Here’s my approach to manifestation journal ideas…
There are a lot of people wondering, “How does manifestation work?”, and there’s a lot of wild advice out there about how to manifest something. I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, and near the beginning of a new year seemed like a good time to do it…though honestly, it’s always a good time to start dreaming big again.
For beginners, I should explain that “manifestation” means using your imagination to make something you desire into reality. People who’ve written about the “law of attraction” in recent decades have popularized the idea, but the idea is nothing new.
I’m not going to pretend that manifestation magically works overnight or that you can summon up any amount of easy money fast. In my personal experience, though, manifestation can work, and I think one of the reasons for this isn’t metaphysical in the least. It just has to do with how the brain works.
Creative visualization makes something easier to achieve. This is why many professional athletes visualize peak performances and victories on a regular basis. And psychological studies, such as one conducted by Richard Wiseman, have shown that people who believe themselves to be lucky are actually luckier…because they notice opportunities that slide right by other people.
When you engage in creative visualization of something you want and you believe you it can happen, that creates cognitive dissonance in your brain. Your thoughts don’t match the present reality, and your brain doesn’t like that, so your subconscious kicks into overdrive, trying to figure out how to make it so. But you have to visualize it repeatedly and have a pattern of believing thoughts before it creates that dissonance.
Of course, it’s very hard to get something when you’re convinced it’s almost impossible. That’s just common sense. When you believe success is possible…or even inevitable…you are much more likely to succeed.
That’s how to manifest something, in my experience (and more likely than not, it won’t manifest exactly the way you thought it would.)
Manifestation Journal Prompts
A great technique for manifestation for beginners—and for anyone who enjoys writing—is to use journaling for visualization and positive thoughts. You can really change your thought patterns about something by writing it down. Here are three manifestation journal examples you can try!
Write a prayer or meditation of gratitude about something…as if you’ve already received it.
This is a great way to imagine what it will feel like to get the thing you want to manifest…which will help your brain realize it’s possible.
Write a few paragraphs about how you deserve the thing you want.
Lots of us have mental blocks that keep us from things we want. Maybe we feel guilty for wanting them…after all, shouldn’t we be grateful for what we have already? (As it turns out, we can be deeply grateful and still dream of more. They aren’t in the least bit contradictory!) Maybe we feel like we’re not really smart enough or talented enough to achieve something. Or maybe we really want something, but also feel like wanting it is shallow…so we’re conflicted. Some of us grew up hearing messages about how we didn’t deserve things or we shouldn’t dream big, and some of us somehow talked ourselves into this point of view later. Writing a few paragraphs about why we deserve something can break through those mental blocks.
Write out a sentence about what you want to manifest…ten times. Repeat.
This doesn’t take as much creativity as the two examples above, yet it’s very powerful in terms of changing your mindset. It’s a way to sort of mildly brainwash yourself—in a positive way—into knowing that good things are possible.
Write a sentence about manifesting the thing you want. Again, use the present tense. Include your feelings about it. For instance, if you want a cute, kind-hearted girlfriend, you might write this ten times:
I am so happy to be dating a cute, kind-hearted girlfriend.
If you’re an aspiring actor, you might write:
I’m thrilled to be making a decent living from my acting.
I hope this all gives you some good inspiration for how to manifest by writing. Again, almost nothing happens overnight, and very few things happen without you working for them—but I bet you already knew that! But changing your thinking can dramatically change your life.
If you enjoyed this, I hope you’ll check out my gratitude, self-discovery, and manifestation journal, The Book of Dreams Come True. I’ve gotten great feedback on it from a preteen girl, a woman in her late 80s, and many people in between.
Have you ever manifested something by writing it down? Do you think this is all nonsense? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful week!
Related Posts
Hi Bryn, I totally believe in manifestation. In the New Testament book of Mark, chapter 11:24, Jesus said, “…I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Janie, I almost quoted that here! Right after I wrote “the idea is nothing new.” 🙂 Exactly.
I think it is very true that manifestation works, or as I call it, deliberate optimism. People who look forward to things and are optimistic tend to have better outcomes in their lives. However, I do understand that in the current climate, it is challenging for so many who are barely getting by. Worrying is probably more the flavour of this pandemic. If you are struggling, then perhaps visualizing change is all the more important.
