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.

Module 2: Turning Fear and Dreams into Action

Once you've committed to the "figureoutable" mindset, you will inevitably run into a huge obstacle: fear. Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of the unknown. Our natural instinct is to run from fear. But Forleo suggests a radical reframe. Fear is a useful guidance system. She describes it as a GPS for your soul. It points directly to the areas where you need to grow. That feeling of fear before a big presentation or a difficult conversation is a sign that you are on the edge of your comfort zone. And that is precisely where growth happens.

So what happens next? You can't just ignore fear. You have to engage with it. The first step is to get specific. Vague anxiety is paralyzing. Specific, articulated fears are manageable. Forleo offers a powerful exercise. Write down the absolute worst-case scenario. What would happen if you pursued your goal and failed spectacularly? Then, rate the likelihood of that scenario actually happening. Finally, write down exactly how you would recover. Often, you'll find that the worst-case scenario is survivable. This process moves fear from an emotional monster into a logistical problem you can solve.

Building on that idea, the book suggests we can actively reinterpret our body's response to fear. The physical sensations of fear—a racing heart, a tight chest—are almost identical to the sensations of excitement. The only difference is the label we attach. You can choose to relabel the physical sensations of fear as excitement. Instead of thinking "I'm terrified," you can tell yourself "I'm excited." This cognitive trick can transform nervous energy into fuel for performance.

But reframing fear is only half the battle. You also need a clear destination. This is where your brain's internal filtering system comes in. It's called the Reticular Activating System, or RAS. The RAS is the part of your brain that decides what you notice. If you decide you want to buy a specific model of car, you suddenly start seeing it everywhere. The cars were always there. Your RAS just wasn't programmed to look for them. This same system applies to your goals. Clearly defining your goals programs your brain to notice relevant opportunities and information.

And it doesn't stop there. The simplest way to program your RAS is also one of the most effective. Writing down your goals significantly increases the likelihood of achieving them. One study cited in the book found that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. The act of writing makes the goal concrete. It moves it from a vague wish into a defined objective. This clarity provides your RAS with a clear target. Your brain now knows what to look for. It starts filtering the noise of daily life, highlighting the people, resources, and ideas that will help you move forward.