"you can do anything you set your mind to"

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I agree the statement is built on very shaky ground if it's to be taken literally. I'd be OK with it if they just quietly said "you might be able to do more than you think." I don't know why people exaggerate. It can achieve emphasis, but that's like shouting. Better to just say it straight and humble, and avoid burying it in stuff they don't want to emphasise. It can also achieve deception, which I'm not fond of either.

EDIT: It's also used for comedic effect, and I'm OK with that in general, but it had better be funny, and I don't see anything funny about the example in question. I suppose you could try laughing when they said it. That ought to damp them down a bit, or maybe get you fired.

"Gee, thanks for telling me that. How far do you think I could go as a movie star?"

"How long before I can rule the world and have you executed?"

But the crafty ones would probably say "That depends on whether or not you're prepared to receive my advice, and how hard you're prepared to work." They always fob the responsibility off onto the victim.