If you know anything about manifesting, it might sound too good to be true. Can you really get anything that you want by focusing your thoughts on it?
Manifesting involves aligning your thoughts, actions, beliefs, and emotions to produce specific vibrational energy. According to the Law of Attraction, things with a matching frequency will be drawn to you. So when you embody the idea that you’re going to attract a particular object or experience, you’ll get what you’re looking for.
It’s not always that easy, though. It’s hard to focus when we’re constantly bombarded with ideas about what we should believe from the media as well as our parents, friends, teachers, and leaders. Also, our egos often get in the way, making us think that we want certain things when the universe really has bigger plans for us.
In this article, we’ll tell you the steps for manifesting anything that you want in your life.
Recognize that Manifestation is Co-Creation
You are energy that has come to earth in human form. Your energy, which you might refer to as your soul or spirit, has no boundaries. Many people believe that their soul existed long before they appeared on earth, and it will continue to exist once their bodies have left.
Do you believe that your soul has a purpose? One of those purposes was to come to earth as a human and learn specific lessons. But your soul is intricately woven with the universe. It still co-creates with the energy of the universe. However, because you’re in human form, your mind and psyche can get in the way of your connection with the universe.
But your humanity has four components through which you process the energy of manifestation:
- The emotional body
- The physical body
- The mental body
- The spiritual body
When the energy of each of these bodies is aligned, the universe is much more likely to support you on your path. You have to free yourself of mental blocks and limiting beliefs. You must know how to process your emotions instead of choking them off. Finally, you must take action on the physical realm that parallels the energy that’s going through your mind and spirit.
Co-creating with the universe involves tuning into your higher self and leaving the ego, or “monkey mind,” behind. You must surrender and trust that Spirit will help you access what’s best for you and the universe. Sometimes, the things that you want aren’t the things that you get because they won’t help you reach your full potential.
You probably need to change your expectations to some degree if you want to be a great manifestor. We’ll provide tips for how to do that and get you ready to call in everything that you desire.
Step 1: Understand Exactly What You Want
Even if you think that you’ve never tried manifesting before, you have. You are always vibrating at a particular frequency based on your emotions, thoughts, beliefs, actions, and desires. Wouldn’t it be more helpful if you could better control the energy that you’re sending out? With awareness and observation, you can regulate your frequency so that you attract what you desire.
The problem is that you might not know what you want. Even if you can’t articulate your desires with words, your subconscious takes care of making sure that you’re satisfied. In fact, your subconscious mind runs your life. You need to be aware of what’s going on deep down if you want to manifest what you want.
Your subconscious is like a storage locker for your conscious mind. It tucks away the stories, memories, and traumas from your past. You might think that you’ve forgotten about a specific event, but your subconscious mind is likely holding onto it in some form.
Your experiences shape your current perceptions. For example, if you’ve always been hurt in relationships, you might approach intimate connections warily. You might believe that you want a partner who doesn’t hurt you.
However, if you have associated love with pain, your subconscious might be linking the two experiences. If you’re not aware of that, you might always seek out unhealthy relationships. Those feel like love to you. In this case, you might have a deep, unconscious desire to be hurt.
That sounds illogical. Who would want to experience pain in their lives? Your conscious mind tells you that you don’t.
But the brain is complex. It creates connections based on events that have happened in your life, and you can’t always consciously control how that happens. By denying the links that you’ve created, you aren’t truly looking at your authentic self. You can’t neglect your subconscious when you’re looking at your genuine desires.
How Can You Get Clear on Your Desires?
If you were buying a car, what would you tell the salesperson that you were looking for? Would you walk in and say, “I want a car?” If you did, what kind of options do you think the salesperson would offer you?
You would probably say something more along the lines of, “I would like a silver minivan with fewer than 50,000 miles for a price of $15,000 or less.” If you did that, what kinds of vehicles would you test drive that day?
When you state exactly what you want, you get exactly what you want. The same goes for manifesting. That’s why it’s so essential to have crystal-clear awareness of your desires.
