Manifesting has had a serious glow-up. Once dismissed as wishful thinking or spiritual fluff, it’s now everywhere, from bestselling books to TikTok routines and podcast deep dives. But strip away the buzzwords, and manifesting is far more practical than it sounds.
At its core, manifesting is about how your beliefs shape your choices – and how those choices quietly shape your life. As modern manifestation teacher Roxie Nafousi puts it: you don’t attract what you want – you attract what you believe you’re worthy of. That idea alone explains why manifesting works for some people and feels frustratingly out of reach for others.
Even well-known names like Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande have spoken about mindset, intention and belief playing a role in their success – not instead of effort, but alongside it. So no, manifesting isn’t about sitting back and waiting for the universe to deliver. It’s about learning to think, speak and act in a way that makes change more likely.
What manifesting actually is (and isn’t)
Manifesting is not:
- Making a wish and doing nothing.
- Ignoring reality or pretending problems don’t exist.
- Trying to control other people or outcomes.
Manifesting is:
- Getting clear on what you want.
- Noticing the beliefs that might be blocking you.
- Aligning your thoughts, habits and decisions with your goals.
- Showing up differently, consistently.
In other words, it’s MINDSET + ACTION.
Step 1: Get clear – really clear
Vague goals create vague results. “I want to be happier” sounds nice, but what does that actually mean day to day? Ask yourself:
- What would feel different in my life?
- What would a good day look like?
- What would I be proud of myself for?
Clarity isn’t about perfection, it’s about direction. If you can picture it, you can move towards it.
Step 2: Visualise in a way that fits real life
Vision boards don’t need to be aesthetic masterpieces. A Pinterest board, phone wallpaper, or even a notes app list works just as well.
Try breaking your vision down into timeframes that feel realistic:
- The next 3–6 months
- The next year
- The bigger picture
Include not just things, but feelings: confidence, ease, stability, freedom. These emotional cues matter more than material detail.
Step 3: Rewire the way you talk to yourself
This is where most people get stuck…especially in the UK, where self-deprecation is practically a national sport. Your inner dialogue shapes your decisions. If your default thought is “that’s not for people like me” or “I’ll probably fail”, your brain will look for evidence to support it.
A simple reset:
- Swap “I can’t” for “I’m learning”.
- Change “if it works” to “when it works”.
- Replace “I’m bad at this” with “I’m improving”.
It might feel awkward at first but that’s perfectly normal. Confidence often follows action, not the other way around.
Step 4: Use gratitude as a grounding tool, not toxic positivity
Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine when it isn’t. It means recognising what is working alongside what you’re growing. Create a daily habit that actually sticks:
- Name three small things that didn’t drain you today.
- Notice moments of calm, relief or progress.
- Keep it honest and simple.
This trains your brain to spot possibility instead of lack, which naturally shifts how you show up.
Step 5: Live as if the change is already underway
Manifesting only works when behaviour changes. That might mean:
- Applying for the role instead of talking yourself out of it.
- Saying no where you used to over-extend.
- Taking one small step towards something you want.
You don’t need to leap — just move.
The truth about manifesting
Manifesting won’t fix everything overnight. But it will help you stop standing in your own way.
It’s not about controlling life. It’s about collaborating with it. And if nothing else, choosing a more supportive mindset costs nothing, and can quietly change everything.
So why not give it a try?
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