Ever feel like you’re wrestling with a ghost? You have a problem. A big, vague, slippery problem that looms over you, but the second you try to grab it, your hands pass right through.
It’s the feeling of wanting to “get your life together,” or a team goal to “improve synergy,” or the classic startup mission to “change the world.” These problems feel huge and important, but they’re impossible to solve. Why? Because they’re not really problems. They’re just anxieties with fancy labels.
We spin our wheels, get frustrated, and eventually give up, convinced the problem is just too big or too complicated. But what if the problem isn’t the problem? What if the real issue is that we haven’t even figured out what the problem is yet?
There’s a beautifully simple principle that cuts right through this fog. It’s a law so straightforward it feels like a cheat code for clarity.
It’s called Kidlin’s Law. And it’s about to become your new favorite tool for getting unstuck.
The Origin Story: The Mysterious Case of Kidlin
Unlike many named laws with a clear inventor and a dusty old book, the origins of Kidlin’s Law are a bit of a mystery. No one’s entirely sure who the original “Kidlin” was. Some claim Kidlin is a character from a novel who used the technique while others claim it’s slang for a grownup acting like a kid. More likely it’s someone’s piece of timeless folk wisdom that was finally written down and given a name.
Arguably the law should be named Kettering’s Law after Charles F. Kettering a prolific inventor and head of General Motors research. Kettering is credited with the maxim: “A problem well stated is a problem half solved.”
But ‘Kettering’s Law’ doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, and in the age of the internet, we need things to be snappy. So, we got the brilliantly simple Kidlin’s Law instead:
“If you can write the problem down on paper, you have it half solved.”
That’s it. No complex formulas. No ten-step program. Just a simple, profound instruction: write it down. It suggests that the act of articulating a problem clearly is, in itself, a massive part of the solution.
The Basic Explanation
Sounds too simple, right? But think about it this way... Think about trying to tell a friend how to get to your house.
If you just say, “Oh, it’s over on the east side, kinda near that big park,” you’ve given them a vague, useless anxiety. They’ll drive around aimlessly, getting more and more frustrated. The problem, “find my house” is poorly defined.
But if you sit down and write out the directions, something magical happens. You’re forced to be specific. “Take Main Street to 4th Avenue. Turn left. Go three blocks and look for the blue house with the picket fence.”
The act of writing it down transforms a fuzzy concept into a clear, step-by-step process. You have to confront the gaps in your own thinking. Do they turn left or right? Is it three blocks or four? Writing forces clarity.
Kidlin’s Law says the same is true for any problem. A problem that lives only in your head is a messy, emotional cloud. A problem written on paper is a map. It becomes an object, separate from you, that you can look at, analyze, and break into smaller pieces.
Kidlin’s Law in the Wild
Once you grasp Kidlin’s Law, you realize it’s the secret ingredient behind every effective plan, from personal goals to massive corporate projects.
The Project Manager’s Best Friend: A project kicks off with a vague goal like “improve the user experience.” What does that even mean? The project spins its wheels for months until a smart project manager invokes Kidlin’s Law. They force the team to write down the problem: “Users are abandoning their shopping carts at a rate of 70% during the payment step.” Suddenly, the team isn’t trying to “improve the UX” anymore. They’re solving a clear, measurable problem.
The Writer’s Block Cure: An author wants to write a novel but is stuck staring at a blank page. The “problem” feels like a giant, unclimbable mountain: “write a book.” But by applying Kidlin’s Law, they start writing down the components: a plot outline, character sketches, key scenes. They’re not “writing a book” anymore; they’re writing the scene where the hero finds the magic sword. The problem becomes a series of manageable tasks.
The Relationship Fixer: Someone feels their relationship is “stuck in a rut.” It’s a vague, emotional problem. Blaming their partner is easy, but it solves nothing. Kidlin’s Law forces introspection. They write it down: “I feel disconnected from my partner because we haven’t had a meaningful conversation in two weeks.” Now, the problem isn’t a “rut”; it’s a lack of communication, which is something they can actually work on.
How to Use Kidlin’s Law to Get Unstuck
This isn’t just a nice theory; it’s a practical tool. The next time you’re staring down a problem that feels overwhelming, perform this simple ritual.
Step 1: The Brain Dump.
Grab a piece of paper or open a blank document. Write down everything you can about the problem. Don’t edit. Don’t judge. Just get the chaotic mess out of your head and onto the page.
Step 2: The One-Sentence Challenge.
Now, force yourself to distill that mess into a single, clear sentence. This is the hardest part, but it’s the most important. If you can’t define the problem in one sentence, you don’t understand it yet. Keep refining until it’s crystal clear.
Step 3: Break It Down.
Take your clear problem statement and break it into the smallest possible pieces. What are the components? What are the steps? What information are you missing? This turns your one big problem into a dozen small, solvable ones.
Step 4: Turn the Problem into a Question.
Reframe your problem statement as a question. “Sales are down 20%” becomes “How can we increase sales by 20% in the next quarter?” A statement is a dead end. A question is an invitation to find solutions.
The Bottom Line
Kidlin’s Law is a powerful reminder that clarity is the ultimate problem-solving tool. The act of writing isn’t just about documenting a problem; it’s an act of thinking. It forces you to untangle the knots, face the facts, and turn a shapeless fear into a concrete plan.
Most of the time, we’re not stuck because our problems are too big. We’re stuck because our understanding of them is too small.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed, don’t just think harder. Pick up a pen. Your problem is already halfway solved.
Named Law: Kidlin’s Law
Simple Definition: If you can write the problem down clearly, you have it half solved.
Origin: The exact origin is unknown, but it’s a widely cited principle in problem-solving and management.
Category: Problem Solving, Psychology