#104 - You Can Figure It Out

Today I'm opening my notebook and sharing a concept with you that I think is super relevant to using technology, being an entrepreneur, and kinda hits the nail on the head as it relates to being an innovator, and an early adopter.   So today I'm going to share my personal experience with taking business risks and trying something new.    So as it relates to taking risks, and trying to things, I've always had this attitude of just figuring it out. That's it, that's the secret - the secret for me is to just figure it out.   I was thinking about this concept about a month ago and I wanted to learn more about this, and learn more about why I think this way, because it's not how everyone thinks, and you may not think this way, but I wanted to learn more, so I googled it. Right?  I can't remember exactly what I googled, but what I found hit me to my core. I was not alone. There was someone else who also thought just like me, and she had written a book and was publicly speaking on this very topic - the topic of figuring things out - and she described this concept as, "figureoutable". Fucking figureoutable! Yes, that's it. That is the attitude where failure is not an option.   let me explain.   When I think about everything I have ever done, basically ever, it was not because I read it in a manual, or was given specific instructions, or followed someone else's advice, it was because I figured it out.   Sometimes when I meet someone for the first time and we start talking about business, what we do for a living, etc., I usually get asked a question like this, "Hey Andy, how did you build your first website?"  And my response it typically something like, "huh, great question, I'm not sure, but what I can tell you is that I just figured it out"   Or, "Andy, how did you learn pay-per-click advertising? Andy,  how did you learn ecommerce? Or, Andy, how did you learn how to import products from China?  How did you learn podcasting? How did you learn how to make YouTube videos? Fill in the BLANK, how did you learn____? How did fix ___? This is not just business, this is as simple as my bathroom sink stopper being stuck, the spring loaded ones, and going to youtube, and figuring out how to fix it - everything is figureoutable!     This is how I think, and so often we assume that everyone is juts like this, but as I mature, I realize this is not true. Not everyone is just like us. and I see examples of this in out industry all the time, especially as it relates to technology, and using something new for the first time.   When I was first bringing Baseline technology to market in 2005, and even to this day, I see contractors & distributor salespeople that are afraid. They are afraid of not knowing. They are afraid of what might go wrong. They make up stories in their minds about what could happen, and what would happen if they don't know how to fix it. And what happens is they either 1) spend a crazy amount of time beforehand trying to learn everything about it, and wasting their time, and historically my time, just to realize that it was easier than they thought. Or 2) they become avoidant and expect someone else to do it for them. If this is you, I hope you are smiling, and if this is not you, I also hope you are smiling because you know exactly what I'm talking about.   The key is to remember that something IS going to happen that you haven't planned for and that you can't plan for, so you need to have the mindset that, no matter what, EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE.   I'd like to imagine that this rule is 100% true. It will never fail you. Everything is figureoutable.   And as I think more on this, it reminds me of my theory of can't, and removing can't from your vocabulary, never say can't. Instead say, how can I, or, I choose not to, I'm saying now. But don't say can't. If you are someone who says they can't, or perhaps the voice inside your head says you can't, you will never figure it out.   Assuming that it is all figureaboutable, you need to ask yourself HOW?   How is the keyword.  how can I fix this? how can I change this? how can I make this? How can I?   And you might have to try it 100 times to finally figure something out, but it is possible.   Get curious, be curious, ask questions, and you will figure it out.   Once you understand that, you will realize that you are in control, you are in control of everything, because if something doesn't go right, if something doesn't go as planned, it doesn't matter, you will figure it out.   Oh, I have one more real-world example that I think you'll get a kick out of......the year was probably 2019 and I set up a meeting with Hudson Yards in NYC to do a short training class as well as discuss Building Management Integrations....       As I wrap this up, I really think this is probably the best attitude you can have for implanting new technology, because as we know, technology is great when it works! And it doesn't always work, but if you carry the attitude of figureoutable, you will not fail.   As a reference, the book I found when researching this topic is by, Marie Forleo, and it's called Everything Is Figureoutable. I have not read the book, but I did watch a few youtube videos and I encourage you to do the same. And if by some small chance you or someone you know, knows Marie, please make an introduction for me. I would love to talk with her and have her on the podcast.   That's all for today - go into the weekend with confidence that everything is figureoutable.