"I think a lot of people get “manifestation” wrong. From vision boards to various methods gaining popularity across TikTok over the past couple of years, I love seeing manifestation go mainstream because it means we’re motivated to feel inspired and live the life we actually want instead of unintentionally existing, feeling like a victim of our own lives. However, many people believe that “manifestation” means making a wishlist of 1 million dollars and a dream home, as if you’re Cinderella and the universe is your fairy godmother. And because you want it (and make an aesthetic Pinterest board), you get it.
But manifestation is not magic or make-believe. It’s not wanting something and praying it comes true. Manifestation means using actions, emotions, beliefs, and habits to create your own reality. It’s mapping out your life and then taking action to achieve it. I am passionate about feeling in complete control of my life and helping other women feel the same, so I have done a lot of research, read a lot of books, and talked to many experts to understand what manifestation actually means and how we can use it to live more fulfilling lives. Over the past few years spent obsessing about this topic, I have developed a manifestation routine that has helped me get immensely clear on what I want out of my life and the action steps I need to take to get there. Read on for my micro-detailed manifestation routine and the practices I do on a yearly, monthly, and daily basis.
Yearly Life Mapping
First Annual Life Mapping: Designing Your Dream Life
Unsurprisingly, my first yearly “manifestation session” happens every new year. I like the energy of a fresh year, but you can do this exercise any time—you do not need to wait until January to start living your best life. Get out a pen and paper and map out your life; I think of this as a brainstorm to intentionally design my future, as well as make sure the way I’m living my life now is getting me closer to where I actually want to be. Here are the three steps:
- Because tapping into gratitude is so crucial for manifestation (and also because I don’t want to live my life only focusing on what’s next), first celebrate where you already are. Reflect on how far you’ve come in the previous year and what you love about your life now (it can be small things like the bedroom in your apartment or feeling more confident than in previous years).
- Then categorize every area of your life—health, finance, career, relationships, and home—and write out where you want to be in each of these categories one year from now (so this year reflect on what your life will be like in January 2026). I like to write in the present tense (like “I eat healthy foods” instead of “I will be eating healthy foods”) because I’m training my nervous system to live these experiences. Repeat this exercise for five years from now (so what your life will be like in January 2030) to keep the big picture top of mind.
- Once you “mapped out” what your best life looks like, make a list of three things per category that you can do throughout this current year to get closer to each of these goals. So, for example, in years past I wrote about wanting to be free of bad period symptoms, so I made a weekly plan to cycle sync, set up doctor appointments, etc. Or if your goal is to be at a certain financial point—you want to make $1,000 more each month by the end of the year, or you want to have a down payment on a house in three years—what are the money habits, spending plans, or side hustles you can start today to make that happen? You now not only have a clear idea of what you want out of life, but also concrete action steps to get closer to it.
Second Annual Life Mapping: Becoming Your Highest Self
I do the second yearly “manifestation session” on my birthday because I like to reflect and manifest as I turn a new age, but you can also use this as a halfway point throughout the year or whenever works best for you. This session is less goal-oriented and more about energy and mindset. While the New Year’s session is about what you will do or accomplish, this session is more about who you will be. Get out a pen and paper and follow these two prompts:
- Imagine you could have a conversation with yourself at a younger age, and you could tell that “younger you” about your life now. What would 6-year-old you think of the person you are now? What would 15-year-old you think about how life has turned out? What would your 20-year-old self be proud of or excited about? I find this exercise a crucial step (if not the most crucial step) in my manifestation routine because when we tap into emotions of abundance and gratitude, we bring more of that to us. It’s important to realize we have already manifested what our younger selves wanted.
- Journal about who you will be in this next year or age of your life. For example, on my 29th birthday, I journaled all the details about who this 29-year-old version of me would be: How am I going to talk to myself? How am I going to interact with my significant other? How am I going to show up to work? How will I be different than previous ages?
Weekly/Monthly Check-Ins
One of the biggest mistakes I see with manifestation—or even setting resolutions in general—is that people set all these goals, but as they go through daily life, they forget about their goals and stop showing up as the person they want to be. Arguably the most important part of any manifestation routine is what you do on a regular basis because it keeps the vision of what you want at the forefront of your mind so you’re actually living intentionally to get there.
Some months I know I need more motivation (or am feeling particularly inspired), so I do a manifestation journaling exercise every weekend, while other months I do a check-in only at the beginning of the month. But no matter the frequency, the purpose is to consistently stay connected to the goals I have for my life and who my highest self is. I have a few different prompts I go to to reconnect with what I am manifesting:
- “Future You” Journaling: Who is your highest self? What does her career look like? What does she wear? How does she eat? Where does she live? How does she speak to herself?
- “Highest Self” Journaling: If you have a first date, an interview, or even a family dinner you’re nervous about, journaling through a specific activity as your highest self (i.e., “I speak clearly and confidently,” “My boss is so impressed by my ideas…”) serves as a strategy session for how to think or act before big events.
- Planning out upcoming days or weeks: Journal through what you have going on at work, in your personal life, your workouts, etc., and go through them to see where you might need to restructure your time to do more to work toward your goals.
Daily Habits
While the annual and monthly journaling sessions can be incredibly powerful, I believe the actual manifesting comes from micro-actions and beliefs that make up our day-to-day. Self-esteem is your ceiling; you are only able to achieve what you believe you are capable and worthy of. So my main focus daily is to improve my self-esteem and what I believe I am capable of. I want to be in an active state of removing limiting beliefs and increasing my self-esteem, so I am more motivated and inspired to actively work toward my goals. Some daily practices that help me manifest daily:
- Turning on these guided activations while I’m getting ready in the mornings or before bed actively helps me improve what I believe I am capable of or visualize my goals (you can listen to the founder of Activations, Mimi Bouchard, on The Everygirl Podcast).
- Setting intentions every day, whether it’s prioritizing rest, limiting mindless scrolling to be more productive, or living the day for joy.
- Seeing discomfort or fear as a “green light” instead of a “red light.” I actively make myself do uncomfortable things—whether it’s putting myself out there at work or doing a more challenging workout—to get comfortable being uncomfortable instead of using discomfort or “not feeling ready” as an excuse to avoid taking the action I want to take.
- Romanticizing my life, so I am living as if I already have my dream life (playing a Nancy Meyers playlist, making an extra AF cacao latte, or working at a coffee shop). Click here for more ideas to romanticize your life this season.
- Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. When we feel grateful for what we have, we attract more of that to us. I try to actively feel in love with my life on a day-to-day basis.
Josie Santi, Senior Wellness Editor & Podcast Host
Josie has been an editor and writer for The Everygirl since 2017 and became a certified Holistic Health Coach in 2020. As the Senior Wellness Editor, she oversees, writes, and edits wellness content, as well as reports on wellness trends and interviews the industry’s leading experts. Listen to Josie on The Everygirl Podcast.
