A Beginner's Guide To Actually Manifesting What You Want

As spiritual beings with free will, we are here to co-create our future with the universe. When we try to manifest something, we are attempting to align with the energy of that thing in order to bring it into our lives. You might want to manifest a way to make your community a better place for everyone, or a rewarding career where you can be of service.

We often put limits on what we think we are capable of. I heard a musician once say that he was nervous about being the lead vocalist on a song for his band's new album because that particular song was "out of his range"—pitched much higher than he normally sang. But when this musician got into the studio, he surprised himself. Not only could he sing that high (with practice and effort), his performance of this song became the album's hit single. Manifestation can help you discover that there are more possibilities for you than you ever imagined.

It can be very powerful to keep a journal in which you reflect on what you're hoping to manifest, especially if it's something big like a new home, job, or romantic partner. Keeping a journal will hold you accountable during the process, and being more engaged will net you better results. Manifestations can be marathons, or sprints! I would give yourself at least eight weeks of concentrated effort and journaling to see some kind of return on your manifestation investment. After eight weeks, you will know a lot more about what your highest good is in this situation and have a better idea of how to get there.

When you start to manifest, you're entering a co-creative process with a universe that is very much alive, listening, and responsive. Stay present and open to synchronicities or meaningful coincidences. It could be the universe starting to drop clues or breadcrumbs that will lead you toward your desired outcome. For example, your friend could recommend a book that describes what you're trying to manifest, or you could see words on a billboard that directly relate to it. To learn more about divine guidance and how it shows up in your life, check out my book Angel Intuition.

Whether you are working on this manifestation for three weeks, three months, or three years (larger manifestations like becoming a published author or building a business or starting a family can take years), get in the routine habit of checking in with your desired outcome. It's like when people took long sea voyages hundreds of years ago and would consult their map, the weather, their compass, and other navigational tools to make sure they were still on course. For your journey, you might pick a time each week to light a candle, put on some sacred music, and journal about your progress. Be sure to include any significant signs that came your way that week or any breakthrough ideas or realizations you experienced.

Be sure to regularly ask what you are learning on this manifestation journey and how it has changed you or your goal. Remember that life will always send you signs about what you most need to know now. You could have started a manifestation in the hopes of changing your career and received signs about improving your health and self-care. Consider that this might be the first thing you need to handle in order to have the energy and emotional balance to tackle career changes. Your intention will evolve. What you want and how you can best get there are all up for radical change on this journey.

We all know gratitude increases feelings of contentment, peace, and joy. There is an energetic component to manifestation, and feeling grateful for something small (your favorite morning drink and a smile from your regular barista) or something big (an exciting new career opportunity) will dramatically up your energy game. When we want something very badly that isn't in our lives yet, it's easy to feel overly frustrated, intense, negative, or desperate. Gratitude is a practice that promotes more balanced energy and emotions.

You cannot just manifest anything—there are rules to this game: Your personal destiny, current life circumstances, the state of the larger world, other people's free will, and divine timing all play a part in what you are able to manifest and when. Yet this is still a magical process that can yield things that surprise and delight you…sometimes even beyond your wildest dreams! Remember that simple laws of karma—cause and effect that are part of every aspect of earthly life—are still at play here.

Moving your manifestation dream along to fruition requires action steps, which sometimes involves taking healthy risks like trying new things or putting yourself out there to new people. There won't always be something to "do," so at times you just need to let your manifestation stew simmer on the burner for a bit. Check in with yourself regularly to make sure you are taking appropriate action steps and acting on any guidance you're receiving. Are your action steps producing results, or do you need to try a new approach?