Everything Is Figureoutable

The antique wingback chair didn’t just arrive broken; it presented itself as an argument against hope. It was a puzzle whose pieces had been deliberately scattered and then stomped on for good measure. One cabriole leg was completely sheared off, a clean break that seemed almost spiteful. The rich mahogany frame was a roadmap of deep cracks and hairline splinters, while the once-plush velvet upholstery hung in defeated, dusty shreds, revealing the horsehair stuffing beneath like a gruesome wound. The delivery driver had shaken his head, muttering that it was 'a project for a bonfire, not a workshop.' To any rational observer, it was a lost cause, an elegant piece of history that had finally surrendered to gravity and neglect. But the furniture restorer saw something else entirely. Looking past the chaos of the damage, she could still see the chair’s original, confident lines. She ran a hand over a small, intact patch of wood, feeling the echo of its sturdiness. She knew, with a quiet certainty that defied all the visible evidence, that the solution was hidden inside the problem itself. It was a declaration of how it would be done.

This is the moment of choice every one of us faces when confronted with a seemingly impossible situation. We can accept the broken pieces as the final story, or we can decide that a different ending is possible. It’s the gap between 'it’s ruined' and 'how do I begin?' that defines what we’re capable of. The belief that a path forward always exists, even if it's currently invisible, is the most powerful tool for creation and reinvention we possess. It’s the difference between being a victim of our circumstances and the architect of our future. This is about a rugged, practical faith in our own resourcefulness.

That practical faith is the force at the heart of this book. For author Marie Forleo, it was the soundtrack of her childhood. Her mother, a woman who could fix a leaky roof, reupholster a sofa, and wire a new lamp with equal confidence, had a simple, unshakeable mantra for every challenge: 'Everything is figureoutable.' This single phrase became the core belief that propelled Forleo as she built a globally recognized coaching company and media empire from her living room, often without a clear roadmap or prior experience. She faced down technological hurdles, financial uncertainty, and creative blocks by trusting in her ability to find them. She wrote this book to codify that inherited wisdom, proving that this mindset is a simple, powerful truth available to anyone willing to embrace it.

Module 1: The Figureoutable Mindset

Let's start with the foundation: the core philosophy itself. It’s a fundamental shift in how you approach every obstacle you face. It’s the belief that no matter the challenge, a solution exists and you have the capacity to find it.

So, where does this belief come from? Forleo argues that the phrase "Everything is figureoutable" is a core belief, not a simple platitude. It’s an active, operational stance. When her mother said it, it was a statement of intent before picking up a wrench or climbing a ladder. This mindset transforms you from a passive victim of circumstances into an active problem-solver. It reframes a dead-end into a puzzle. A crisis becomes a project.

This brings us to a critical point. Adopting this mindset requires overcoming two specific mental traps that kill progress before it even starts. The first is the thought, "I already know this." It’s a defense mechanism of the ego that shuts down learning. The second is, "This isn't for me." It’s a way of disqualifying yourself from a solution before you’ve even tried. You must first disarm the two thoughts that kill progress. Forleo suggests countering these immediately. When you think "I know this," ask instead, "What can I learn from this?" When you think "This isn't for me," challenge it with, "How can this work for me?" These questions force your brain to switch from a closed loop to an open, creative search for possibilities.

And here's the thing. It’s about directing the powerful machinery of your mind. Your beliefs actively create your reality. Forleo points to the placebo effect as hard evidence. Patients given a sugar pill, who believe it’s powerful medicine, can produce real, measurable physiological changes. Belief is a command you give your system. She explains that our beliefs are shaped by five key factors: our Environment, especially what we absorb as children; our direct Experiences; Evidence we gather from authorities; Examples set by role models; and Envisioning, which is our intuition and dreams. By understanding these inputs, you can start to consciously curate the beliefs that serve you.

Module 2: Deconstructing Your Barriers

We've established the mindset. Now, let's turn to what gets in the way. The internal barriers we erect are what stop us. Excuses and fear are the twin dragons guarding the gate to every significant achievement.

The first dragon is subtle. It cloaks itself in the language of limitation. Forleo makes a powerful distinction. The most common excuses are disguised choices. Think about the word "can't." When you say, "I can't exercise," or "I can't finish this project," are you truly incapable? Or are you really saying, "I won't prioritize this"? Forleo argues that swapping "can't" for "won't" is a game-changer. "I can't" makes you a victim. "I won't" makes you the person in charge. It forces you to take responsibility for your choices. It's a small linguistic shift with massive psychological impact.

Building on that idea, there are three excuses so common they are practically universal. You must dismantle the three universal excuses: time, money, and knowledge.
First, "I don't have time." This is a myth of prioritization. We all have the same 24 hours. The real question is what you fill them with. An audit of your screen time might reveal hours you could reclaim for your goals.
Second, "I don't have money." While financial constraints are real, they are often not the absolute dead-end they appear to be. The modern world is filled with free resources, from online learning platforms to public library databases. Resourcefulness often matters more than resources.
Third, "I don't know how." This is the weakest excuse in the information age. With the internet, you can learn the fundamentals of almost any skill. The barrier is the will to seek it out and apply it.

But what about the biggest excuse of all? The one that paralyzes even the most capable people? Fear. Forleo suggests a radical reframing. Fear is a GPS for your soul. That feeling of anxiety, the racing pulse when you think about launching a new product or speaking on stage—that’s a signal. It’s pointing directly at the thing you need to do to grow. She tells a story of crashing a scooter in Sicily out of fear. Instead of quitting, she got proper instruction, faced the fear, and ended up joyfully riding for days. The fear meant "learn."

So what happens next? You can actually train yourself to reinterpret the physical sensations of fear. Physiologically, fear and excitement are nearly identical. Both involve a surge of adrenaline and an accelerated heart rate. You can consciously relabel the feeling. When your heart pounds before a big presentation, you can tell yourself, "I'm not scared, I'm excited."

Beyond just reframing the feeling, you can dismantle the fear itself with a simple, practical exercise. You can systematically defuse fear by making it concrete. First, write down the absolute worst-case scenario. What would happen if you failed spectacularly? Get specific. Second, rate the likelihood of that outcome on a scale of 1 to 10. You'll often find it's highly unlikely. Third, create a recovery plan. If the worst did happen, what concrete steps would you take to get back on your feet? Finally, shift your focus. Write down, in vivid detail, the best-case scenarios. This process pulls fear out of the abstract realm of dread and into the concrete world of risk management. It shows you that even failure is figureoutable.