learning to Cook
Cooking can feel like an art reserved for the naturally talented. Believing you can cook encourages experimentation and tolerates mistakes. That burnt cake becomes a story, not a tragedy. Believing you can’t results in ordering takeout for a week and never discovering your hidden culinary talents.
Personal Example 3: Public Speaking at a Friend’s Event
Even informal public speaking triggers anxiety for many. Walking up to the microphone thinking you can entertain and inform naturally allows humour and personality to come through. Walking up thinking you cannot makes every word sound forced, and the nervous energy leaks into your performance. The audience might even be supportive, but your belief frames the experience entirely.
Across these examples, one theme emerges. Mindset is not magic. Belief does not replace preparation, skill, or effort. But it amplifies or diminishes them. Neuroscience supports this: positive belief activates motivation circuits, improves focus, and reduces stress responses. Negative belief triggers stress pathways, narrows attention, and increases the likelihood of mistakes. In other words, whether you think you can or cannot, your brain is literally wiring your reality to match your expectation.
The humour in this is that life often gives us tasks that seem arbitrary or mundane, yet our mindset transforms them into triumphs or disasters. That report, that presentation, that run around the block – they are all mirrors reflecting back the strength of your belief.
So next time you face a challenge, pause and notice your inner voice. If it is whispering “I cannot,” treat it as the unreliable narrator it is. Shift the script to “I can,” and watch how your brain starts lining up facts to support your new story. Success is rarely guaranteed, but the first step – yes you actually thinking you can, is always within reach.
Because at the end of the day, whether you think you can or think you cannot, you are right. Be like me and become “who flung what” in the kitchen !
