Manifestation 101: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Dreams Happen
Written by Heather Grant
“So, you’re telling me I can ask the universe for anything, and I’ll just get it?”
It sounds too good to be true, right? But you’ve likely been manifesting things without even realizing.
Have you ever written down a goal or expressed a dream aloud? What about taking actions that aligned with those desires?
Manifestation is simply putting your intention, energy and actions towards something you want and watching it become your reality. Anyone can use manifestation, and in this post we’ll show you exactly how!
what is manifestation?
The meaning of manifestation may differ slightly depending on the context, but it essentially refers to turning ideas into reality.
Manifestation is about aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with something you desire, in order to bring it into a physical being.
…and what isn’t manifestation?
One big misconception about manifestation, and why some people turn their noses up at it, is the belief that you don’t have to do anything. That you just wait around until the universe brings you what you want. That those who practice manifestation are “lazy.”
The truth is, to receive your desires, you still have to be proactive and work towards them.
Think of it as swimming with the current. You’re aligning your movements with an underlying force, and it fuels your energy and pushes you in the right direction.
While you may be still have to do work, it’s a lot easier than trying to move against the current – or lower energies of forcing, procrastination, misalignment, not listening to your intuition, etc.
what should I manifest?
Now you know what manifestation is (and isn’t) you’re probably keen to try it for yourself. I mean, who doesn’t want to make their visions for their life come true?
Only there’s one problem… you’re not sure what to manifest.
First, let’s try to tune out external influences. There are lots of shoulds and musts to navigate in life. You might feel pressure to conform to certain societal timelines or career ladders, influenced by what you see on social media, or trying to live up to expectations you’ve placed on yourself and they can cloud what it is you actually want.
Instead, practice cultivating a deep connection with yourself. This might be through daily meditation, or journaling using prompts such as the ones at the bottom of this post.
Focus on what brings you joy and what feels good. These are the things you want to bring more of into your life.
Ensure your manifestations are expressed in the positive, too. It’s a simple case of framing your desire to come from a place of abundance, rather than lack. For example, ‘I am loved’ instead of ‘I want to feel less lonely’, or ‘I attract my dream career’ instead of ‘my job is boring and I need something new’.
It may seem daunting or scary to place so much power in your thoughts, but if you focus on manifesting positive things it should be a fun and exciting experience!
And p.s., random (often more negative) thoughts will likely continue to pop up all the time. You are not these thoughts and they don’t mean anything in particular about us. However, if we choose to put weight in those thoughts or continue to focus on and consciously repeat and reinforce them, that’s when we start to see those turn into beliefs.
Instead, we simply want to bring more awareness to our current thoughts, observing them, noticing if they’re trying to tell us anything, and then reframing them when they aren’t serving us.
what is the law of attraction?
While this all sounds good, at this point, you’re likely wondering ‘how does manifesting work?’. Well, it’s based on a simple principle called ‘The Law of Attraction’.
The law centres on the idea that everything is energy, and that to bring an idea into physical existence, you must match its vibrational frequency.
There are a number of books on this topic that explain it more in-depth, but this quote from Vex King’s Good Vibes Good Life sums it up perfectly:
“To bring an idea into existence, or rather, into your perception, you must match its vibrational frequency. The more ‘real’ or solid something is to you, the closer you are to it vibrationally. This is why when you truly believe something and act as if it were already true, you increase the chance of it coming to you in your physical reality.”
2 key things to remember when manifesting:
Before we move on to how to manifest something, let’s take a pit-stop to reflect on 2 key things in manifestation:
what you focus on grows
If you focus on the things that bring you joy, your dreams and your innermost desires, you’ll bring more of them into your life.
On the flip side, if you focus on fear, doubt, or jealousy, those feelings will likely multiply too.
By living with intention and choosing where to focus your energy, you can manifest a beautiful and abundant life.
2. attraction requires action
Manifestation is a collaboration between you and the universe. It’s a group project, and it’s best to split the workload.
As well as knowing what you want, you have to consider the steps you will take towards it (and start taking those baby steps). This not only instils in you the belief that it’s possible but demonstrates to the universe that you’re serious about your desire.
how to manifest something
Here are 5 actionable steps to help you manifest your dreams:
1. get clear on what you want
Writing your dreams and desires down can help you manifest your goals as it encourages you to get clear on what you want.
Imagine that you’re writing a storybook and you have complete control over the main character (you!).
Make sure you delve into all the details. If it’s a soulmate you want to manifest, include their features, traits, and how they make you feel. If it’s money, use specific numbers. If it’s a career, talk about what your day-to-day would look like, what your hours would be, and what your salary would look like.
Remember, you’re the author of your life so make the description bestseller worthy.
2. visualize your dream
Visualization is a way of making your dreams real in your mind before they’re real in your life.
Sitting in meditation is a beautiful way to step into this dream, conjuring up your vision in full colour and detail while you’re in a relaxed and expansive state; open to messages from your intuition and downloads from the universe.
When you create a mental picture of your dream life it should start to feel as though it’s really taking place!
Ask yourself,
What does the dream look like?
What sounds are present?
How does it feel?
Who is there with you?
If you’re looking for something more tangible, try creating a vision board! A vision board is a collection of pictures that represent the things you want to attract. Pinterest and Instagram can be great places to find images for inspiration.
Once you have curated a vision board that speaks to you (either physically, digitally, or both), try setting aside time to focus on the images for a couple of minutes each day.
3. express gratitude
Remember how we said what you focus on grows? This relates to expressing gratitude.
If you pay attention to the good already in your life, you’ll attract more blessings and abundance.
You may wish to create a gratitude journal, where you spend 5 to 10 minutes before bed noting down the good things that happened that day, or simply repeating some of these things in your mind while you’re brushing your teeth or falling asleep. If you’re stuck on things to write, check out this post for some ideas.
4. release limiting beliefs
Self-doubt can create an obstacle between you and your desires. Just think, if you keep saying you can’t do something, or you’re not good enough, you’re putting that message out to the universe.
It can be tricky to move past these beliefs, especially if they’re deeply rooted and you’ve carried them with you for a long time. But remember that you aren’t your thoughts. You can choose to think differently; to reframe; and to continue to move forward.
Be gentle with yourself. Try using positive affirmations, such as these, to help transform your belief system.
5. trust the timing
The universe is full of surprises and things may not pan out in the exact timeframe you envisioned. Don’t lose faith. Trust things are working out as they’re supposed to.
A closed-door could lead to a better one. A delay might give you time to re-evaluate what it is you wish to receive. And uncertainty often brings opportunities beyond what you could envision.
As long as you’re doing your part, and taking consistent action, you can surrender to the universe to do the rest.
manifestation journal prompts
Let’s finish with some journaling prompts to help you to get clear on your vision and discover the power of manifestation:
What does my ideal day look like? (Make sure to go into every detail)
What are 10 things I am grateful for in my life right now?
What are 3 actions I can take today that will bring me closer to my goals?
What’s 1 thing that is holding me back from my dream life? How can I work on it today?
I create… (your desire)
I enjoy…(your desire)
I attract …(your desire)
what are you manifesting?
We’ve gone through the ins and outs of manifestation, and actionable steps to make your dreams a reality. Now, we’d love to hear what you’re manifesting? Let us know in the comments below!
Sustainable Bliss Collective endorses products & brands we genuinely love and support. If you end up making a purchase through one of our affiliate links, it will not cost you anything but we may earn a commission. Learn more here.
share this on Pinterest
about the author
Heather Grant is a content and copywriter for ethical brands and writes wellbeing and sustainability features for print magazines. You can find her on Instagram @writtenbyheatherr.
