Christmas manifesto

I love a good manifesto. It’s something I often find useful in client journeys too. A manifesto is a statement about How Things Are and How They Will Be - an operating manual, a guide, a reference to come back to. A manifesto is great, because in creating a manifesto you also create intention. And with that you generate a momentum, an urge, a need, a movement towards your desired future. As we know, change comes from the inside, and the absolute best thing about creating a manifesto in the coaching space is that it comes from the inside, as it identifies and reflects core values and presents them to the external world in behaviours, thinking, ways of doing. 

What’s not to like?!

I’ve been working with the idea of manifesto for many years, probably since the early days of art college in the 90s (you find some great manifestos in the art world). And as I mentioned I use the idea with clients where it is relevant. I also use it in my personal life and one area it has worked with great success is the Christmas season and holidays in general. 

I’m not alone in finding Christmas pressures a little overbearing and have been on the wrong side of family misunderstandings at this time - absolutely due to very different values and beliefs about what Christmas ‘is’.  My beautiful mum actually had a heart attack on Christmas Day once because she put herself under such pressure to make Christmas special each year. Some see Christmas as a social time and some people just want to hibernate. Some don’t celebrate Christmas at all, and of course it’s based on just one religion of many. One of my best Christmases was in the 90s when partner and I refused to go to either family’s houses and stayed in south London with an open door policy to anyone we knew that didn’t have a place to go. It was brilliant. I bet you have some stories to tell as well. 

So Christmas is a time of celebration but it’s also a time of sadness for ones lost, difficulties managing budgets, pressure to succumb to the capitalist circus of spending, uncomfortableness at not fitting in other’s plans and ideas or dealing with the relatives. And that’s from a position of privilege, where we are not on the bread line, suffering ill health or living in a war zone. 

So what do you want from Christmas? How could it be better, more manageable?

I developed the idea of The Christmas Manifesto a few years ago and ‘do it’ with the kids when they break up from school. I also do one for summer holidays and family occasions. We sit down with a large piece of paper and thick colourful pens and we talk about what Christmas means to us each and then what we would like for it to be special. It’s a really simple idea that brings our ideas out into the open, allows us to hear each other’s wishes and co-create something together that we all aspire to. Our core values go in the middle of the tree and outward we create ideas around those. It has absolutely transformed our winter holidays because we all have an understanding of each other’s needs, we all know what’s happening and we’re on the same team and not at odds with each other. Our expectations are in line.

It’s not for everyone of course - my kids are 11 and 13 and it works for us at this moment in time. They love drawing and creating something - and they still, thankfully, love doing something together (which might change in the next few years I know).

So there, a coaching tool to help you survive the festive season. 

I’ve created a simple template and will explain the process in a bit more detail in this month’s Wednesday Webinar - a light hearted half hour coaching tool share on zoom. Come join us!