Every December, leaders everywhere sit down with the same familiar ritual: drafting resolutions. Lose the waste. Grow the revenue. Fix the culture. Get more focused, more organized, more intentional.
And every March, most of those resolutions are quietly… forgotten.
So this year, let’s try something far more powerful and memorable.
Write your six-word story.
If that phrase rings a bell, thank Ernest Hemingway. Legend has it that Hemingway once accepted a barroom challenge to write an entire story in just six words. His now-famous line: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
Six words. Infinite depth.
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The magic is in the compression. A six-word story forces clarity, courage, and commitment. Exactly what leaders need heading into 2026. And that’s why the question on the sketch, “What’s your six-word story?”, isn’t a gimmick. It’s a strategy.
Why Six Words Work Better Than Resolutions
Resolutions tend to be vague (“be a better leader”), overly ambitious (“double revenue”), or mushy (“improve communication”).
A six-word story, on the other hand, must:
• Capture a direction, not a detail
• Establish a belief, not a box to check
• Inspire action, not pressure
It’s not about what you will do.
It’s about who you will be — as a company, a team, a leader.
Resolutions fade.
Stories propel.
Six-Word Stories For 2026
To get the gears turning, here are a few six-word stories to give you an idea of how one might craft your own. Make it personal and not a title of your favorite business book:
• Nothing changes until we finally do.
• The future arrived early, unannounced.
• What survived mattered more than winning.
• We traded comfort for something truer.
• The work demands honesty, not perfection.
How To Write Yours
Grab a card. A whiteboard. A napkin.
Write six blanks — just like the sketch.
Then answer these prompts:
• What truth will define your next chapter?
• What do you want people to feel when they think of your brand?
• What future are you running toward?
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Now compress it. Tighten it. Strip out every unnecessary word until only the essence remains.
That essence becomes your story.
Your core theme.
Your rallying cry for 2026.
Your Six-Word Story Is A Leadership Tool
Share it with your team. Put it in your deck. Use it to filter decisions. Use it to steer conversations. Use it to remind everyone — especially yourself — what matters most this year.
Six words can’t solve every problem.
But they can set the direction for every solution.
So…What’s your six-word story?
Contributed to Branding Strategy Insider by Gary Kopervas,
At The Blake Project, we help clients worldwide, in all stages of development, define and articulate what makes them competitive and valuable at pivotal moments of change. Please email us to learn how we can help you compete differently.
Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Growth, and Brand Education
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