Everything is figureoutable

I’ve just started reading Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. I bought the book on the merits of its title, but it is turning out to be just the sort of straight-talking, action-oriented pep talk I needed.

And so, that’s my new mantra for the building - everything is figureoutable.

Getting the commercial kitchen appliances caked in 15+ years of sticky cooking oil residue out of the building when they don’t actually fit through the door is figureoutable. (Take down a wall and hack off the legs. Thankfully, that was someone else’s job.)

Collecting quotes for strip out work is figureoutable. (Google searches + collecting referrals as though I was snowball sampling research participants + 4x more text messages/emails than feels reasonable = 3 quotes.)

Fixing the back guttering so that a super-random down pipe from an adjacent building doesn’t drain directly onto my fire escape door is figureoutable. (It turns out that one was easy: just call in an expert who can see the solution in an instant. I never imagined I could be so excited about shiny new PVC guttering!)

Configuring the downstairs floor plan so that there’s no wasted space is figureoutable. (Let the architect’s concepts settle in my brain, revisit them every time I go into the building, mix-and-match the architect’s ideas and mark them up with my own annotations, engage my future tenant in decision making.)

Put that way, I suppose I have made a fair amount of progress over the past couple of weeks.

On the surface, the building is even more foul now than it was two weeks ago. The sticky oil residue is everywhere. I’m not exaggerating to say touching the door handle upon entry leaves you feeling like you need a shower. After exiting, the first thing anyone does is scuff the soles of their shoes on the pavement.

It’s gross.

But I can see a way through.

And hopefully by the time I post my next update, the strip out work will be booked in…Maybe - just maybe… - the building will be a clean slate by the end of the month. Inching forward is figureoutable.