As we generate ideas, form phrases to guide us, articulate the narratives we choose, we can benefit from a process to generate those ideas or phrases.

Here is a recommendation on how to clarify a current narrative and an ideal narrative when you realize the story you’re being told isn’t getting you what you want. This may be a story you’re telling yourself about who you are, a story you’re being told by those around you about the work you do, a story being told to you about a specific relationship.

We live out of these narratives. They carry weight. Be sure you choose the right stories to live into.

During this process we want to recognize the 4 personas that can arise (Madman, Architect, Carpenter, Judge). We want to let the Madman run free in the widening and allow the Architect and Carpenter to do their job in the narrowing. The Judge is only brought in after we have a draft to truly polish. Don’t let the Judge stop you from beginning or diving in deep.

If you are using this to develop a mission statement, life theme, or similar, do this through once as it is. If you’re doing this to clarify a narrative do it twice. Once for the current narrative and once for the ideal narrative.

We will flip between widening (gaining ideas, spreading out the circle) and narrowing (picking specific ideas, and closing in the circle).

What you need to begin:

• Timer (I just use my iPhone timer)
• Pen/pencil
• Notebook or several full pieces of paper
• Stack of note cards or 2×4 inch pieces of cut paper

1. Widen: Set a timer for 5 minutes. On a piece of full paper or in journal, list out all the words/phrases that come to mind when you think of the topic (narrative, mission statement, theme). No wrong answers here. Let the madman run free.
2. Narrow: Set a timer for 3 minutes. On separate note cards, rewrite 6 of the words or phrases from your list. Pick only 6 (Don’t worry, we will come back to your big list later)
3. Widen: Set a timer for 1 minute. Set the six note cards out where you can see all of them. For a minute, turn over one of the cards and write all that you can about that word or phrase to deepen it. When that 1 minute is up, move to the second card and do the same for a minute. Repeat until you’ve spent 1 minute on all 6 cards.
4. Narrow: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Go through the 6 cards and make a new card for any words or phrases that stick out. Even if its repeating the same word, re-write it on a new card. You will discard the original 6 cards and go forward with as many as you generate here. Ideally combining the cards into more succinct and narrow phrases/words.
5. (Optional) Widen: Set a timer for 3 minutes. Go back to your original list and add any words or phrases not represented in your current set of cards which resonate with you. Make a new card for each idea you want to resurrect from the original list.
6. (Optional) Narrow: Set a timer for 1 minute. Set out 6 blank cards in front of you. Spend 1 minute per card clarifying and refining any of the ideas you’ve previously gathered. Do not look at the other cards you’ve been using. Simply write for 1 minute on a card about a single idea as you remember it. After the minute, immediately move to the next card and spend a minute writing about a new idea you remember. Do this for all 6 blank cards.
7. Widen: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Pick 1-3 of the cards from previously and write continuously about those specific ideas on a piece of paper. Write constantly until the timer runs out. If you don’t have anything to write, simply write about why you don’t have anything to write. Don’t stop writing until the 5 minutes is up.
8. Narrowing: Try to pick 1-3 phrases or words that capture the narrative. At this point, do your best to piece together a phrase to use even if it’s just a draft. Bring this draft to a coach or trusted person to think through it and claim a final theme, statement, narrative

Remember this is all about clarifying a complex idea or concept. You may not come to a perfect definition or phrasing and that’s fine. Move forward with it and continue to refine as a you go.

I initially heard of the 6-Minute Turn from brainstorming I did at Fuller Youth Institute.