How the CIA uses 'Kidlin's Law' for Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
And How You Can Too in Everyday Life.
When lives are on the line, we strip the noise, isolate the problem, and move. Fast. One of the most basic tools we rely on is something civilians overlook every day:
“If you can write the problem down clearly, you’re halfway to solving it.” – Kidlin’s Law
This isn’t just some productivity hack, but it is dead simple and deadly effective. Because once you can define the real problem in an actual single sentence, you’re already halfway to the solution. Whether you’re in the boardroom at 3pm or backed into a corner at 3am in a hostile zone, the principle holds.
This is how everyone from CIA analysts to field operators to NOC operatives think sharper and act faster.
Ask any of them, and they’ll tell you that clarity is the most important factor in making decisions and solving problems. Chaos and confusion are natural, but they’re also weaknesses - clarity is how you negate all that. It’s turning uncertainty into movement. That’s what good practical tradecraft is all about.
This intel break it down so you can use this law in your own life.
Define the enemy or you’ll fight shadows.
Why Writing It Down Works
When you’re operating in high-stakes environments in the field or at home - hostile territory, neighborhood drama, foreign governments, corporate negotiations - it’s easy to get lost in the noise: emotion, politics, assumptions. That noise is a liability.
Writing the problem in a single, clean sentence forces you to cut through the fog. You’re left with what’s real, observable, and actionable.
You can’t build a strategy around emotion, but you can build one around facts.
In other words:
If you can’t describe your problem simply, you don’t understand it yet.
Once you put that problem into a few words, you will understand it.
And here’s the kicker, writing it down doesn’t just clarify the issue; it locks your attention. It creates distance between you and the chaos. That little sentence becomes a filter. So everything that follows, every decision, every move, stays aligned with what actually matters.
A written problem is a contained threat.
The Power of a Fixed Point
When things go sideways, operatives don’t panic - we anchor. Same goes for problem-solving. That sentence you wrote? That’s your fixed point. It’s the rock you build your plan on. Without it, every conversation becomes a guess, every decision a coin flip.
A fixed point gives you stability in motion. It keeps you or your team from chasing symptoms or spinning in circles. When pressure hits, and it will, you fall back on that single, clear definition of the problem. It becomes your compass, keeping your strategy grounded and your execution focused.
Examples:
Personal Life
Vague: “I’m always stressed and behind.”
Fixed point: “I’ve committed to four weekly obligations that each demand 5-10 hours, and I only have capacity for two.”
That gives you a starting point for saying no, delegating, or dropping what doesn’t serve you.
Health and Fitness:
Vague: “I can’t lose weight no matter what I do.”
Fixed point: “I’ve been skipping workouts and averaging 4–5 hours of sleep during the week.”
That’s not a metabolism issue, it’s a recovery and consistency issue.
Financial Stress:
Vague: “I can’t get ahead financially.”
Fixed point: “My monthly expenses exceed income by $300, mostly due to high-interest debt and non-essential subscriptions.”
Suddenly, the path forward is visible: restructure debt, cut extras, rebalance spending.
Corporate Setting
Vague: “Sales are down, we need a new strategy.”
Fixed point: “Our Q2 sales dropped 18% due to a 25% decline in customer retention.”
Now you’re not guessing, you’re focused on retention, not wasting time rewriting your entire sales model.
Team Management
Vague: “The team isn’t working well together.”
Fixed point: “Two senior staff members are undermining each other’s directives, confusing junior staff.”
That’s not a team issue, it’s a leadership conflict. Big difference in how you handle it.
Family or Relationships:
Vague: “We keep arguing all the time.”
Fixed point: “Arguments spike on weekends when schedules aren’t aligned and expectations aren’t communicated.”
Now the issue isn’t the relationship, it’s weekend planning and communication. Fixable.
Fixed points cut through the fog and force precision. And when you’ve got that? You start responding with strategy, you start operating.
Most bad decisions and failure in problem solving come from fighting symptoms instead of defining the source.
From Clarity to Action
Once you’ve written the problem clearly, you’ve shifted the fight. You’re no longer stuck reacting but now you’re in position to make deliberate, tactical moves.
This is where most people stall: they identify the issue but freeze, overwhelmed by options or second-guessing the next step. That’s where discipline comes in. Once you’ve got clarity, you move deliberately and with intent.
Define: What exactly is the issue?
Distill: Strip it down to a sentence. If you need more than one, you’re not ready.
Diagnose: What’s causing it? Internal friction? Lack of resources? Wrong target?
Decide: With a clear view, pick your move. And move fast.
Deploy: Act. Then adjust based on new intel.
This process isn’t about perfection but for momentum. Intelligence work isn’t clean, and life rarely is either. You act based on what you know, then you refine as better information surfaces. Progress doesn’t come from waiting; it comes from moving with intent and adjusting with precision.
The mission doesn’t start when you act, it starts when you understand.
How to Use Kidlin’s Law in Everyday Life
This isn’t some abstract field technique but one of the most practical tools you can keep in your back pocket. Most people walk around drowning in vague frustrations - Kidlin’s Law gives you a way to cut through it and get tactical. You don’t need clearance or CIA training - you just need a pen and some honesty.
In Life: Feeling stuck? Write the problem. “I’m overwhelmed” isn’t a problem. “I’ve taken on five responsibilities I can’t manage” is. Now you can do something about it.
For Decision-Making: Can’t make a choice? Write both options down with the problem they’re supposed to solve. You’ll usually see which one actually moves the needle.
At Work: Before your next meeting, write down the core issue in one sentence. Not the symptoms, the root.
With Your Team: Teach them to do the same. It’ll cut your meetings in half and eliminate confusion.
In Conflict: Having the same fight with someone over and over? Define the problem in a sentence. Odds are, you’re not even arguing about the same thing.
For Personal Goals: Struggling to make progress? Write down what’s really blocking you. “I don’t have time” might actually mean “I’m not prioritizing it.”
This kind of clarity turns emotional fog into executable strategy.
You’re no longer guessing or working on the wrong problems. You’re pinpointing, prioritizing, and acting - just like an operative would in the field. Use this law daily, and you’ll start solving problems before they even grow teeth.
A problem well-defined is a strategy half-built.
Kidlin’s Law Isn’t Philosophy, It’s a Tool
This is one of many tools we use in the field to make life-or-death calls. It works because it forces focus, exposes truth, and leads to action. Civilians can use it the same way. Whether you’re managing a business, your kids, or your own mind, if you can name the problem, you can beat it.
Grab a pen. Write the problem. Solve it like an operative.
Thank you for all the great information. I am always
looking for the newest topic and tools to use
This.... The 5 Paragraph Op Order. Makes perfect sense.