"Manifestation is a buzzword you can’t ignore. From TikTok to Ariana Grande bops, it seems like everyone is talking about manifestation these days. Perhaps you’ve even tried viral techniques or daily habits to turn your dreams into reality. But manifesting is more complicated than just making a wish and expecting it to come true. The practice of manifestation takes an understanding of both yourself and the law of attraction, which suggests that the energy you put into the world is what you get back. It’s not just about wanting; it’s intentionally spending your energy, time, and habits to get what you want.
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However, we tend to get in our own way with negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, or bad habits. But with the right mindset and intentionally building new habits, you can achieve your goals through manifestation, whether it be for love, career, health, or personal expansion.
I talked to two manifestation coaches about easy, daily habits you can build into your daily routine to access your power and potential, and this is what they had to say:
1. Replace negative thoughts
You likely have an inner critic that loves to tell you all the reasons why you can’t do something. After all, the mind is programmed to help you stay in your comfort zone to keep you safe, but that inner critic can make you act in victim mode—where you let life happen to you and not for you. “We all know what we don’t want, and we spend a lot of mental energy thinking about potential negative outcomes,” explained Alex Freitas, a mindset and manifestation coach and the creator of The Mirror Series. “But what you focus on magnifies, and therefore, a great habit to build is awareness of your thoughts that you’re giving energy to, so that you’re magnetizing what you truly want, as opposed to what you don’t.”
Have daily check-ins with yourself: notice how you’re feeling, what you need, and how you can choose differently when negative thoughts take over. Identify a thought that would better serve you, be more positive, or be more in line with what you want to happen, and then “replace” the negative thought with that one. It may help to jot these down in a journal or note on your phone so you can see recurring patterns and work through any blockages. “Eventually, you re-wire your subconscious mind to the elevated thought pattern, and you start thinking the positive reframe on autopilot because it’s your new way of being,” Freitas said.
2. Meditate
Meditation (in whatever form you choose) can be a great way to get out of your head and into your body where your gut feelings live. “Meditation is an integral part of successful manifesting because it helps you quiet the thinking mind and tune into the guidance of your heart and intuition,” suggested Juliette Kristine, a manifestation coach and intuitive healer. “With the law of attraction, you need to meet the universe halfway and take some action towards your goals. Meditation makes it easy to determine what actions you need to take and when.”
From guided meditations on apps to walking meditations, it’s easier than ever to find something that feels good to you, and with that, you can start to bring your truest desires into your consciousness by connecting your mind and body.
3. Pick (and repeat) an affirmation
By challenging limiting beliefs or blockages, affirmations can help you make the necessary mindset shifts you need for successful manifesting. “Your subconscious mind and beliefs play a big part in what is showing up in your reality,” Kristine explained. “If you believe that you aren’t successful, your subconscious mind will naturally look for more evidence to support this belief, so it makes it difficult for you to manifest success. Affirmations can help you transform your beliefs and skyrocket your manifesting.”
There are all kinds of ways to work with affirmations and cement these positive beliefs about yourself. You can write them down in a journal, say them aloud or in your head, or hang them up in a place where you can see them frequently. If you need an idea of where to start, check out our list of 50 positive affirmations, or start repeating what you want as if you already have it (“I have a fulfilling career,” “I am worthy and deserving of love,” “I am energized and happy every day,” etc.).
4. Use visualization
Visualizing yourself achieving a goal can help you get clear on what you want, connect to your purpose, and embody your highest state. For example, if you want to quit your 9-5 and run your own business, visualize making your first sale or helping clients solve a problem. Or if you have a fitness goal, imagine how you feel after working out for a specific number of days. “When you imagine the scenario you’re manifesting, you start to feel the way you would feel if you’d already manifested it,” Kristine said. “This helps you to vibrate at the correct frequency to attract what you want.”
Freitas warned that a common objection to this daily habit is not wanting to set up for disappointment, but by expecting next-level results in the future, you’re able to show up in a higher way in the present, ensuring that your action will lead to a greater opportunity. “If one specific goal doesn’t work out, another exactly like it, if not better, is on its way to you because you’re holding yourself to a higher standard and showing up more confidently,” Freitas explained. “It’s about knowing what you want, but being flexible with how it comes to you so that your dreams manifest how they were meant to.”
5. Start a journaling practice
Having a clear sense of self is a golden ticket for manifestation—understanding how your current habits and beliefs are manifesting can help you attract what you identify with and identify how you might be sabotaging opportunities that you want to stop. Journaling is a great tool for exploring who you are, and there are many ways to use it as a manifestation tool. For example, if you want to manifest more friends, make a list of all the qualities you’re looking for in ideal friendships. Then make another list of how you can meet people like the ones you described, so you pair your energy with action.
Kristine recommended journaling practices like scripting, where you write your desires in great detail as if they’ve already happened, or the 3-6-9 technique, where you write your desires three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon, and nine times at night. Not into writing? Try vision boarding, where you gather pictures, quotes, or affirmations of everything you want to embody. “Vision boards help anchor your goals on a daily basis and are a great option for people who find it difficult to visualize their desires as they can simply look at them instead,” Kristine suggested.
6. Take one small action step every day
While it’s great to think big picture about your goals, it’s just as important to think about the little steps you can take each day to bring you closer to what you want. In fact, developing this habit can help you visualize your goals more clearly. “The best way to move through any blockages such as anxiety, doubt, and lack of self-worth, is by asking yourself every day ‘what can I do today that will move the needle towards my goals?’” Freitas recommended. “Taking the action might feel uncomfortable at first because it’s outside of your comfort zone, but taking higher-level actions is key to getting higher-level results.” In other words, come up with daily habits that are specific to your goals. If you want a healthier body, a more successful career, or a happier relationship, what daily habits will get you there?
7. Practice gratitude
The daily habits that get you closer to your future goals are important, but you also need to focus on what reasons you have to be happy now. “Practicing gratitude helps shift your focus from a lack mentality to one of appreciation, which naturally leads to you attracting better circumstances in your life,” Kristine said. Take a pause to notice the little things around you that fill you with joy, such as warm sunshine on your skin or the people in your life who love you. Also, try gratitude journaling, or make it a habit to think of what you’re grateful for first thing in the morning or right before bed.
8. Remind yourself to let go
By getting too attached to an outcome, you can end up hindering yourself from new possibilities or limiting yourself from what you are meant to have. “One of the practices I teach my students is to think about the end goal, or what your desire will give you when you have it,” Kristine said. “For example, if you desire to manifest love, perhaps the end goal is a feeling of connection. If you start looking for ways to bring more connection into your life now, you will naturally start to let go of any attachment you have around manifesting love, and this will help you to manifest it quicker (because you are surrendered).” Surrendering can be tricky when you desire something dearly, but think of it this way: when you surrender, you are letting go of the fear that you will not get what you want, and instead, believe that what’s meant for you will find you.