How to Write Your Life Manifesto, and Why It Will Change Your Life

Contributing writer for Wake Up World

As we walk through life, it is easy to drift off towards everything and anything that calls for our attention. It can be challenging to keep our energy where it is most needed. We can easily get distracted and side-tracked in life. That’s why writing a personal life manifesto is so important. It’s like anchoring your visions and values. You are forced to take inventory, to open your heart, to dream big and to evaluate what your goals are.

For me, this opened the door to my healing on all levels. The day I realized I was in charge of my future, though my intentions and values, my whole perception of life changed.

How do you see your life? What do you believe in, and what will you spend this lifetime accomplishing or being?

Your personal manifesto will bring you back to your own reality and purpose. It is an amazing tool for any conscious living human. It is your living declaration of truth, and it will change as you grow and evolve.

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The power of writing and intent is beyond intellectual comprehension. Words are powerful — they are energy. Although you will find words in books that will ring true for you, from other people’s manifestos, nothing is as powerful as writing your own. You true words, from your soul and wisdom. It can be short, long, specific or more in general. You can write about the topic that you are most enthusiastic about, or compose a full life manifesto. You can start, and add to it later. It functions both as a call to action and a statement of principles.

Look at your written manifesto as:

Your compass and directional guide.
Your general frame for your life and how you live it.
Your reminder to keep striving and achieving your goals.
Your source of motivation.
Your inspiration to always do better.
A reminder of your priorities.
A reminder to live your purpose more fully.
Your go-to- reading when things get rough.
Your foundation for building your life
A new start on your new bullshit-free true life.

Write your own life manifesto:

Manifesto: “A written statement to publicly declare your intentions, motives, or beliefs.” — From the Latin, ‘manifestum’.

This is a practice that will change your entire life. The process in itself is revealing, freeing and has a great learning curve. I recommend you write it on your computer. That way you can edit it and add to it as your life unfolds. It is work in progress, and a wonderful way to keep yourself on track. That being said; if you are willing to take the time of writing it with pen and paper, nothing is more powerful. The mind is even more receptive to the words when they are strengthened by the signals from the physical writing. I am a strong believer in pen and paper, however, sometimes it is not the most practical. You choose.

Read it as often as you like. Some read it every day, some look at it every week, or every month. There is no right or wrong. It is your document, and only you can decide what you want it to consist of, how long it should be, or how many topics it should include. Some like to make sure everything is included, in detail, and some simply want some easy to read sentences that represent their future life and values. The most important step is to actually write one. To get started.

First, write a short introduction: What is your intent for the manifesto? What do you want it to help you accomplish? Keep is simple and clean. The intent is the most important, not the fancy words. Use words that give meaning to you. Find a quiet place, breathe deeply, and tap into your own space. Write when you are in a good and hopeful place. Use positive words and phrases. This will be an uplifting document, made for you to further grow and manifest your dreams and values. It declares your vision. It lets you tap into your dreams. Once you have written down the intent, you can always go back and take a second and a third look later. Poor it from your heart, and try to bypass the brain. What is it really that you want this declaration of how you will live your life to read back at you? This is private if you wish it to be, and no-one but you have to read it. Be direct and authentic.

You can write your personal manifesto in many different ways. Short or long, simple or more complex. It can define all areas of your life, or only a few. It can focus on goals, or more general live-by guidelines. You might want it to be written in the form of short single sentences, or more like a story.

Here are some suggestions:

Keeping it simple: You can start off with three basic components: Wisdom, goals and beliefs. You can make is as simple as that. Write a header for each of the three topics, and let the pen do the rest. Write down what wisdom is to you, what you know to be true, what your beliefs are, then write down what your goals are and so forth. Keep it on point. Limit each topic to one page. For example: I know how valuable I am. My life is beautiful. Nature is perfect.

Defining the areas of your life manifesto: You can make a list of the areas of your life that you want to address. It can be your love life, your relationships, your work life, your financial goals and your health. For example, you can write how you would like your health to grow and manifest. What do you want it to look like, and what do you want to be able to do physically? Each area gets its own section, where you can put in writing everything that rings true to you about the topic. This is all about what you want to leave behind. What you want to look back at when this life comes to an end. Your core beliefs, but also your victories and successes. You might include areas as:

How will you deal with failures and mistakes?
How will you interact with others?
How you will treat your body
How you will deal with risks and opportunities
How you will spend your money
How you will serve
How you will spend your free time
How you will approach life in general
What are your business goals?
What does your living space look like?
Where do you want to travel?

The specific goal setting manifesto: Write out exactly what it is that you want to do. Be specific. Start with your overall plan, and break it down to specifics. What is your desired outcome? How much money do you want to make, or who do you want to meet? Where do you want to travel, or what other dream do you long to accomplish? It can be related to any aspect of your life, as long as you know exactly what you want.

