Start. And Finish.

In his wonderful memoir, Life Itself, film critic Roger Ebert credits a colleague, Bill Lyon, with the most useful advice he was ever given as a journalist: to stop waiting for inspiration and start writing, and to keep writing until the end. The idea, in Ebert’s words, was to “spend less time not writing.” This is incredibly powerful for marketers, too. No one ever comes up with a big idea by staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper. You have to start — then your brain engages, and one thing leads to another. Whether you’re working on marketing messages, product ideas or ways to improve service, just start — and keep going.