- First do some research to understand what a manifesto is and what it can look like. Manifestos are something everyone should write for their lives. A manifesto should be a guide to your life, a compass pointing you in your true north, a source of motivation, something to remind you of your priorities, and a foundation to building your life. Good examples are the lulu lemon poster, The Holstee manifesto, and my favorite, Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen.
- Once you have an idea of what manifestos are, figure out and write down your core values, try to narrow it down between 5-10. Core values are the values we try to install in our children or look for in others when finding a spouse. Core values are the beliefs we have, whether it is about a faith, our health, our family, our work, etc… Core values should define who you are (or who you want to be). You can find lists of common core values online to help you out.
- Next make a list of statements, quotes, wishes and/or advice. Write it all, you can narrow it down later. One thing I kept in mind while writing was ‘what do I want to be remembered by?’ or ‘what would I tell my grandchildren?’. Some things you may want to include are: dealing with failures, opportunities or daily interactions, asking yourself what you stand for, what you’re willing to die for, how you want to live your life, or changes you’d like to make in your life. (This step took me days to do). And like I mentioned before, you can find worksheets online to help you figure out what’s important to you.
- Now that you have your core values and your list, start to narrow it down. Use your core values to remind you of what is truly important to you. I printed my list off and highlighted the things I really liked and then got rid of the rest. I did this several times until I was left with about 35 items.
- Time to edit and review! Go thru your list and re-word or add/subtract words to make it sound awesome! You want to use strong language, keep it positive and uplifting, and write it in present tense.
- After completing the last step I realized I had a few items that were a bit redundant so i deleted them. for example I had 2 different quotes about travel, but they were both about travel and I didn’t need 2. After doing this I was left with about 30 items.
- The fun part! Now you get to organize and design it! If you know how to use Photoshop, awesome! If not, you can find cool typography makers online. Or you could even just type them out.
- Once you’re finished, print it off and put it somewhere you can read every day. You could frame it or even get it printed on a canvas to hang as decor in your home!
Here is mine!!
| sidnee
The Ethical Nomad 
