How to Manifest Anything in 8 Steps

Manifesting is only hard when we get in our own way. Once I learned about manifesting, I realized I had been doing it for a long time but finally had a label to attach to what I was doing. There’s more than one way to manifest, but understanding these steps will give you the foundational knowledge to build upon later. I’ve manifested some big dreams of mine (including moving abroad twice and getting married in my dream location) and I want to help you manifest yours! Let’s get into it.

1. Desire

Manifesting begins with a desire. You might already have an idea of what it is you want, or maybe you’re unsure. Either way, self-reflection is a crucial tool that’s going to help you get crystal clear about what you want. After all, you can’t get what you want if you don’t know what you want. Grab a pen and paper and have a mindful moment while you tune into your heart space. You can even meditate if you feel called to. Ask yourself what you want and list out what comes to mind. It can be anything, from a material item to a goal you want to achieve to a promotion at work to a vacation. This is your starting point. From here, make each point as specific as possible. For example, if you want to manifest the love of your life, what qualities are you looking for in this person? You may write something like: The love of my life is someone who is kind, loyal, respectful, loving, and has the same values as me. If you want to manifest making more money, be specific about the exact number you want to see in your bank account.

Next, you want to be clear about the underlying feeling this desire gives you. The why is just as important as the what (maybe even more important). Running with the previous examples, maybe you feel loved and seen with the love of your life. Maybe you feel successful, secure, and free when you think about your desire to make more money. We’ll get into this later, but it’s the driving force of your underlying emotions towards your desire that magnetize your manifestation into your reality. The more specific you are, the easier it is to manifest because you have a clear idea of what you want and the driving force of why you want it.

Tip 1: It’s much easier to manifest something you truly desire rather than a want that’s fleeting. It’s harder to manifest something you don’t really care about, and you may be surprised to find that you may not really desire some things you thought you really wanted.

Tip 2: You might find it easier to focus on manifesting one desire at a time but there’s certainly nothing from stopping you from aiming for more. As long as you follow the steps for each manifestation, the sky’s the limit.

2. Visualize

Now that you know specifically what you desire, it’s time to start visualizing. If you read my blog post Navigating Change, I touched on visualization there. This is my favourite step because it’s the part where you get to immerse yourself in a movie of living with your desire. Like the first step, be as specific as possible. What do you look like? What are you wearing? Where are you? What are the sounds and smells? Who else is with you? This is where you get to have lots of fun. I like to play out different scenarios and see where they go. The most important part of visualizing is not just seeing it but feeling it. How does it feel to be living your life having received this manifestation? This is where you want to bring those underlying emotions we identified in the previous step. Feel the feeling of being successful. Feel the feeling of being excited. Feel the feeling of being loved. Let it fill you completely and radiate out of you. Feel it as if it’s happening right now.

Tip 1: Visualize consistently to stay in the vibration of your desire. It should never feel like a chore though. It’s more powerful to do it a handful of times but be fully immersed in the experience (mind, body, and soul) rather than doing it everyday but not being able to feel it.

Tip 2: Create a vision board using curated images that reflect what you want to manifest. You can print them out and glue or pin them to a board or use it as your computer’s desktop background. It should be in a place where you see it everyday so it gives you the visual cue of being aligned with your manifestation.

3. Sync Thoughts with Emotions

You have your desire, you’ve seen and felt it play out in your visualizations, and now it’s time to sync your thoughts. Thoughts and emotions make up our unique frequency (thoughts are electric, emotions are magnetic, and together they create our electromagnetic field). If you’re feeling one way but your thoughts are saying something else (or vice versa), it sends a mixed signal. So if you’re wanting a specific promotion at work, and you’re feeling confident, capable, and intelligent while you’re visualizing it, then your thoughts need to be in line with those feelings. Thinking things like I’m never going to get that promotion or I’m not good enough for that role are going to give a mixed signal. Focus on your desire, not on what you don’t want to happen. Instead, affirm to yourself: I’m the perfect person for that role. I’m going to get that promotion.

Tip: I love using affirmations and you may find them useful too. You can say them to yourself while you get ready or commute to work, write them in your daily journal, or post sticky notes around your house as a reminder to stay aligned with your desire.

4. Address Limiting Beliefs

While you’re aligning your thoughts and emotions to your desire, it’s normal for doubts or resistance to come up. You may feel insecure, afraid, unworthy, or have imposter syndrome. You may feel like you’ll never make it or that there’s no point in trying. Whatever it is that comes up, it’s important not to push it away or ignore it. I like to see it as the Universe showing me what’s in my way of receiving my manifestation. Working through these blocks is ultimately what’s going to help you receive your manifestation. It’s easy to dream and say affirmations, but most people don’t want to do the inner work because it’s uncomfortable. Trust me, I get it. But if your underlying belief system is one that holds you back in some way from pursuing your dreams, it’s going to be a lot harder trying to make it happen.

