One Book That Changed My Life

Is it bold to say that one book totally changed the way I think about life and life’s challenges? I don’t think I’ve ever been a debbie downer or anything like that but I have struggled with my mindset. When I read this book… something clicked! It’s funny because while reading the book I never had any crazy moments where I went AHA this is life changing. However, I noticed myself going back to the ideas from the book later in my day to day life and that is when I realized how much of an impact it had.

The book that changed things

Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo! This book was on my list for a while and I just never really got around to reading it. What a mistake that was!! Finally I decided to give it a go and you guys… it changed my outlook on life! 

First off, if you haven’t heard of this book I’ll leave the synopsis here so you can get a little idea of what the heck I read and what I’m talking about…

Synopsis: Do you ever have trouble finishing what you start? Do amazing ideas come to you all the time but after the initial excitement wanes you struggle to follow through? If you’re creative and ambitious, the answer is likely yes.

The problem isn’t you. It’s not that you’re not hardworking, intelligent or deserving, but that you haven’t yet installed the one key belief that will change everything: Everything is figureoutable.

Whether you want to leave a dead-end job, heal a relationship, grow a business, master your money, or just find two free hours in your day, Everything is Figureoutable will train your brain to think more positively and help you break down any dream into manageable steps.

5 lessons I learned from this book

There was a lot to take from this book but the main thing was: everything in life is figureoutable. The whole premise is that when you are faced with challenges even if they feel impossible to deal with, you can figure it out. Somehow, some way, everything can be figured out. 

Personally, I had a hard time wrapping my head around this idea fully. There are things in life that cannot be figured out. Death, tragedies, etc. BUT, as the book went on I came to the conclusion that figuring things out does not mean solving. I’ll get to that in a bit.

Here are the 5 things I learned:

1. Everything can be broken down into smaller steps. Even if it seems overwhelming or like it isn’t possible – it can be broken down into manageable steps. 
2. Don’t take no for an answer. “No” is not the end. Things can be changed and worked on. If something is important to you, you will figure out a way and won’t let no’s and other roadblocks stop you. 
3. It’s okay to be multi-passionate. Not everyone has a clear path they want to take. It’s 100% okay to have multiple paths and multiple passions. It’s also okay to pivot between when one path is no longer serving you. 
4. Mindset is everything. If you can change your mindset to being about growth, evolving, and change then you will believe anything can be figured out. This has been a big one for me!
5. Figuring it out does not mean solving. You can figure things out without solving the problem. Example: if you are dealing with a death or hardship, the reality is, you probably can’t solve it. You can’t bring someone back or change the past. But, you can figure it out. You can figure out the finances, you can figure out the plans, you can figure out your mental health. 

Everything is figureoutable which is the biggest take away from the entire book. 

How it’s helped me in life so far

Like I mentioned above – I didn’t think this book impacted me that much initially. It wasn’t until I had a really long day at work and a stressful drive home that I realized how much I actually got from it. I remember I was walking upstairs to my apartment, totally stressed out and just annoyed from my day. There was SO much to do and I was running late. I felt my brain start doing this hamster wheel thing where I just had thought after thought running through my head. I actually started to panic a little bit and noticed I was breathing heavier. Something just clicked in my mind and I said “everything is figureoutable” and took a deep breath. I found myself instantly calming down and realizing that everything I’m stressing about can be figured out and panicking was not the answer. 

That was a life changing moment for me. It was in that moment that I truly believed that any challenge thrown my way can be figured out with a little calmness and a broken down to do list. Coming to terms with the fact that the ending doesn’t always have to be in sight gave me this sense of relief. And the other thing I realized is that this notion of everything being figureoutable doesn’t need to just be for big events. It can be for everything. For the household chores that seem never ending, for the overwhelm involved in starting a business, for when plans change quickly and you need to come up with something else. There is nothing that this idea does not work with.

Thoughts for you

If you haven’t read this book, I would definitely suggest it. The audiobook version is very good but there are some activities throughout that can be hard to do via audio, so I suggest the physical book as well. 

If you are at a point in your life where you feel challenged and are struggling to get through, this is a great book. The ideas are not necessarily revolutionary. I mean, that’s the thing with personal development books – everything has been done before. Heck, you have probably tried this type of thing before. The difference for me personally was the delivery. 

So, if this sparked something inside of you and you want to check out her book I say, DO IT! Buy it here. (btw I do not get anything if you use the link- it’s purely just there for ease).

With the new year approaching I know so many of us will be setting new goals and trying to improve ourselves one way or another! What better way than with a book? If you do check it out I hope you love it and find it as transformative as I did!! 

Related read: Recent reads: Books I loved from start to finish

Latest post: A new workout routine to try if you’re in a rut

Let’s chat!

Tell me something that you found transformative! Maybe a book or a ted talk, etc. Share it in the comments 🙂