8 Manifestos Provoke Action

Manifesto Principle #8

On a movie set, a distinct event happens that translates the script into a movie. It’s the moment when the clapperboard strikes and the gaffer calls ‘action’. This is important for two reasons. The first is to align the sound and visuals on the film so they can be edited easily later. The second is to call attention to and create alignment around what’s about to happen.

Here’s the eighth in a nine-part series looking at the Manifesto Manifesto principles with a view to creating your own manifesto.

Manifestos without action are merely words on a page. Manifestos exist to inspire decisive action, potent results and powerful change. [Updated December 2021]

Three questions to bring your Manifesto to life

Three questions to ask yourself when you sit down to start writing your manifesto relative to creating the future…

1 What do you want us to do?

This can be very literal. In Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint, he says there are ten things we can do to live like a caveman and join a lean and healthy body. His blueprint very simply and clearly states the ten things.

2 What will we see, feel, hear, touch, smell and taste when you are living your manifesto?

The Bible’s Ten Commandments tells us five things to do and five not to do. The more specific you can be in your descriptions of the actions you want people to take the more likely they are to act. If your followers are confused, they won’t take action. Or worse, they’ll take a wide range of actions that diffuses any impact you make.

3 What’s habits, practices and rituals do you want to instil?

It’s very rare that one action is all that is needed. It’s more likely that you’ll need to repeat actions many times to produce the desired result. A great example here is being fit and well. If we only had to go to the gym once to be fit, we’re all be athletes. Lululemon has a list of 31 things to savour every day. They’re the things we have to do regularly and this requires that we build habits, practices and rituals around our actions.

Work through these questions to start writing your manifesto. What’s your call to action?