Tip: Journal or talk to a therapist about the things that come up. Lean in with curiosity about where that limiting belief comes from and see what it’s trying to teach you. Often times it’s another part of ourselves (like our ego or inner child) that is trying to protect us. Hear them out and hold space for the emotions that come up. Establish beliefs that resonate with you and are for your highest good; ones that will help you and not hinder you.

5. Align with Actions

It’s time to follow through with aligned action. Think about the version of you who is already living the life you’re desiring and visualizing. What does that version of you do? For example, if you’re trying to manifest a fitness goal, maybe that version of you exercises regularly and cooks healthy meals. Or if you’re an artist, that version of you may spend time everyday working on your craft. Consistently show up and take action in ways that you know will get you a step closer to your manifestation. Not everything will just fall into our lap with daydreams and positive thinking. We need the physical action behind it too. Don’t forget that rest is also important. Don’t neglect your well-being in pursuit of your manifestation. It’s better to pace yourself than push ahead and burn out before you reach the end.

Tip: Create time in your calendar or have an accountability buddy who can check in on your progress. Make a daily or weekly to-do list to keep you on organized and on track.

6. Express gratitude

You wouldn’t accept a gift without saying thank you, would you? Of course not! By expressing gratitude now, you’re putting yourself in the vibration of already having received it. Gratitude and love are two of the highest vibrations we can be in— and an elevated vibration attracts to it things of a higher vibration (remember, as electromagnetic beings we’re always attracting things of the same frequency we hold).

Tip: If you find it challenging, start small by listing three things you’re grateful for everyday (even if it’s the same three things for a while). It doesn’t have to be related to what you’re trying to manifest. When I first started this exercise years ago, my go-to’s we’re expressing gratitude for: my morning coffee, going for my daily walk, and having a nice warm shower. At that time, those were three daily things I could rely on that always made me feel good no matter what else was going on.

7. Surrender

Surrendering can be so easy and so hard at the same time. It doesn’t mean giving up; it means letting go of resistance and allowing things to take their natural course. You’re doing your part, and now it’s time to let the Universe do its part— which involves letting go of two things: when and how. I know that we spent time visualizing specific scenarios but the truth is that we have a limited vision of what we think we can experience or achieve. The Universe has the highest perspective and knows the best way to orchestrate what you want. Don’t get too caught up in it being delivered in a specific way because you may not recognize it when it’s on your doorstep. If you’re expecting an opportunity to only come by email, you’ll miss opportunities that come by a phone call, a message on social media, or a “chance” encounter with someone in public (nothing is by chance). Surrendering means being open. It means, I may have visualized manifesting this in this way, but I’m open to receiving it in whatever way the Universe knows is best for me.

Letting go of a timeline is hard, and it’s something I personally struggle with a lot. When you want something, you want it now and it’s hard not to get frustrated and disappointed when something doesn’t happen within a certain timeframe. But like the how, the Universe knows the best timing. Everything happens within divine timing. We don’t know the whole scope of what needs to be orchestrated in order for us to receive our manifestations. Some things just take time. But know that when it does happen, it was the best timing. The Universe wouldn’t withhold your manifestation to make you suffer. A lot of the times, after the fact, it becomes clear why it happened in the timing it did. For example, you may really want to be a singer, a global sensation, and you’re working on your first album. You wouldn’t want to have an opportunity come your way before you’re finished writing your songs because you wouldn’t have a portfolio to show or something to perform. You may want it now, but sometimes we know that we actually have a lot of work to complete before our time comes.

Tip: Surrendering is often not a “one and done” thing. Sometimes you have to surrender the same thing over and over again. That can feel frustrating, and it’s okay (surrender that frustration too!) Sometimes we can’t let go all at once, and need to do it bit by bit. Be patient with yourself in the process.

8. Repeat!

No matter how long it takes, hold your vision and tune into how it makes you feel. Align your thoughts to vibrate at a high and clear frequency and follow through with actions that will take you closer to your goal. Be kind to yourself as doubts, frustrations, and insecurities arise and remind yourself that you have limitless potential and you can do anything as long as you don’t give up. Trust that all the effort you’re putting in is worth it and working, because it is. Energy doesn’t lie, and when your actions back it up, it’s a recipe for great success. And remember that just because you can’t see it yet doesn’t mean it isn’t on it’s way to you.

Happy manifesting!