The Manifestor's Manifesto

Check yourself before you wreck yourself

If you want a shortcut to creating change, start being accountable to others.

For this habit hack, I want to make a simple and direct point. And this one is so powerful that there’s no need to go in depth. 

Do you want change? 

If the answer is yes, then define that change. Be specific. Visualize and define what it is that you want. 

Once you’ve done that, articulate what behaviors need to change for you to reach that goal. Define them clearly so that anyone can measure them.

Then (and this is hard)...tell someone you’re going to make that change.

It’s really as simple as that. 

I’ve repeatedly said that change has to happen on the level of IDENTITY. I call this the BE - DO - HAVE model. 

BE - DO - HAVE

Be the identity you want. The identity that makes you do what you need to do in order to have the things you...

What’s the MOST important thing you need to accomplish today?

You might be noticing a pattern in a lot of the habit hacks that I’ve been throwing at you. 

Get rid of stress and get more done. 

Is life more complicated than that?

Sure.

But simple truths work. I don’t care how complex this life is.

And you’ll be successful when you inject this simple truth into everything. 

Remember: your brain wants your success. But your brain hates stress. 

Less stress = more success

Your brain creates strategies at the subconscious to make you happy. When you visualize your success in concrete terms, your brain creates the road map to get you there. 

But stress gets in the way. Nobody likes stress. You don’t like it. Your brain doesn’t like it. Stress takes energy. 

And guess what? Your brain needs energy. 

Remember, your brain isn’t some...

TLDR - Single task in the short run, multitask in the long run. 

If you’re an entrepreneur or you work for yourself, or even if you just want to improve your life and make more money or get healthier, then there’s a good chance you have a lot of irons in the fire on a daily basis. 

That’s good! It shows your ambition, but it can also be draining, because you’re faced with the ever present temptation to multitask. And the problem with multitasking is that it leads to more stress and getting less things done. 

And we’ve all been tempted by the multitasking demon. We tell ourselves that we can handle multiple things at once. “I’m different. I can manage this.” 

But that’s not the truth. Because our brains aren’t built that way. Your brain is designed to be more productive when it’s engaged in deep, focused work on one thing.

The good news is that you CAN get many...

The grandfather of productivity hacks

Here’s a simple thing you can do to increase your productivity. 

• Take 15 minutes at the end of the day

• Think of the 6 most important tasks you need to do tomorrow

• Write them down in the order of importance 

• The next day work on each task in that order and don't move on until each task is completed 

• Unfinished tasks receive top priority the next day

Rinse. Repeat.  

This will make your productivity soar. It's not sexy. It may not be all that interesting. 

But it works. 

There’s nothing for you to “buy into.”  You’ll just see the results when it does.

How do I know it works?

Because it has for over 100 years. 

It’s called the Ivy Lee Method, and it was created by a man named Ivy Lee in 1918. (His full name was Ivy Ledbetter Lee, which is a pretty badass middle name if you...

What is time blocking? 

Time blocking is a time-management tool where you schedule your time and productivity around blocks of time instead of around specific tasks. In short, it’s a time-focused work method as opposed to a task-focused work method. I’ll explain why a time-focused method can be better for your productivity. 

HOW TO DO IT

Plan your work day ahead of time. Identify everything that needs to get done and assign ‘blocks’ of time to complete each task. Aim for the least amount of time for each block of time (this is important). As you move through your schedule, only focus on the task assigned for each time block. After each block of focused work, allow yourself a short break, then move on to the next scheduled task. After you get used to it, time blocking can make you more productive and makes work less stressful. 

Time blocking may not be sexy, but it is cool. And it’s far superior to the old...

Learn the power of structure and consistency

Creating structure in your routines and being consistent is one of the best ways to get more done.

Everybody knows this but not everybody knows how to think about structure and consistency in the right way. Learn how to think about structure the right way, so you can actually create consistency in your own life.

Here are three ways to think about creating structure and consistency in your life:

1. Structure doesn’t have to be boring. In fact it’s the opposite. 

1. Structure isn’t forcing yourself to do anything. Instead, it puts you in control

1. Structure takes away anxiety and gives your brain more energy to do things

#1 Following a plan is fun (really)!

Have you ever read a story to a child? They get all excited when stuff happens. Kids laugh at the funny parts. And they think it’s a blast when you use a bunch of goofy voices and act out the different...

What motivates you?

You need to identify what’s clearly at stake if you DON’T change a habit. 

Do you want to stop smoking?

Why? What will happen if you don’t? Bad health? Money lost to the cost of cigarettes? 

You want to start working everyday at 4 a.m. Why? What will happen if you don’t put that habit in place? Lose a promotion? Not earn enough to buy a nicer car? 

You can think about this from any angle you want, but answer the question, “if I don’t change this habit, what will the result be?”

You can identify the positive result of success or the negative result of failure, but you need to clearly visualize whatever that thing is that’s at stake with your desire to change a habit. 

Wait a minute? 

Doesn’t the Identity Factor stress the importance of getting rid of anxiety and limiting beliefs? How can it be a good thing to focus on something...

Get rid of habits you hate

How did you form healthy habits as a child? 

If you’re like most of us, it was because of your parent’s nagging. 

“Did you brush your teeth? Wash your hands? Did you finish your homework?”

Our parents gave us good habits by forcing us to do stuff that we didn’t want to do. (Although I hope no one has to tell you to wash your hands anymore).

That’s the blueprint most of the world still has for habits. 

A habit is something I hate to do, but I’m just gonna force myself to keep doing it, because it’s good for me. And eventually it will become second nature.

Think about that for a second. If you’re trying to form a habit that you don’t like, ask yourself this question, “why do I want to make a habit that I hate?”

You’re not a child. It’s time to stop forcing yourself to do things you hate. 

...

Copy success to create success

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Someone else has already found what you want.

So copy it. 

If you want to be successful, model someone who is successful. Find someone who already has the outcome that you want, and then model how they act, think, and feel. Whether they have the success that you want in business or in life, identify them and then model their behaviors.

Sounds weird, right? 

We don’t like to think of ourselves as imitators. We’re individuals. We’re unique. Each of us has our own genius. We’d never even think of copying anybody else.

Why else do we have so many bad words for people that copy others?

Copycat. Plagiarist. Fake. 

That's why people ignore the power of imitation. 

And...that’s why(!) it’s a jewel of great advice, just hiding in plain sight.

If you’re willing to imitate, then you’re...

Do you work at the wrong time?

Like most people, you probably value hard work. Especially if you’re an entrepreneur, the idea of working hard to achieve something is in your blood. But this could be a losing battle. We think that  working hard all the time is the way to go, but that attitude can unproductive. 

There are smarter ways to work that are more productive. One of these is to find your “golden” time.

The idea of your golden time is one of the most valuable productivity habits that has changed my life and can change yours too. It’s based on the idea that there are certain times where you are able to get more work done. Find those times and schedule and streamline your productivity for those times especially. 

That’s it. But let me explain more how it works. 

Work when it’s easier - be less stressed

A big part of the method that I’ve developed with the Identity Factor is based on...