What are you willing to do to get it? Write down exactly what you are willing to do and sacrifice. You might have to put other projects on hold. You might have to live on a low and fixed income for a while, and you might have to live in a less desirable environment for a period. Put it in writing, the specifics.
Map out every step you’ve got to take to get there. Be specific. What do you need to do? Follow them and be persistent. Write down your route towards your success.
Give it a timeline. Make deadlines and guidelines. Keep yourself accountable. Look forward and trace your steps. Vision it already done, achieved. Schedule everything. Plan one, three or ten years ahead. Whatever looks right for reaching your specific goals.

The values and personal power manifesto: Write down the answer to some simple yet profound questions. Do some deep soul searching and write a general declaration of your core beliefs, wisdom and understanding. Use the answers to each of these or similar questions as an outline for your written statements.

What am I willing to die for?
What do I believe in?
What do I need to change in my life?
How do I define myself?
What do I value the most in my life?
How do I want to live my life?
What excites me?
What is my true purpose?
What do I stand for?
What makes me truly happy?

“Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Use a language that is firm and positive. Make it uplifting. Bring out your positive notes, and dig deep for those inspiring words. While reading them, they should not only uplift and give you a boost. They should fire up the whole universe. Be direct and to the point. You do not want to be reading your declaration, wondering what exactly it is that you mean. Too many fancy words will only clutter the message.

Use affirmative and strong language. Be precise and speak in a tone of solution and success. Never use the negatives. For example: “I will never be sick again.” Instead always affirm what you want to see happen: “I will stay healthy and strong.” Kick it up a notch and say” I am healthy.” Be firm in your statements.

Don’t make it longer than you need to. Remember, you are going to keep reading it. Start simple and add on as needed. I have both added and subtracted from my manifesto. It is a tool that will give you more and more as you give it more, by reading and rewriting.

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Write in the present tense. When you write about the future, it will stay in the future. All there really is, is the now, and so writing in the present tense is the most powerful. It is confirming that it is already done. As you write, also envision it with your inner eye. See it as done. It has a very powerful energy.

Take your time. Don’t rush it. Let your personal manifesto be an honoring of your life. By writing it you are acknowledging its significance, and that it is worth spending some quality time on. If you choose to find your pen and paper, it will automatically take more time. On the computer, we are more prone to multitask. Make sure you don’t. The creation of it in itself is very powerful. Imagine you are writing a letter to the Creator, declaring your life purpose and willingness to better yourself and to be more aware and mindful.

Let it all come forth. Let the inner most beliefs and motives surface on each of the topics that you choose. We are after the core values. That which makes it all true for you. This is an opportunity for you to do some deep digging within. All the cards on the table, please. You might be surprised at what you mean and feel on certain subject. What you see as your future, and how you relate to friends and family.

The amazing values of a personal manifesto:

Your manifesto should be something you will find strength and support in reading. For optimal value, go back and read it every single day. It will remind you of why you are doing what you are doing.

Keep it positive. Once you have written your own, you can find strength and support in reading it over and over again. Reading it every single day will give you direction and keep you focused on your goals and your purpose. Life is a flowing journey, and every single day we need to remind ourselves of our values. To be able to deal consciously with the outside world, we need to stand our ground on the inside, within our own space. Balance on the inside, can conquer any upheaval on the outside.

Writing your manifesto, and reading it every day will change your life. A bold statement, I know. How could it not? Once you tap in to your truth with the purpose of intentions, you are change. It will help you remember why you are here, and why you are doing what you are doing. Keeping you sane when things go a little crazy, and whispering in your ear when people feed you their insecurities and fear. The manifesto is a representative of your standard, your pure intentions. As there is no right or wrong, how you write is up to you. I am certain you will want to change it along the way. As you evolve and secure your grounds, you will see even more clearly what your values and powers are. Your life will show you more to want to manifest, and more to be appreciative of.

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.” – Bruce Lee

My personal manifesto:

I wrote my first life manifesto many years ago. While I was in bed, sicker than I care to even remember. I was hanging on to anything that was keeping me focused on life and healing. I was conditioning my brain and cells to grow free and healthy. I was literally full of shit, and almost completely numbed down by my subconscious programming. My whole life I had been walking towards this point of disaster, and only by treating my life like a warzone could I drag myself back up. At least that is what it felt like. I went through the dark night of the soul.

The term goes back a very long time, always used to describe the collapse of the perceived meaning of life. The feeling of complete meaninglessness and loss of self. In the modern world we might confuse this experience with what we call depression, but it is not. There is no meaning to anything, and everything feels meaningless. The dark night can be triggered by an event in your life. You might lose your job, someone close to you, or have in some way a life-altering experience. A severe trauma in any way can trigger a reason to embark on such a journey. It will feel like everything is collapsing. It is like we are shaken out of what we perceive as our reality, and the experience is changing our concept of life and the meaning that it has been given. There is an awakening happening. The one living the experience will most often not be aware of what he or she is going through. For me, it was profound. It was shredding me to pieces. I was being stripped of everything.

I became completely naked.

I was nothing.

I was NO thing!

