Everything is Figureoutable

It was a simple, wooden puzzle box, the kind sold in tourist shops. The goal was to slide the interlocking pieces in just the right sequence to reveal a small, hidden compartment. For hours, a young girl fiddled with it, growing more frustrated with each failed attempt. The pieces wouldn't budge. She tried forcing them, shaking the box, even prying at the seams with her fingernails. It felt impossible, a trick with no solution. Her mother, watching from the kitchen, finally walked over. She didn't offer a hint or take the box away. She simply looked at her daughter and said, with a quiet confidence that changed everything, 'Nothing is that complicated, honey. Everything is figureoutable.' That single phrase was a lens for seeing the world differently. The girl stopped seeing an impossible object and started seeing a series of small, solvable steps. She picked it up again, and within minutes, a final click echoed in the quiet room as the secret lid popped open.

That core belief—that every problem has a path to a solution if you're willing to look for it—became the central philosophy of Marie Forleo's life. It's the phrase her mother used to reframe every obstacle, from a broken toy to a daunting school project. Forleo grew up to become a celebrated entrepreneur and online educator, coaching millions of people through their own seemingly impossible challenges in business, relationships, and creativity. She noticed that the most successful people she met, regardless of their field, all shared this same underlying conviction. They didn't necessarily have more resources or less adversity; they just fundamentally believed that an answer existed. Realizing this simple, powerful idea from her childhood was the universal key to progress, she wrote Everything is Figureoutable to share that transformative mindset with the world.

Module 1: The Core Philosophy and Its Enemies

At the heart of the book is a single, powerful idea: The belief that "everything is figureoutable" is a foundational mindset that empowers you to solve any problem. It’s a command to your brain to stop seeing dead ends and start searching for pathways. Forleo argues this belief is a choice. You can choose to see a problem as unsolvable. Or you can choose to believe a solution exists, even if you can't see it yet. This simple shift in perspective is the first step toward regaining control.

But here's the thing. Adopting this mindset isn't easy. Our brains actively resist it with two specific, destructive thought patterns. The first is the belief that some problems are simply too complex. They feel overwhelming, so we give up before we even start. The second, and more common, enemy is the excuse. Forleo is direct about this. She calls them "BS excuses." These are the stories we tell ourselves to justify inaction.

So, the first real task is to dismantle these excuses. The book highlights the most common ones. "I don't have time." "I don't have money." "I don't know how." Forleo argues these are rarely true limitations. Instead, excuses are self-imposed limitations rooted in the misuse of language. When you say "I can't get up early," you're often just saying "I won't." Replacing "can't" with "won't" forces you to take ownership. It is about willingness, not ability. "I won't get up early" is a choice. And if it's a choice, you can make a different one.

The "I don't know how" excuse is perhaps the weakest of all. In an age where a smartphone connects you to the world's knowledge, not knowing how is a temporary state. The information is almost always available. The real question is whether you are willing to look for it. This brings us to a crucial insight. Your beliefs actively shape your reality by directing your mind and body. The placebo effect is a powerful example. A sugar pill can produce real physiological changes simply because the patient believes it will. Your beliefs about your own capabilities work the same way. If you believe a problem is unsolvable, your brain will stop looking for solutions. But if you believe it's figureoutable, you activate your mind to search for opportunities.

This leads to a practical way to fight back against mental barriers. When your brain says, "This isn't for me," you must consciously reframe it. Ask, "How can this work for me?" This question forces your mind to shift from dismissal to creative problem-solving. It trains you to see possibilities where you once saw walls.