55 pages • 1-hour read
Everything is Figureoutable
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Chapters 5-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 5 Summary: “How to Deal with the Fear of Anything”
Forleo explores the concept of fear—how it holds people back and how it can be managed, reframed, and even used as a guiding force for growth. She begins with a personal anecdote about a scooter accident on the island of Salina, illustrating how fear can either paralyze or propel a person forward. After crashing, she had the choice to give up and ride as a passenger or get back on and learn to ride properly. She chose the latter, emphasizing that avoiding challenges only reinforces fear, while facing them builds resilience.
Forleo reframes fear as a misunderstood but necessary emotion. It’s not the enemy—it’s an evolutionary response meant to protect people. However, while some fears keep people alive, others keep people small, preventing them from stepping into their full potential. She challenges the idea that fear should be eliminated, arguing instead that it should be acknowledged and used productively. Fear signals what matters. It’s often a sign that a person is on the right path and should push forward rather than retreat.
She introduces a critical mindset shift: waiting to stop feeling afraid before taking action is a mistake. Fear never fully disappears, no matter how accomplished someone becomes. Instead of waiting for confidence, action must come first—action metabolizes fear. Small, intentional steps turn fear into fuel. The key is to do the thing despite feeling scared: speak up, make the call, and take the risk, even if hands shake and stomach knots.
Forleo then discusses a structured approach to managing fear: defining worst-case scenarios. Many people let vague anxieties control them without fully analyzing what they are actually afraid of. She suggests writing out the absolute worst thing that could happen if a person takes a particular risk, rating how likely it is to occur, and then planning for recovery. Often, the imagined catastrophe is unlikely and survivable, while the potential rewards of moving forward far outweigh the fears.
Forleo then focuses on language. The words people use to describe emotions shape perception. Fear, anxiety, and nervousness are often just energy that can be reinterpreted as excitement or anticipation. She shares an example of Bruce Springsteen, who reframes his physical symptoms of nervousness as signs that he’s ready to perform. To break the cycle of fear, she suggests renaming it—calling it something silly like “shooshie” to neutralize its power.
Another essential distinction she makes is between fear and intuition. Fear often signals a direction worth exploring, while intuition warns against real danger. To tell the difference, she advises tuning into the body’s reaction. If an opportunity feels expansive, exciting, or like a pull forward, it’s likely fear-signaling growth. If it feels heavy, constrictive, or like a deep gut warning, it’s more likely intuition advising against it.
Forleo closes with an important truth: failure is not a personal identity. It’s simply an event, a “faithful attempt in learning” (93). Every mistake contains valuable lessons that contribute to future success. She shares that people don’t fail; they learn, grow, and redirect. By embracing fear, reframing failure, and taking action despite discomfort, she argues everything truly becomes figureoutable.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Define Your Dream”
The author emphasizes the importance of defining one’s dream as the crucial first step toward achieving it. She shares her journey of struggling with multiple interests and feeling the pressure to specialize in just one. Growing up, she was drawn to various fields—writing, business, dance, fitness, and digital media—but conventional career advice made her feel like she needed to choose a single path. When she tried to force herself into a niche, she felt as though she was cutting off a part of herself. Eventually, she rejected the idea of fitting into a narrow mold and embraced the possibility that she could pursue multiple passions. Her breakthrough came when she stopped overthinking and started experimenting, realizing that clarity comes not from endless contemplation but from action. She signed up for a beginner dance class despite her fears of failure and being too old to start. The experience was transformative, proving that true understanding of one’s desires and capabilities only emerges through engagement rather than indecision.
Forleo highlights the confusion and frustration that arise when people don’t have a clear goal. Without a defined purpose, individuals often feel lost, overwhelmed, or stuck in a cycle of busyness without real progress. She emphasizes that knowing what one truly wants prevents wasted effort and gives life direction. To illustrate this, she shares an anecdote about her coaching practice, where she always asks clients what they want to achieve before helping them figure out how to get there. This idea, while seemingly simple, is often difficult for people who haven’t taken the time to articulate their dreams. She stresses that ignoring or suppressing one’s desires leads to dissatisfaction and a lack of fulfillment.
Forleo refers to the inspiring story of Laverne Cox, who faced relentless bullying and rejection for being different. From a young age, Cox knew she didn’t fit into societal expectations, but she found solace in the arts. Despite significant obstacles, she pursued her dream of acting and never gave up, even when success seemed unattainable. Her persistence paid off when she landed her breakthrough role in “Orange Is the New Black” (107), becoming an influential figure and using her platform to advocate for others. Forleo uses Cox’s journey as proof that remaining true to oneself and refusing to abandon one’s dream can lead to incredible success.
Forleo turns to the brain’s ability to filter information through the Reticular Activating System (RAS). Forleo explains that the brain constantly sorts through massive amounts of data and prioritizes what it deems important. When a person clearly defines a goal, the RAS begins to highlight opportunities, resources, and connections that align with that objective. She suggests that many people miss life-changing opportunities simply because they haven’t made a firm decision about what they want. Once they do, their brain starts working in the background to guide them toward solutions and possibilities they might not have noticed otherwise.