This is the awakening to something deeper, a sense of real purpose, to true and real passion. It is like a death and a rebirth, where everything that was has now left, and new meanings, new concepts, and a new sense of existence arise. There is a death of the ego, yet nothing really dies except the ego’s own sense of self. A very painful death, and the experience is that of death itself, even though nothing real died, and never will. It will feel like endless despair and darkness.

This is often a part of an awakening process, leaving us stronger and more true to ourselves than before. Once we have gone through the dark night of the soul, and have been “reborn”, we can see that what was let go of was the false sense of self. What dies was never real, but we were clinging to it as a part of the illusion of ego. I remember the time as being completely heart breaking and mind scattering, yet it has been my most important learning experience as I see it.

From that point, I rebuilt my whole existence, my whole perception of who I was, where I came from and why I was here. My life manifesto helped me define my inner most solid beliefs, and my own sacred truth. I have since then written several, on different areas of my life, and I want to share with you an example of what a simple 33 point life-value declaration can look like:

I choose to be happy. I know is a choice.
When I lead, I follow. I trust myself and my inner voice.
I am able to change my thoughts, change my mind, and change my life.
I am authentic. I allow myself to be true to myself and others.
I forgive easily.
My purpose is to inspire others to live their full potentials.
What others think of me is none of my business.
I breathe, live and talk health and prosperity.
I am a creator in my life. I take responsibility and action towards my goals.
Every day I strive to do better.
I focus on the positive side of life, and know that there is no failure, only learning.
I treat my body like a temple. With love, respect and honor.
I nourish my body with raw living food. I always have enough.
I walk in nature and honor all of creation.
I walk lightly on this earth by being conscious about the planet and it`s earthlings.
I live in gratitude for all that is. Every day I count my blessings.
Every opportunity that comes my way, is gratefully accepted and explored.
I am tough, strong and disciplined.
I never give up. I persevere until I reach my goals.
I walk mindful through the day.
I meditate every day.
My finances are always I order, and I am proved for. I am abundant in every way.
I spend time with people that uplift and strengthen me.
I am confident in what I do. I am brave and diligent.
I remain open to try new things.
I create and grow an honest and prosperous business.
I value my time and other’s.
My words are spoken from a place of truth. Is it kind, is it true, and is it necessary?
I serve where I can, with joy and gratitude. Giving is one of life’s greatest gifts.
My family is loving and supporting.
I honor my gifts through pursuing them.
My home is a sacred place. I keep it neat and clean.
I honor God, Creation, truth and my life.

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Winne the Pooh

After writing your own manifesto, feel proud! Not many people do this, and actually, know what their values and core beliefs are. Play with it. Write a manifesto on single topics, like your health. What will it look like? Remember to write in present tense. Write it like a full description story. What do you see, how do you feel and what do you do? What does a typical day in your healthy life look like? How will you live according to your values? What good will you do, and how will you spend your time on this earth? This is you creating your life. The bullshit-free, amazingly mind-blowing, fantastic life. You are the captain, the driver, the boss and the humble observer.

Read your declaration every day if you wish. It will nurture your soul. When the truth is spoken, your cells dance. Let it include all of your dreams, and as you read, you will believe even more. Your whole life will change in accordance to your wishes and statements. It is a mission statement, a living evolving document that you can change as you explore further. This is your owner’s manual, your self-appointed set of rules that will help you grow into your very best version of yourself. Make several copies of it. Keep it in your purse. Hang it in your office, and let it inspire you every day.

We can all contribute to making this world a better place, through striving to become the best version of ourselves. We can always do better, learn and grow. Together we are stronger, and our united truth is more powerful. When we say no to lies, we honor our lives.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recommended articles by Hilde Larsen:

About the author:

Hilde Larsen, known as ‘the one who Inspires’, is the CEO and founder of inspiredbyhilde.com. She is a certified Health and Mindset Coach, an Author, a Keynote Speaker, Detox Specialist, Raw food Teacher and Life-Enthusiast. Her glowing enthusiasm for health and vitality has the leading role in her work.

Hilde Larsen writes articles, and has her own blog and YouTube channel. She is the author of three published books: ‘From HELL to Inspired’, ‘Know the Truth and Get Healthy’, and ‘No More Bullshit’. She creates online video programs and has her own membership site, The Inspired Members.

Her interest in healing and spiritual growth also led her to become a Reiki Healer. She is highly intuitive and has a strong connection to Mother Earth and the spiritual world.

Born and raised in Stavanger, Norway, she and her husband of 29 years have a second home in Florida, USA. She is a proud mother and grandmother, and a tree-hugger at heart. Called by nature and spirit, she is inspiring many to take back their power, and to live a healthy successful life doing what they love.

Hilde now spends her time traveling between Norway and Florida, speaking, and appearing on different media as the Inspired health and thought leader. She is an authority in her field who has walked her talk. She also values the time with her clients, and her time in nature with her closest family and friends.

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Write your own life manifesto:

Here are some suggestions:

The amazing values of a personal manifesto:

My personal manifesto:

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