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If you’ve been on the internet anytime in the past year, you’ve probably seen the word “manifestation” float across your feed a few times, and if you’re confused, you’re not alone. From TikToks with bizarre visualization techniques (no, I’m not going to picture my crush sleeping and whisper that they should marry me in their imaginary ear) to Instagram posts confusingly explaining the law of attraction, it’s hard to know what manifestation really means, and even harder to know what it can do for you.
The Everygirl Wellness Editor, Josie Santi, has been studying and practicing manifestation techniques for nearly two years, and shares everything she’s learned on this week’s episode of The Everygirl Podcast. Recommended by wellness experts, thought leaders, and life coaches, manifestation can be boiled down to defining your dream life and then taking action in order to achieve that dream life. As Josie says, it’s about thinking of your current desires as insight into what’s meant for your future. In Episode 5 of The Everygirl Podcast, Josie shares a comprehensive explanation of what manifestation is (and what it is not), as well as tips to start practicing it and work toward your dream life today. Read on for three of Josie’s favorite journaling prompts for manifestation she shares, and tune in to the episode to hear more.
1. “Future You” Journaling
This method just may be the simplest form of manifestation journaling to incorporate into your everyday life. “Future You” journaling involves picturing how your life would go if you were to approach every situation as your highest self. Josie recommends treating “Future You” journaling like a diary entry for the best version of yourself, as if you were currently living that life in the present, even if your life RN looks totally different. Time to drown out the voices of anyone who has ever called you spacey, because this prompt really is daydreaming in diary entry format.
As you journal, ask yourself how your highest self would show up in their day-to-day life. On the podcast, Josie explains that this practice is not only limited to one single day or week in your life: you can Future You journal before everything from a big presentation at work to sitting down to do your taxes to identify how your highest self would show up in specific situations (and then to actually show up that way!). On the other end of the spectrum, you can Future You journal about aspirational, exciting events that you are manifesting into your life; no scenario is too big or too small for this exercise.
2. Gratitude Journaling
One of the key points in the episode is that gratitude for your current situation is essential to manifesting a life that might be even more fulfilling in the future. Since the law of attraction is all about being grateful for things you want to manifest as if you already have them, practicing gratitude for the life you’re currently living can ensure that you are bringing in as much of that positive energy as possible.
According to Josie, gratitude is one of the aspects of manifestation that can be the easiest to skip, but is arguably the most important. This is what separates manifestation from simply wanting or wishing: gratitude fuels the abundance mindset that is essential for manifestation. Josie suggests journaling about things you want more of in your life that you are already grateful to have in the first place. For example, if you’re manifesting a deeper connection with someone in your life, take time to journal about how thankful you are for your current relationship with that person, or if you’re manifesting greater wealth, feel gratitude for the ability to pay your rent or get coffee a couple times a week, etc.
3. Highest Self Journaling
Similar to Future You journaling, Highest Self journaling involves tapping into the everyday habits of your highest self, the version of you that you hope to manifest–instead of visualizing the situation as your highest self (like Future You journaling), you are identifying who your highest self is, which is why this exercise is especially helpful for beginners. Who does your highest self surround herself with? What does her career look like? What does she wear? What’s her morning routine like? These are the questions that will help you paint a mental picture of the person you know you are capable of becoming.
Josie explains that highest self journaling can help you tap into a specific, easy-to-visualize version of yourself that you can carry throughout your life, showing up as that girl with each decision you make. It’s sort of like constantly asking WWBD (What Would Beyoncé Do) except instead of Beyoncé, it’s your own best possible version of yourself. As Josie says, this is one of the best ways to identify habits that will help you step into your highest self and dream life that you can implement as soon as you put down the pen.