It’s not so easy to pinpoint what you want, though. Society teaches us to think about what others need and ignore what we want. Over time, we stop tuning into our subconscious. We stop listening to ourselves. We look outward for advice, validation, and inspiration.
Sometimes, we need permission to access the part of ourselves that holds our deepest desires. We have to re-program the region of our brain that believes that it’s wrong to do so. Give yourself the go-ahead to take a look. It’s ok to be in touch with yourself.
One way to get clear on your desires is to write about them. Allow the writing to be automatic. Don’t worry about grammar or articulation. Just allow your thoughts to come out onto the paper.
You might write down what you want in the following areas:
- Intimate relationships
- Finances
- Life purpose/career
- Family
- Health
- Social
- Self-care
- Material Possessions
If that feels like too much, try just writing down some things that you’d like to manifest. Be specific. Use positive phrasing so that you focus on what you want and not on the things that you don’t want.
Don’t judge yourself. Allow yourself to dream big.
Sometimes, even the exercise above can be overwhelming for someone who isn’t used to tuning in to what they want. In that case, try doing this:
- Keep a journal and pen next to your nightstand.
- When you wake up, ask yourself what you want today.
- Write it down.
- Do this every day.
When you do this, you start telling your subconscious that you’re ready to listen. It might not feel easy at first. But with practice, you’ll start connecting with your true desires and stop being afraid of expressing them.
Step 2: Open Yourself Up to Allowing
Even if you know what you want, are you open to receiving it? Just as society conditions us to want to please others, it also teaches us that it’s better to give to receive. Therefore, many people have trouble accepting the abundance that’s all around them.
We might have deeply rooted beliefs that cause us to do things such as:
- Want financial abundance but block opportunities for strong financial growth because we believe that being wealthy is greedy.
- Ask for intimate love but push people away because we’ve been hurt and believe that anyone who gets close to us will leave us.
- Desire success but sabotage ourselves by not putting in our best efforts because we believe that big risks always lead to failure.
- Want to be a leader but believe that we’re not worthy enough of stepping into our power.
- Want visibility but believe that no one cares what we have to say, and we keep quiet.
All of these scenarios represent a way that we might block ourselves from receiving what we’re asking for. You might want to look inside yourself and be honest about the walls that you have up.
One thing that these examples have in common is fear. When we’re uncomfortable or anxious, we might prevent any energy that feels new from flowing into us.
What we know is comfortable for us. Therefore, if we’re familiar with a story of pain, loss, suffering, and lack of desire, those things make us feel safe even if they’re not healthy. The unknown, even if it’s a grand, blissful vision, activates our sympathetic nervous system, which triggers a fear response.
Therefore, we might put up barriers to block abundance and happiness from coming to us just because we’re not used to feeling that good. To manifest what you want, however, you have to pull those barricades down.
Some techniques to allow yourself to receive include:
- Look fear in the face
- Be abundantly generous to expand your capacity to receive generosity
- Affirming that you’re open to receiving
- Expressing gratitude for the things that you already have
- Demonstrating appreciation for the things that you’re manifesting (as though you already have them)
- Be aware when you’re receiving something, however small, and sending out gratitude for it
Step 3: Believe
You have to have some faith to manifest powerfully. That’s not because manifestation is magic. It’s because if you don’t believe, you’ll shift the frequency of your energy to a pattern that doesn’t match the object of your desire.
If a teenager asked their parents for a car but admitted that they didn’t feel ready to drive it, would the parents be likely to give it to the child? That adolescent might get driving lessons instead.
The universe does the same thing. If you ask for something but don’t believe that you’re ready to receive it, you might get another lesson that will get you closer to your destination.
To manifest more quickly, you have to be more aligned. And you have to believe.
You must believe in the vision that you see in your mind. Whatever you want already exists. It’s in your imagination. Just because that isn’t part of your physical reality doesn’t mean that it’s any less real.
