Manifesto
A personal document that answers the questions: (1) what do I want? and (2) who am I becoming?
What is a Manifesto?
The Personal Manifesto is a living document that answers the questions: (1) what do I want? and (2) who am I becoming? While it is often described as a mission statement, we like to think of it as much broader.
Manifesto (n) - a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.
If you’re having a hard time getting started, here are a few mindset frames that might help you:
If this was a grocery list of your cravings in life, what would you write down?
It’s a dream catcher. Be sure to give yourself permission to step into the land if ‘what if’.
What is your Manifesto?
You are the leader of your own life. The manifesto captures the things you see and have a desire to create now and in the future.
This is a self-awareness exercise that helps identify and own your unique strengths and gifts in the world. This exercise brings clarity to your tangible and intangible qualities.
This exercise will allow you to look at this through an empowering lens: Put on your hat as an external anthropologist or archeologist - it is your job to dig into and excavate yourself!
Often, our humility can get in the way of owning our essential greatness fully and completely. By viewing ourselves as an outside observer, we often gain new awareness.
Instructions - Places to Start:
Define a one-sentence mission/vision statement that you have for your life. How do you want to show up? What is the impact that you want to make in the world?
Below this statement, write down the essential values that align with this. Choose at least 5.
Next, write down the essential actions that will allow you to live out this mission statement? What are 5 daily actions?
Print out your manifesto and keep it in a place where you will see it at least once a week.
What happens after I create it?
Once you have created your leadership manifesto, make a commitment to yourself for six months to check in on this weekly. Add it to your calendar or to-do list. The simple act of looking at it weekly and making sure your actions are aligned with it, will produce results. You may be surprised to see how much change can happen in just six months. This manifesto will become part of you and your business.
What types of things do I put in it?
1 / 3 / 5 / 10 / 50-year goals and milestones. Note: these aren’t necessarily definitive goals or declarations, they are ideas and offer you permission to dream. Notes underneath each of these benchmarks answer the following: What if…? How about…? Why not…? This could be cool if…?
Menu of cool things you want to do or accomplishment
Legacy: what would I like to be remembered for?
Description of your Eulogy: At your funeral, what will people say? Who will be there? What stories will they tell?
Leadership Vision: Who you want to be? What do you want to create?
Personal Vision: Who do you want to be? What kind of spouse, parent, friend, etc. do you want to be? What characteristics will you embody? What will be your relationship to money, time, well-being, love, etc.?
