Six words.
One sense of purpose.

Find the thread running through your life.

A six-word mission statement is a brief expression of the contribution you intend to make. Related exercises use the names six-word purpose statement, six-word life statement, and life elevator pitch. These labels describe overlapping practices rather than one universally standardized method.

The exercise combines personal reflection with the discipline of a short story pitch: identify the central idea, then express it in six carefully chosen words. The aim is a sentence you can remember, explain, and use when making decisions.

A movie or book pitch gives a listener the central premise. A life statement seeks the thread that connects many different roles and experiences. A six-word sentence can supply the opening line of a longer elevator pitch; it need not carry every detail.

From a tiny story to a personal compass.

In November 2006, Larry Smith, founder of SMITH Magazine, invited his community to describe their lives in exactly six words. This became the Six-Word Memoir project, with books, community contributions, and educational applications. Its official history cites the famous six-word story associated with Hemingway: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." The Hemingway attribution should be treated as legend rather than established authorship. [2]

A memoir can capture something that happened or something you understand about yourself. A mission statement turns toward intention: how do you want to live, and what do you want your actions to make possible? This is a useful adaptation of the short form; the sources here do not establish a single inventor of the six-word life-purpose exercise.

"I share stories that change lives." Lisa M. Hendey's six-word life elevator pitch. In her May 20, 2026 essay, she explains how the statement connects several parts of her life and credits Jesse Itzler with prompting the exercise. [3]

Communication educator Nick Westergaard provides another close match to your description. His article connects a six-word story with an elevator pitch and with a guiding direction for one's work. His own example is "I help people tell their stories." [4]

Make choices about what matters most.

A paragraph can contain almost every value you hold. Six words require selection. The editing can help you distinguish your activities from the purpose that connects them.

For a STEM teacher, teaching science and programming names activities. Helping learners become independent thinkers expresses a contribution that could also guide mentoring, feedback, experimentation, and thoughtful use of AI.

You do not have to name all three explicitly. Thinking through them gives your words substance. Six is a useful creative constraint, not a scientifically established optimum for finding life purpose. Westergaard similarly explains that the number itself is not magical. [4]

Start with experience. Then condense.

The following exercise is an original synthesis for this guide, not an attributed Rabalais, Smith, or Westergaard workshop.

1. Recall moments when you felt useful. Write about three to five occasions when you were engaged, fulfilled, or proud of your contribution. What were you doing? Who benefited? What changed? Include experiences beyond your paid work.
2. Find the repeated actions. Look for verbs that recur across those memories. Perhaps you were making confusing ideas understandable, connecting people, or helping someone discover a capability.
3. Write a longer purpose sentence. Try: "I help ___ do or become ___ by ___." Allow yourself twenty or thirty words. First establish what you mean.
4. Create several six-word versions. Change the emphasis. One version might name the people you serve; another might foreground the result. Prefer active verbs and ordinary language. If you want a complete sentence, keep a subject and a verb.
5. Test the sentence against actual choices. Would it help you decide which project to accept, what to prioritize, or how to respond to a difficult situation? Name one action you could take this week because of it.
6. Live with it and revise. Try the statement for a few weeks. Keep a longer explanation behind it. Refine your wording as you understand your purpose more clearly.

Five ways to name a contribution.

These original examples are each exactly six words. They are starting points for reflection, not statements assigned to you.

"I help learners become independent thinkers" could connect explaining a concept, helping a student debug, encouraging experimentation, and teaching responsible use of AI. To make it useful, ask what independent means in practice: students explaining their reasoning, testing claims, and recognizing when they need help.

Choose the guide that fits your goal.

These are public resources and advertised offerings available at the time of review. They vary in emphasis; they should not be treated as one shared certification or curriculum.

Suggested reading order: begin with Westergaard for the closest written explanation of the pitch connection, read Hendey for a personal application, and explore Smith's resources for teaching the form. Visit Rabalais's site if your main goal is to recover the particular approach you remember.

Read further and find instruction.

Links reviewed October 25, 2026. An older article can remain useful without proving that a particular course is currently scheduled. Workshop availability should be checked with the provider.

1. Kent Rabalais — Kent Studio

   Primary source for his story and purpose coaching and the homepage's explicit invitation to a Six-Word Story Challenge. The challenge mention is near the bottom of the page; it does not supply the workshop instructions.

   https://www.kent.studio/
2. Six-Word Memoirs — The Story of Six Words

   The project's own account of its November 2006 beginnings. Start here to understand the memoir tradition and its storytelling roots.

   https://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/about/
3. Lisa M. Hendey — My Six Word “Life Elevator Pitch”

   Published May 20, 2026. A direct example of using six words to describe a life mission, including Hendey's attribution of the prompt to Jesse Itzler.

   https://lisahendey.substack.com/p/my-six-word-life-elevator-pitch
4. Nick Westergaard — Say It In Just Six Words

   Published July 12, 2022. Connects the six-word form with personal direction, an elevator pitch, and organizational storytelling. A particularly close match to the concept you described.

   https://www.nickwestergaard.com/say-it-in-just-six-words/
5. Larry Smith — Storytelling Workshops and Keynote Speaking

   His professional workshop and speaking site. It also describes his authentic elevator-pitch class, making the connection between memoir work and concise personal introductions explicit.

   https://www.sixwordsmith.com/
6. Nick Westergaard — Leadership Communication Speaking

   Evidence of his broader communication teaching and speaking offerings. Ask directly whether an engagement can include six-word stories; this page alone does not establish a dedicated six-word mission course.

   https://www.nickwestergaard.com/leadership-communication-speaker/
7. Six-Word Memoirs — Six in Schools

   Classroom applications and educator stories, with an invitation to bring Larry Smith to a school or classroom.

   https://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/community/six-in-schools
8. Six-Word Memoirs — Free Teaching Guides

   Downloadable teaching materials, including a guide connected to teen life. The site describes a free cart-and-checkout process for obtaining the guide collection.

   https://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/six-store/free-six-word-teaching-guides/
9. Six-Word Memoirs — Welcome Teachers

   Guidance from the project for educators introducing the form and considering student participation. Review it before directing students to the public community.

   https://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/community/six-in-schools/welcome-teachers-words-six-words-schools/