It’s not a great feeling.

You know the outcome you want, the task you have to complete, or the objective you’re pursuing. But you don’t know where to start.

Even if I reassure and remind you that we all have this challenge from time to time and that you’re not alone, will that help to get the job done? Probably not.

Hopefully, this will help.

Start with what you know. Here’s a framework that I picked up from a former NYPD detective (now a corporate fraud investigator).

1. What do you know?
2. What do you think you know?
3. What do you not know?

Answering these three questions is unlikely to provide everything you need but it’s a useful and straightforward approach to get the juices flowing, break the inertia, and start framing the situation.

And it just may be all the help you need.

Have a great weekend!