Your dreams are a bundle of energy. But everything is a bundle of energy. Everything is perception. Your dreams are just as real as your view of reality.
Many people are taught to believe that this kind of thinking represents something impossible. Therefore, we stop ourselves from using our imaginations. We certainly stop believing that we can make our wishes come true.
Open yourself up to the power of your imagination again. Believe that your thoughts and emotions have influence. As you become more tuned into your subconscious by getting clear on what you want and connect with the universe by opening yourself to receive, the universe will send you messages through your imagination.
Your creative center is also a hub for intuition. Your imagination is responsible for helping you communicate with your higher self and the greater universe.
If you still don’t believe that you can manifest, make a list of the things that you’ve called into your life in the past. In this list, you can include coincidences and synchronicities that have opened up opportunities for you. Maybe you often find money on the ground, or someone calls when you think of them. These are great signs that you are already manifesting. (You have actually manifested your entire existence.
Have faith in what your intuition tells you. Even if you feel like you’re making something up, accept it as a sign from the universe. Believing in these signals shows Spirit that you’re listening and you’re ready to receive.
Some signs that manifestation is working include:
- Seeing what you want everywhere
- Hearing about your desire frequently
- Being in places where you can touch the object of your manifestation
- You feel more content than usual but don’t know why
- You see repeating numbers everywhere
- You sleep better
- You notice “coincidences,” or synchronicities, everywhere
Have faith that these signs mean that your manifestation is working. Relax, go about your life, and trust in the power of the universe and your energy.
Step 4: Ask for What You Want
Now that you’ve done some work to be receptive to the object of your desires, ask the universe for what you want. Some people skip this step when they’re manifesting. Of course, putting the energy out there without speaking it or writing it helps the universe know what you want. Spirit can “read your mind.”
But asking for what you want makes it clear in your head. Speaking or writing the words solidifies them in your neural pathways. It helps you focus on what you desire and raises your vibration even further.
Some ways to ask for what you want include:
- Making a vision board
- Writing it in your journal
- Creating a sigil, or symbol, that reflects what you want
- Meditating on your desire
- Visualization
- Writing a letter to the universe
- Scripting your visualization
The act of writing allows you to be incredibly specific. Don’t leave out essential elements.
On the other hand, you need to understand that the universe is going to give you what serves you. Let’s say that you believe that you need a specific job to be happy. You apply, but you don’t get it. Consider that it might not have been right for you or that you need to learn some other lessons before you get that position.
As you become more aligned, you’ll find that the universe begins to deliver the object of your desires with more accuracy.
Step 5: Take Action
Manifestation isn’t the lazy way of getting what you want. You still need to take decisive action toward your goals. Remember that your behavior contributes to your frequency. Therefore, if you’re acting in the same way that you’d act once you have what you want or take steps to get it, you’re aligning your energy with that of your desire.
Every time you cross something off of your to-do list, your brain releases dopamine. This feel-good chemical improves your mood and increases your motivation. It helps you stay on the road toward aligned manifestation.
As you keep accomplishing things, you boost your confidence. Taking action toward your goals helps you believe in yourself. This level of self-assurance improves your faith in your power to manifest.
Step 6: Trust the Process and Timing
In step 3, we asked you to believe and trust in the power of the universe. Now that you’ve put your manifestation out into the universe, you need to trust in the process. You have a great deal of control when it comes to working on your inner self and fine-tuning your vibration. However, you don’t have as much control over the outcome of your manifestation.
The universe gives you exactly what you need. Your ego might tell you that you need one thing when the actual object of your desire is something different.
There is a somewhat cliché love story that goes like this. You have a crush on someone and pine after them. You fixate on the specific person, and you obsess over having them. You’re not happy without them.
Meanwhile, you have a best friend who supports everything that you do. This person makes you feel confident and brilliant. You get along well, and your relationship is intimate and strong.
If you stay fixated on the crush, you might never see that you have everything that you want in your best friend. On the other hand, if you trust that the universe gives you what you need, you can drop your ego’s expectations and see that you have manifested your desires.
