The Good Day Manifesto: The Simplest Way to Intentional Living

When we slow down and decide to live more intentionally, one day at a time, the weariness from overdoing and the anxious rush toward the future dissolve, gradually fading into the dark.

What happens to the question of “where did all the time go?”

It now ceases to exist.

Intentional living is about moving slowly, with purpose.

It’s a manifestation of our inner power, reminding us that we will always retain the strength to choose how to frame our days ahead.

It’s about living a life that’s true to you, measured by a pace of rhythm you choose for yourself. It’s about identifying values that matter most to you and then choosing to live in alignment with them.

 It’s about creating a space measured by the balance of what you believe in, what you’re interested in, what smothers your soul with joy, and what matters most to you.

The Good Day Manifesto is a powerful short declaration that serves as a daily reminder of what it means to you to live and enjoy a good day.

What it means to you to do nothing and simply be present. What it means to love. What it means to give. What it means to do work that moves the rivers of your soul and do just enough of it so that you don’t tip the scales and plunge into the sly, vicious streams of burnout.

The reality of life is this: There are things within your locus of control and things outside of it; focus on the former, be conscious of the latter. The best use of your energy is to focus your days on what you can control—your attitude on any given day, the effort you put into anything you do, the knowledge you seek, the people you choose to hang out with and give your time to.

We both know that there’s only so much we can do in a given day, so why are we pushing ourselves to do more than our capacity? Why are we burning ourselves just to be overly productive and perfect? Isn’t that a toxic mindset?

Instead of pursuing empty perfection, how about we strive for wholeness in the areas that matter most? Areas like love and connection, inner peace, contribution, health, and flow.

What does the past hold? Besides being a vault of memories, lessons, and inner wisdom that can guide you toward the path of healing, its powers are meaningless. And what can we make of the future? Rather than it being a dark den of worry and anxiety, let it be nothing more than a boundless, colourful source of optimism—a constant reminder that tomorrow can still be beautiful even if it doesn’t seem to be so today.

Sit down, grab a pen and a piece of paper and then answer this question:

What does it mean to me to live a good day?

Now, describe it.

• Let your thoughts spill in the form of ink on paper.
• Once it’s ready, print it and read it daily.
• Let it be the guiding light to your days.
• Let it be the sun to the sunflower that is you.
• Follow its rays from east to west, and allow it to remind you of your strength and power in how you choose to frame your days.
• When you feel too rushed, consumed, or overwhelmed, let it remind you to slow down and reflect, once again, on what matters most to you.

Your manifesto will change over time; it will develop just like you.

Some petals will die, bowing down and falling to the ground to make way for the new. Some parts of you that you had once mourned will be reborn again, sprouting upward from the deep.

Whatever you write, they are not words carved on stone.

A Good Day Manifesto will raise your awareness of the inevitable passage of time. Soon, it will no longer be a question of “where does all the time go,” but rather a sentiment of “I love how beautifully time undresses, unfolding layer upon layer, to the rhythm of my days.”