We at ABJ kicked off 2020 with the launch of an internal book club, and our first read was everything I could’ve asked for. Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable literally lay the perfect groundwork for me and this new year, new decade, and provided me a much better strategy to face my own life’s new chapter with.

I should explain. So, last August I did something young Nicci vehemently dismissed, and had no interest in: I got married. And today’s Nicci couldn’t be happier for it.

Then, rapid-fire like, I got my first house, my first dog in 27 years, a fancy new vehicle, and a thrilling job promotion. All over the course of a couple of months. Sure, it’s been an exciting and flourishing time, but stress, fear, and uncertainty have also accompanied it, quite heavy-handedly.

I’ve always faced situations I’m not particularly versed in with optimism and assuredness, even if I was slightly terrified that I might fail in it. That’s just the way I am. But I’ve also never been thrown so many life-changing circumstances at once. I definitely needed some guidance to get me through all this new territory.

Which brings us to Forleo’s book. Initially I didn’t want to apply the idea of ‘self-help’ to Everything is Figureoutable, because it’s a term I’ve loathed since the first time I ever heard it. It’s just never sat right with me — I 100% support the idea of self-help, but I’ve never actually sat down with a book of that nature. Instead I seek it through therapy, research, and trips to the river. 

But Forleo changed my mind on this concept. I really like the tone and attitude she uses in her writing, which is somewhat no-nonsense, and very relatable. She makes the idea of bettering yourself feel very attainable, and even fun!

She opens by delivering a fantastic story about her mother, who set the stage for the creation of this book. Forleo recalls coming home from school one day and seeing her mom on top of the roof. Concerned, she yells up at her to make sure she’s okay. And her mom responds by explaining that she was fine, but the roof had a leak, and she didn’t want to pay the exorbitant price the local roofer would charge to fix it. Since she had seen some extra asphalt in the garage, she decided to just fix it herself.

Of course Forleo’s mother had no background in roofing, or anything like that, but she was extremely resourceful, and had an unquenchable desire to figure things out on her own.

This mindset fueled Forleo throughout her life, and landed her incredible jobs along the way. My favorite? Her addiction, and dedication, to Crunch fitness classes eventually got her a gig as an MTV workout video instructor and choreographer. And that’s just brushing the surface of all the inspiring accomplishments throughout her career.

The book of course is about so much more than what Foleo achieved, however — what really stands out are the principles she lived by to help navigate her way to success.

A few of her chapter titles spell it out pretty effectively:

• Eliminate Excuses

• Refuse to Be Refused

• Progress Not Perfection

• Start Before You’re Ready

Great mantras to put on repeat when things get tough, amirite? And truly, all of these meant a lot to me because they stomp out the negative feelings that pop up whenever I’m having trouble writing content for a client whose industry I’m not familiar with. Or am assigned a project I have zero experience in.

Or am living my life as a married woman for the first time!

My heart and mind were also extremely grateful for the Eliminate Excuses idea, because it’s something I fight with pretty regularly. As I’ve begun to get comfortable with my new life, my motivation for everything else has unfortunately been dwindling. One of my biggest goals this year is to finish a book I started writing 7 years ago, and I can’t think of a better instigator at night than this one. 

Hmm, I’m bored, so I should just put the tv on and click through the channels ‘til I find something to watch. Nope! You’ve got writing to do, young lady. Eliminate excuses. And do as Forleo also recommends: Create before you consume.

Another super helpful piece of advice offered in the book was that you should not consider setbacks and missteps as failures — you should accept them as lessons, instead. Your flops are events, not characteristics of who you are. And applying this type of mindset will also help you develop determination, and resistance to rejection.

I strongly encourage this book for anyone who has a goal in mind, be it for work, family, or life in general, because it’s flush with tips that will help you overcome your self-doubt. And anything else that’s holding you back.

Forleo does a terrific job of reminding you how powerful a creature you are, and that you can legitimately find an answer to any problem you’ll ever face. Don’t be surprised if you end up like me, and start telling everyone you know that “everything really is figureoutable!”