A Writers' Manifesto


Day 1/31 - The Why

Why I write

by Brian Schwartz

The world is coming to an end and there’s nothing you can do about it. It's time to live life differently. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Live your life like there’s no tomorrow. Say what needs to be said. Do what matters most, there's not enough time for anything else. Make every moment significant. Take risks to accelerate your progress. Welcome failure, for it contains the lessons you need to learn. Live every moment as if it were your last, for one moment will be. Find the good in everyone. Acknowledge the progress of your peers and reward your own. Respect everyone, especially yourself. Turn envy into admiration through gratitude.

In the end, when we look back, it's only the meaningful moments that we'll recall. Never take any of this too seriously. Laugh every day. When you are authentic, you can laugh at yourself (before anyone else does). Prioritize people above things, health above wealth. Give kindness with abundance. Make time for the things, people, places, and things that make life meaningful to you. Never let the opinions of others influence your opinion of yourself. My mother's advice for life: “don’t beat yourself up.”

By overcoming obstacles, your confidence grows. Seek out challenges. Treat everyone as the most important person, because at that moment they are, just as you are in yours. Nobody is above anyone else. The reward of hard work is the work itself. Work without expectation of a specific result, but aim high. Expect less and be happily surprised when things turn out well. The odds it'll go wrong are much greater than they’ll go right, so be grateful when luck strikes, but don't be surprised when it doesn't. It happened before, and it’ll happen again. Arrive early, stay late. Just don’t quit too soon. Keep at it. Hang on to your faith, belive in hope, and smile more.

If someone from the future told you that your ability far exceeded what you thought was ever possible, would you believe them?

Is the past an indication of your future? Why would it be? What worked before isn’t going to work again.

You’ll never know until you try, but if you never try, you’ll know for sure. An uncertain future is better than a certain one.

Write your own manifesto

Making today more significant.

CTA: Reread your manifesto daily and rewrite it till it's right. It doesn't have to be perfect; it just needs to be true to you.

I statements are key.

Belief 1

It's the author, who is most transformed by what's written. We teach what we most need to learn. You can learn by reading, but what you assimilate begins with what you write, as what you write primes your preconscious. It's no secret that the authors of some of the best-known books wrote them at a time at a low point in their lives. Through the written word, they assimilate the story. The simulation becomes real. The ideas come alive and they are transformed. They literally write themselves into the best version of themselves. We will as well. We learn by writing and expand by doing. Wireframed is the analogy I'll use drive these concepts home.

Trial by fire is the fastest way to learn.

Belief 2

As a creator, I am creating space to create. Every day, I take a partial LOA (Leave of Absence) to fence my focus to complete what is most significant to me right now. The reward is the work itself, as I enjoy taking this time to rewrite the code my supercomputer runs.

I used to write until my battery ran out (typically 2-3 hours). Now I plug-in to the wall and continue.

Belief 3

To get where I want to go, I must leave behind who I’ve been. I can help more people, as my mission is to make a positive impact on a million people in a significant way by 2020. If I continue to help fewer people, I won't able to help more. I know my work will make a much greater impact the lives of others if I nurture it now. I've always strived to meet the needs of others, and know this is my greatest way to do so.

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