Sound Advice

 Make sure the door is locked before reaching for your lock picks.

That was the opening line for this blog post on researching before you write.

 But I deleted the rest of the post. 

'Cause the opening line made the point all by itself. In fact, on its own it's sound advice for many aspects of your business and personal life.

So, I'll say it again:

Make sure the door is locked before reaching for your lock picks.

Or battering ram.