Forleo also stresses the power of writing down one’s goals, referencing a study that found people are significantly more likely to achieve their objectives when they document them. She shares a personal story about how she once casually wrote down “Virgin Unite” on a legal pad years before she ended up working with the organization. This example reinforces her belief that clear intention, combined with decisive action, leads to remarkable outcomes.
To help readers move forward, Forleo presents a structured approach to identifying and committing to a goal. She advises choosing one major dream rather than trying to tackle multiple aspirations at once. She argues that focusing on a single, meaningful goal allows for deeper engagement and increases the likelihood of success. She also underscores the importance of making the goal specific, measurable, and actionable rather than vague or abstract. Taking immediate action, no matter how small, is essential because it shifts a person out of hesitation and into momentum. She urges readers to stop waiting for the perfect moment and to take concrete steps toward their goal right away.
Forleo ends the chapter emphasizing the importance of focusing on what one can control rather than external factors beyond one’s influence. She points out that while people cannot dictate every outcome, they have full control over their effort, attitude, and persistence. She encourages readers to direct their energy toward their actions rather than wasting it on things outside their control.
Chapters 5-6 Analysis
In this section, Forleo emphasizes the power of belief and clarity in achieving success. She argues that overcoming self-doubt and taking decisive action—rather than overthinking—leads to breakthroughs, urging readers to define their dreams and engage with them through tangible steps.
Forelo’s use of personal anecdotes helps demonstrate How to Overcome Self-Doubt and Fear. For instance, Chapter 5 opens with a retelling of her scooter accident on the island of Salina. This anecdote illustrates the paralyzing effect of fear and ultimately frames the lesson that fear can be overcome through action. Similarly, Forleo opens Chapter 6 with a personal struggle, recounting how she felt lost in her mid-twenties, uncertain about her career, and overwhelmed by conflicting interests. By admitting her uncertainties—feeling “like the biggest loser” while working on an air mattress in her friend’s apartment and describing her struggles (99), such as reading self-help books and questioning whether something was wrong with her brain—she builds a foundation for the strategies she later introduces.
Forleo’s strategic inclusion of expert references adds credibility to her claims and illustrates The Power of Mindset in Achieving Success. For instance, in Chapter 6, she cites Stuart Wilde’s idea that “Discovering what you really want saves you endless confusion and wasted energy” and Viktor Frankl’s “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how” (102, 113). She also integrates scientific explanations, such as the role of the Reticular Activating System (RAS), explaining how people’s brains filter information based on what they deem important. This neurological insight transforms an abstract concept—focusing on one’s dream—into a tangible process, reinforcing the power of intention. Forleo’s use of external narratives, such as Laverne Cox’s journey exemplifies The Importance of Resilience and Adaptability. Meanwhile, Paul and Kim’s journey of building a location-independent business demonstrates the application of the figureoutable philosophy. These stories serve as both inspiration and evidence, demonstrating that real people have used the principles Forleo advocates.
Forleo also employs a blend of logical reasoning and emotional appeal. In Chapter 6, she highlights Dr. Gail Matthews’s research on goal-setting, which found that “you’re 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down” (109). This statistical reinforcement makes the practice of writing goals feel essential rather than optional. At the same time, she appeals to emotion through statements like “Your soul is screaming to be heard” (123). This balance of logic and feeling functions to convince and inspire the reader.
Another hallmark of Forleo’s style is her use of interactive, action-oriented frameworks. She doesn’t merely present abstract ideas; she provides step-by-step processes to help the reader engage with and apply them. Her “Fear Taming 101” exercise in Chapter 5 (83), where she asks the reader to write out their worst-case scenarios and assess their probability, is an example of an evidence-based approach to fear management. This method is reminiscent of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, which encourage breaking fears into manageable, logical components. Similarly, in Chapter 6, Forleo organizes her message through clearly delineated steps, such as “STEP 1: LIST YOUR TOP ONE-YEAR DREAMS” and “STEP 2: GET REAL ABOUT THIS DREAM” (111, 113). This structured breakdown transforms abstract motivation into concrete action, reinforcing her belief that figuring things out is a systematic process. She also integrates scale-based self-assessment, as seen in “Given what you uncovered above, how important is this for you to start figuring out now? 1 = Tragically unimportant, 10 = Must take action NOW!” (114). This interactive component prompts introspection and commitment.
Forleo’s use of rhetorical questions engages the reader in self-reflection. Questions like, “What’s the worst-worst-worst-case scenario?” or “Could you lose your job or business? Disappoint family or loved ones?” prompt the reader to confront their fears directly (94). This technique fosters an introspective process that aligns with the book’s overall purpose: empowering the reader to take control of their mindset.
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