One way to encourage outcomes that match your expectations is to focus on the feeling that you want to achieve. If you’re looking for love, concentrate on the way your ideal partner will make you feel instead of obsessing about a specific person.
If you want monetary abundance, pay attention to the emotions that come up surrounding financial security. That’s what you’re going for. You might not end up with cash in hand, but someone might gift you an investment or provide you with the same kind of freedom in another way.
Step 7: Keep Your Vibration High
The universe is always supporting you. Look around at everything that you have now, and send out some gratitude for it. These are representations of things that you’ve already manifested.
Being appreciative raises your vibration. A high vibration attracts things with positive energy.
Showing gratitude also demonstrates that you’re open to receiving. You’re welcoming in the object of your manifestation instead of blocking it. Gratitude opens your heart, which allows you to manifest even more.
Does this mean that you have to be happy and positive all of the time? If we always had to be happy to get what we wanted, we would be in trouble. We’re human, and it’s normal to go through periods of depression and emotional slumps. A bad day won’t throw you off of your manifestation.
Have you ever felt pessimistic or down in the dumps? When we feel this way, we often judge ourselves harshly for it. We try to talk ourselves out of it. People tell us to think positively or perk up.
If you’re making yourself feel worse for the situation that you’re in, you’re allowing your vibration to drop. Accepting that you need this cycle of rest, isolation or turning inward can help you acknowledge this part of yourself without judgment. That’s all you need to do to keep your vibration high.
Live in your wholeness. Allow yourself to indulge in your darkest desires, even if they don’t feel productive or appropriate. Accept yourself for who you are.
How to Manifest Quickly
Manifestation doesn’t always happen overnight. You need to work on your inner world before you can align yourself with the outer world in a way that feels supported.
The following steps can help you get and stay aligned so that you manifest things more quickly, though.
Shift into Observer Mode
An observer is alert and nonjudgmental. When you’re in observer mode, you can watch your thoughts, emotions and experiences without getting sucked into the drama of it all. You don’t assess things as negative or positive. You just notice them as they are.
Doing this can help you communicate with your intuition. It will also help you recognize when you’re manifesting what you want.
Being in observer mode allows you to tune into your subconscious and connect the dots. It gives you a chance to notice that your manifestation is working even when the outcome isn’t what you expected it to be.
Quieting your mind helps you shift into this mode. Meditating creates space in your mind and allows you to watch your thoughts without allowing them to take control of you.
Set Intentions
In step 1, you got clear on your desires. Setting intentions solidifies your ability to really know what you want.
Intentions are different than desires. Desire is a longing for something that you don’t have. An intention is your plan for experiencing that desire. Intention shifts you into experiencing your desire in the present moment.
When you set intentions, you create your reality. You tell your subconscious mind, “This is where I’m putting my energy.” If you don’t set intentions, you are simply reacting to messages that your subconscious mind tells you. Establishing intentions gives your subconscious mind feedback. It shows your subconscious that you’re listening to the communication that you get from the universe and your higher self. It also confirms that you’re raising your vibration by taking action.
Act Like You Have It
Technically, the energy for the thing that you want already exists in the universe. If you’re imagining it, you already have it. Therefore, fake it till you make it.
Acting as though you already have the thing that you’re manifesting will raise your vibration. You can only experience things that are in sync with your frequency. Therefore, vibrate as though you’re already experiencing everything that you want, and it will come to you like magic.
Get Rid of Blockages and Obstacles
You may be a great manifestor, but you’re not getting what you want because something is standing in your way. Some obstacles to manifestation include:
- Negative or limiting beliefs – If you don’t believe that you can achieve something, you’ll have to work harder to manifest it.
- Toxic relationships – People who don’t believe in you or who expose you to negative energy can lower your vibration.
- Timing – Even if you’re trying to manifest things quickly, the universe delivers exactly what you need at the right moment. This can be tricky. Trust that Spirit has your best interests in mind and be patient.