Manifesting 101: What Is It And How Can You Use It To Create Your Dream Life?

Manifestation. If your initial reaction when you hear this word is to eye roll then you don't know what we are talking about. What you don't realise is that you have been manifesting your life thus far and it is within your benefit to learn more to consciously create the world you want to see. 

But what actually is manifestation and can you really use it to attract all that you desire? It is NOT thinking hard about that house or new car that you desire and wishing it into reality. It is getting clear on your desires, aligning your actions and believing wholeheartedly that they are all possible. In order to manifest successfully you need to become the change you want to see. 

Manifestation: What is it?

Put in the most basic of terms, manifesting is the process of creating. It’s the magical moment when the thing you’ve been working on comes to life without resistance. Most people use the term to describe making their dreams a reality, and usually, it’s referring to the Law of Attraction too.

If you aren’t familiar, the Law Of Attraction is the belief that our thoughts and feelings create our reality. Evidence of this is all around us. We’re all part of one big energy field; you’re made of energy, the chair you’re sitting on right now is energy, and the things you’re focusing on are energy too.

When you focus on something over and over again – whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent, the Law of Attraction says you are attracting that thing to you, kinda like a paperclip to a magnet.

Author and manifestation expert Gabby Bernstein puts it like this: “Every thought you have is a message you send to the Universe. The Universe is always saying YES to your thoughts, energy, and emotions. Therefore, what you put out you will receive back—whether you want it or not.”

Manifesting misconceptions

If you’re new to the Law of Attraction you might be pretty excited to sit back and let the universe deliver everything you’ve ever wanted, but hold it right there. Manifesting is a co-creative process. That means you don’t just think about manifesting; you’ve got some work to do too.

To attract everything you’ve ever wanted you’ll need to work through some limiting beliefs that have been holding you back, actively embody the person you want to be, and – here’s the super important bit – take consistent action towards your goals. Your thoughts and feelings create your life, but action is the magic ingredient that makes it all happen.

Ready to start intentionally manifesting? Here’s how…

How To Manifest

Set your intentions

The first step to manifesting your dream life? Getting super honest with yourself about what you actually want. Sometimes it can feel scary to dream big but let yourself imagine that anything and everything is possible for you because guess what? It is! Believing this is key, you cannot manifest something if you don't believe it is possible. 

Once you’ve gotten crystal clear on what you want, commit those goals on paper. Go on, write it down and make it happen. This is your opportunity to open up The Head Plan Journal, get clear on what you really want, align your actions to your goals, and in turn manifest them into your life.

(Psst! This part is actually super important. When you write something down you’re asking the brain to pay attention. This process triggers the Reticular Activating System, the part of our brain that does all the filtering and organizing. It’s always on the lookout for new information and opportunities that relate to the thing you’ve written down and will seek out new ways for you to achieve your goal.) 

Tackle limiting beliefs

Your beliefs can block you and hold you back and you might find it more difficult to manifest without tackling them head-on. Have you always believed money is limited and difficult to come by? You’ll need to change that if you want to become a millionaire. Trying to attract your soulmate? That could prove tricky if deep down you don’t believe you’re worthy of love.

The great news is, you get to choose what you believe, and if you have beliefs that are no longer serving you, you have the power to change them. The first step is awareness. That means paying attention and getting to know what your limiting beliefs actually are. (Pro tip: they often start with ‘I can’t’ and ‘I’m not’.)

The next step is affirmations. Simply take that limiting belief and flip it on its head. Have you been telling yourself that money is limited and doesn’t grow on trees? Start telling yourself ‘Money is an unlimited resource and it’s always flowing to me’ and repeat it over and over (and over and over) again until it starts to feel true.

Want to make affirmations a consistent habit? Easy. Join The Head Plan community with our free app to receive an empowering affirmation sent straight to your phone every morning at 8am. 

Get into alignment

Embodying the person you want to become might sound like a stretch but it can be somewhat easy when you know how – and there are stacks of practices you can use to get into alignment quick fast, like practising gratitude, visualising your goals as though they have already been achieved, and scripting – kinda like a diary entering from the future.

One of our faves? Vision-boarding. Find images that represent your goals and make you feel excited about them. Then attach them to a vision board and pop it somewhere you’ll see it every day so you’re always reminded of your goals. Seeing your deepest desires on your board helps you to believe they are possible and are in your future. 

One of the most vital elements of manifesting though is aligning your actions to your goals. Ever heard the phrase teamwork makes the dream work? Manifesting is kinda the same: it takes two to bring your goals to reality - you and the Universe. Aligning your actions is one of the most powerful things you can do because it sends a message to the universe that you are ready to receive them. 

Let go

Now for the tricky part. You know all those goals you set? It’s time to let them go. We don’t mean to give up on them. No, letting go means trusting that they are possible and they are being delivered to you (much like an online order!). It means not obsessing, worrying or doubting that you can and will achieve your goals. And it also means letting go of the need to control how your goals happen.

Rhonda Byrne, the creator of the book and film The Secret, says to successfully manifest you need to “eliminate all doubt and replace it with the full expectation that you will receive what you are asking for.”

Struggling to let go and let it happen? Here’s a pro tip: When you feel doubt creeping in, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and visualize your goal in vivid detail. Really get into it until you feel your energy shift.

That high vibe bubble of excitement you feel when you picture your goals? Keep going back to it any time that controlling energy rears its head.

Start today…

No matter who you are and where you’re at in your life, you can decide this very second to turn your world around because the Law Of Attraction isn’t selective. It doesn’t pick and choose who it works for and who it doesn’t. Each and every one of us can manifest. In fact, you’ve manifested every single thing in your life so far, probably without even being aware of it.

If we could sum the whole manifestation process up in one sentence it would be this one that we’ve borrowed from mindset coach and best-selling personal development author Jack Canfield:

“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.” 

So, what are you waiting for? Everything you want is yours for the taking. Go and get it.