Everyone tells you to think in 90-day plans… Sprints. Hacks. Quick wins.
But here’s the truth: 90-day thinking is making us anxious, rushed, and shallow.
What if I told you there’s a way to shift from pressure to peace…
From short-term goals to long-term mastery…
From microwave thinking to slow-cooker wisdom?
What if the real breakthrough doesn’t come from thinking faster… but from thinking longer?
This is The 30-Year Manifesto.
Why You’re Stuck
We are obsessed with short-term cycles:
- “What are your goals for this quarter?”
- “What’s your 90-day sprint?”
- “Ship fast. Move fast. Scale fast.”
But this addiction to urgency keeps us stuck:
- We overestimate what we can do in 3 months…
- And wildly underestimate what’s possible in 30 years.
We’re rushing, hurrying, and burning ourselves out—not because we’re doing too much, but because our time horizon is too small.
What if?
Last month, we had a big party for my Mum for her 90th birthday. That’s pretty amazing, 90 years old.
It got me thinking. I’m now 60. And given Mum is now 90, then there’s a good chance that I might live to 90 too.
There are no guarantees. But if I did live to 90, that would mean I have 30 years to live.
And if I knew I had 30 years, what would I do with my life?
And how would I plan for that?
The Shift from 90 Days to 30 Years
Here’s what happens when you expand your timeline from 90 days to 30 years:
1. You stop rushing
A 30-year vision removes panic. You start moving with intention, not anxiety.
2. You shift from goals to habits & systems
In a 30-year game, goals matter less.
- Your habits matter more.
- Your identity matters more.
- And your systems become your strategy.
3. You choose depth over speed
Short-term thinking rewards urgency. Long-term thinking rewards mastery.
You stop chasing quick dopamine hits and start building real expertise.
4. You rediscover patience
When you think in decades, you develop the superpower few people have anymore – delayed gratification.
5. You Stop Worrying
When things go wrong, you ask yourself, will this matter in 30 years time? Most things won’t.
Let’s Cook! Microwave Thinking
Thinking in 90-day blocks is like cooking in a microwave:
- Fast
- Convenient
- But shallow
- Never flavourful
- And rarely nourishing
In contrast, thinking in 30 years is slow cooking:
- Rich
- Deep
- Layered
- Full of flavour
Nothing exquisite emerges from a microwave. Everything meaningful takes time.
Your career, your craft, your business, your legacy – they’re all slow-cook projects.
What a 30-Year Manifesto Looks Like
A 30-Year Manifesto is not a list of goals.
- It’s not “lose 5kg”.
- It’s not “publish a book”.
- And it’s not “hit 10,000 subscribers.”
One hour a day for 30 years is 11,000 hours. You can become a world-class anything in that time, in only one hour a day. (The 10,000 Hour Rule)
You’re not making a change, you’re shifting your identity.
The 30-Year Manifesto
Here’s The 30-Year Manifesto
Stop the sprints. Halt the hacks. Cull the quick wins.
Short-term thinking is making you rushed, anxious, and shallow.
It trades depth for dopamine. Movement for meaning. Urgency for wisdom.
Don’t think faster, think longer.
Choose long-term mastery.
Swap goals for habits. Swap speed for systems. Win the day, every day.
Build things that last. Build relationships, not transactions. And build character, not shortcuts.
Play the long game. The only game worth playing.
Stop being the microwave — fast, frantic, forgettable.
Start being the slow cooker — rich, deep, patient, inevitable.
Thirty years from now, what will you be known for? Who are you becoming? What is your life’s work?
Don’t make a plan. Make a promise to yourself.
Start Today.
How to Create Your 30-Year Manifesto
Here’s how to start your own 30-Year Manifesto today:
Step 1 — Zoom out
Ask: “Who do I want to become over 30 years, not 30 days?”
Step 2 — List the lifelong habits
What do you want to practise for decades?
Writing, mentoring, designing, fitness, creativity?
Step 3 — Decide what you’re willing to slow-cook
What craft, what business, what set of ideas deserves 30 years of your life?
Step 4 — Write your manifesto as identity statements
Short. Clear. Powerful.
Start with: “I am the kind of person who…”
Step 5 — Define your #1 Daily Habit
What’s the one thing you must do every day to make this happen?
Writers write. Chef’s cook. Athletes move. Now make that happen.
Your Promise
Imagine meeting yourself 30 years from now.
Would they be proud of the habits you built and the work you devoted your life to?
Will you begin this journey today?
Don’t make a 90-day plan, make a 30-Year promise.
More on how to Create Your 30-Year Manifesto
To dive in further and create your 30-Year Manifesto, read these posts next:
- The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Life’s Work
- Four Thousand Weeks: You’ll Never Master Time
- How to Build Habits: Step-by-Step Guide for Success
