The Manifestor's Manifesto

Start your day with less stress.

This 5 minute rule is simple.

Here it is: If it takes 5 minutes (or less), do it now.

You always have something to do. Whether it’s things to do at home or at work. It could be responding to that email or putting up a new shower curtain that’s still sitting in the shopping bag. If you can do it in five minutes, go ahead and get it done.

That’s it. 

Like I said, it’s simple. 

What’s the big deal?

Why is it important? Because it makes you more productive. This truly is a “habit hack” because it doesn’t involve a big idea or a change of perspective. 

Just “do this → get more done.”

This works off what I call the Empty Brain is an Efficient Brain Principle. 

What does that mean?

Because your brain’s job is to make you happy, it avoids things that make you unhappy. This includes anxiety and...

Reward yourself and get more done

Recently, I showed you how to retrain your brain to form new habits with something called Pattern Interrupts. 

This habit hack is different, but it’s based on the same principle. What is that principle? The idea that you can make yourself far more productive by changing your habits at the brain-based level. 

When you understand how habits are formed in the brain,  you'll be in control of your habits and your identity.

How the brain works

So, let’s talk about the brain. Your brain is a powerful machine that wants to keep you alive and happy. Your conscious mind represents your everyday decision making and awareness, but most of your habits and behavior are driven by your subconscious mind. 

Your subconscious is powerful. It gets the job done. Otherwise...you wouldn’t be here. And one of your subconscious mind’s goals is to keep you happy. It’s so important to...

Pattern Interrupts

I want to teach you a practical technique that you can use whenever an old habit rears its ugly head.

You can make all the plans in the world, but sometimes old habits have a way of reasserting themselves in your life. It’s frustrating. Even if you have all the right frameworks and attitude in place, old habits can still challenge you.

That’s why it’s good to have techniques in place that you can use to tackle them on the spot. 

Hey, there’s a reason why they say “old habits die hard.”  

But old habits can die, and if you use this technique, it doesn’t even have to be that hard. 

What are habits?

First, let’s define what a habit is. When you understand habits, you can demystify them and take away their power. 

So what exactly is a habit? 

The simplest definition is this: a habit is a brain-based response to an external...

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...

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. 

...

What are Mind Dumps?

Good ideas are simple, counterintuitive, and link to other good ideas.

The concept of mind dumps fits all criteria. For example it’s another easy way to overcome procrastination. Plus, it’s easy to do. 

Mind dumps are easy...give it a try

A mind dump is where you take your ideas and put them on paper. 

Anybody can do it. But why does it work?

It works because it lets you get all of your thoughts and emotions out on paper (or a word doc, whatever works). Write down everything. Write down your plans and all that you consider actionable. But also write down all of your thoughts and worries and concerns. Once everything is on paper, it frees your mind to work more effectively. 

And it works with everything. Let’s say you have an idea for a new marketing plan for your business. Or you want to start getting healthier. You want to get started on a goal, but you’re not sure where to get...