The Weekly Reframe #5

1/ NOTICE

Have you created your personal manifesto yet?

Over the last few weeks ​I’ve been haunted by the idea of putting pen to paper …to write a personal manifesto. It started when I read this LinkedIn post, then this one.
​
What is a manifesto in this context? Well for me it’s a way to stop drift, a set of guidelines (and boundaries) for my work. That’s important to me right now as I sharpen what I'm for … and what I'm not. A manifesto will help me filter. To decide what matters, what doesn’t, and what gets ignored.

This isn’t branding. It’s survival.

My first guide: If your agenda doesn't scare you slightly, it's not ambitious enough.

To go deeper: ​​manifesto examples

1/ Seth Godin - The Linchpin Manifesto​

2/ Dieter Rams - Ten principles for good design (and lots more examples)

3/ Duolingo - Handbook​

2/ TRY

Yesterday I put frozen milk in the fridge. 
Why is it sometimes so hard to be mindful?

An hour later my wife found it. I'd taken it from the deep freeze to thaw, then absent-mindedly moved it to the fridge. That's a sign my mind isn't where I am. I'm juggling too many thoughts, and in that state I'm not at my best.

You can't think clearly under pressure if your mind is somewhere else. That's why mindfulness matters for performance - not as wellness, but as function.

So what do I need to do? Return to a mindfulness practice.

You're probably picturing me on a cushion, legs crossed. But there are other ways. I practise mindfulness through daily activities—walking, drinking tea, washing-up. Staying present in the ordinary.

How much is your distracted mind impacting your performance?

To go deeper: NHS - 15 Minute Mindful Walking Meditation​

3/ QUESTION

If someone copied your exact schedule for the next six months, would you be impressed by their ambition … or concerned by their lack of courage?

This question has been sitting with me.

With 2026 on the horizon, we may be considering resolutions. It's easy to make a promise to ourselves, then find a few days, weeks, or months later that ambition has dissolved. Made me think how easy it is for things to drift back to mediocrity, even over a relatively short timespan.

If we want our desired changes to stick we need to sustain them in some way. My favourite way starts with backcasting - envisioning the future I want then working backwards to understand the barriers that need to be overcome.

If someone copied your exact schedule for the next six months, would you be impressed by their ambition … or concerned by their lack of courage?

To go deeper: Colin & Carr Bryar - Working Backwards​