Show Me YOUR Manifesto.

If you were to produce a manifesto for YOUR Life & Business.. would it be a 1 year; 5 year; 10 year; 30 year; 50 year; 100 year; or 1000 year manifesto? A thought that arose from last week's - Issue 31 . Marketing Conundrum: To focus on one idea in a world of ABUNDANCE? . In this 32nd issue we'll look into some ideas for creating a simple, powerful, purposeful manifesto to provide an immovable beacon for your life & business.

If you're new to us it is recommended that you read issue 1:?One Idea is All it Takes

About:?Trevor Nel is an 'ideas-generating machine' and co-founder of?WISDOMS ?. You can connect with WISDOMS? and become: 1. a?PATRON ?and/or; 2. a?PLAYER ?, and/or; 3. a?PARTNER ?- follow each link for more info.

In Issue 31 I shared the conundrum faced by a self-confessed serial-entrepreneur (me): 'Today, some many years later, in my late 60s (rapidly approaching 70), having gained tons more life & business experience, in abundance, I recognize that it becomes more and more challenging for myself to focus upon and highlight the concentrated essence of the USP - Unique Selling Proposition - of concepts I develop.'

In a world where consumers tend to exhibit a single-minded purpose in their purchasing habits, just as an Alaskan salmon or a wild-trout tends to exhibit its preference for a single fly that mimics its preferred local insect population (feeding habits), I used the fly-fishing metaphor to convey: '..it is as if I am the owner of the most incredible fly-fishing store in the world stocked with every fly-fishing lure (hook) known to man..!'

The marketing conundrum being in today's social media age: when what the consumer wants or needs as a product/service/experience is just the singular tip-of-the-iceberg of a giant iceberg of products/services/experiences that you provide.. what do you present to them? See Issue 31 for my answer.

In my case, some deep thinking on the challenge posed by the above conundrum took me onto the idea of perhaps creating a MANIFESTO to highlight our single-minded proposition.. our NorthStar.. our 'timeless, immovable, enduring and constant' lighthouse beacon principles . And so the research began:

Defn. Manifesto: 'a written statement of the beliefs, aims and policies of an organisation'

Nothing much overly inspiring in that definition, so on to Wikipedia we go: 'A?manifesto?is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government.'

Then I remembered one of the most interesting manifesto documents I had read near the approaching turn of the century (2000) - The Cluetrain Manifesto . Talk about a ton of content and experience in one document. Would it be read in today's social media age of 60 to 90 second explainer videos? I doubt it.

Onto Short Manifesto Examples : Extract - 'Manifestos aren’t just for politicians or artists. Manifestos are for everyone. In a manifesto, you declare your vision, core values and goals to the world. A manifesto discusses your personal goals in print and helps you to evaluate opportunities for reaching them. It can also show the world how you are going to contribute to the future you want to see. Manifestos can be a few sentences or the length of a novel. While having a long, drawn out manifesto might include all your intentions and goals, a short, powerful manifesto of a few lines or a page can get your message across quickly.'

'Keeping it short also helps to ensure it will be read. In a quick fix world, where people spend less than 10 minutes a day reading , packing your message into a few lines is the way to go.'

Now we're talking!

Further extract from Short Manifesto Examples : 'Creating Your Own Manifesto - Creating a manifesto isn’t as hard as you might think. It doesn’t even have to be anything that you share with the public. When creating a manifesto think about:

• Who: Who are you? Why are you or your business important?
• Meaning: What is the meaning of your company, brand or idea? What gives it purpose?
• Goals: What legacy do you want to leave? What do you want to change?
• How: Tell the world how you intend to accomplish your goals.
• Language: When you are creating your manifesto, don’t get wordy. Think of powerful, engaging, descriptive wording?that will spark a reader.

In How to Craft a Brand Manifesto [Guide + Examples] we find visual references to 5 of the Best Brand Manifesto Examples. e.g. (here's two of them):

Can you identify the genius entrepreneur silhouette in the apple below? Very clever!

In 17 Inspiring Brand?Manifestos. we read: 'Today’s customers simply do not have the time or will to care about lofty and overly general objectives. Enter the brand manifesto, a clear and public declaration of purpose and intent. When done right, a manifesto not only inspires customers, but inspires employees and attracts future talent.. be authentic, strip away the marketing speak and bare who you are, even call out the chinks in your armor if necessary, that’s what authenticity is about.'

In What Is a Manifesto and Why is it A Must-Have for Your Brand? Marc Gutmann - '..founder of Wildstory, storyteller, entrepreneur, adventurer, and idealist.. a friend of beer, coffee, water, wind, waves, beaches, mountains, & snow.. most importantly, I love branding..' provides a FREE Manifesto Builder with video explainer & worksheets.

When you're finished, let's see if you can get your manifesto on 1000 Manifesto List .

After a week of input and tweaking of my first manifesto draft attempt, here is a concise version. What do you think? Is it better than the longer first attempt draft further below:

Here's my first attempt draft. Which of the two do you prefer and why? Will be very helpful to us at WISDOMS?. Appreciate your input.

See: We're looking for DifferenceMakers in every city on our planet. i.e. YOU.

Remember..?just one idea is all it takes .

Next week:?issue 33 - Everyone has ideas. Whether big or small, it's what you do with them that matters. We're going to suggest that you think even more about dreaming big. To dream the impossible dream! To push yourself further than you've ever gone before.

Trevor Nel?is author of numerous publications & articles, including :

1. Another GREAT Day in Africa!
2. Confessions of a SERIAL Entrepreneur
3. Here's How To Be Well-Prepared For YOUR Cycles Of Success
4. Here's How YOU Can Make A Meaningful Difference In Other People's Lives
5. COMRADES Marathon: Metaphor For The Marathon Of Life
6. Riding the wild, wild River Of Life
7. Life Lessons Learnt as a Dusi Rat