I love the phrase “deliberate optimism,” Naomi. It’s true that in these times, it’s been incredibly challenging to keep a positive mindset, and I haven’t always. Honestly, whenever I write a post like this, I’m usually addressing myself! Positive thinking has helped me out of depression in the past, and I like to remind myself of it again when the going gets rough. 🙂 2021 is off to a good start, though! I hope it’s a great year for you!
I believe manifestation comes through faith and prayer, plain and simple.
Bonnie, I believe in those things, too! I try not to get too much into faith on the blog, so I focused on the psychological aspects. But yes, absolutely. I hope your 2021 is off to a great start!
This is a great post. I read a book a while back by Dr. Don Green, who was a former Army Ranger and a Sports Psychologist, as well as an instructor at Juilliard. It was called Fight Your Fear and Win (not sure if it’s still in print). The book talked about ways he used affirmations and visualizations to get people who had suffered a traumatic failure (Olympians who messed up a dive and couldn’t get back on the diving board, CNN correspondents who developed panic attacks after on-air flubs) as well as people who needed to be at the top of their game all the time (like the San Deigo Police SWAT team). He would teach them about visualizing them achieving their goal and developing affirmations that primed their brains to subconsciously help them work towards their aims. Thanks for the reminder and the insight on how this all works and I’ll be applying these skills. Plus, I’m loving your Dreams Come True book and have made its prompts a consistent part of my personal journal entries.
Hi Chris! That book is still in print, and it looks like just my kind of thing—I’m putting it on my TBR pile. Thanks for the rec! It’s so interesting—even a much smaller failure can really get to a person if they don’t fight it.
I am SO glad you like the journal! And I hope you have a fantastic 2021.
This is great! I have argued for a scientific reason behind this “asking the universe” stuff to people who say it’s just a superstition.
I hypothesize this is an evolutionary process from when we were hunters and gatherers, and our brain had to be on the lookout for prey blending into the landscape.
Subconsciously, by being on the lookout, their brains had to be interpreting information and patterns to differentiate that rabbit or root.
This is akin to getting a new car and seeing the same model everywhere. Being excited about your new car makes you notice that model among others in traffic.
And the same goes for success. Teaching your brain to be excited about said patterns helps you seize your chances.
Hi Miguel! Oh, my gosh…this is really brilliant thinking. I never considered that there might be a really primal reason why life rewards optimism. I love it. (I’ve had that exact experience re: new cars, too. 🙂 ) Thanks so much for commenting!
A timely reminder for the new year! Thanks, Bryn 😉
Thanks for reading, Paula! Happy New Year!
Thanks for the great reminder, Bryn! Manifestation techniques are something I always promise myself I’ll work on more often…and then I forget. 🙂 I firmly believe this works, but you’re right: it doesn’t happen over night, and sometimes it happens in ways you least expect. I’ve got two huge examples in my life (among many smaller ones) of near-magical manifestation. The first is meeting my husband: I’d ended a two-year relationship with my boyfriend because I knew he wasn’t “The One”, and I was randomly dating and getting frustrated for about a year. I absolutely knew the person I was searching for…looks, habits, even age… Then one crazy, random day, I was playing an online game (this was back in 2001), and I wound up in a group with a guy from Australia who’d eventually come visit me in the States, propose to me, and whisk me away to a new life Down Under. Kinda funny because I’ve always adored the Persephone/Hades myth, and my marriage kinda turned out that way. The second manifestation is living in Tasmania: we lived near Brisbane when I moved to Australia, but the second I saw pictures of Tassie, my heart screamed to move there. We lived, worked, had kids…thirteen years, and sometimes it felt like we’d never get out. Then we said, “Enough!” A couple wanted to buy our property and business, we jumped at the chance, and now we’re living in Tassie in a place our whole family loves.
So, yes…it can take a lot of “dreaming” and hard work, but manifestation absolutely works!!
Lisa, oh my gosh. Your love story is amazing. And I *love* the fact that you were always drawn to the Persephone/Hades myth. Talk about fate! (I’ve been obsessed for at least two years now with this Persephone pendant on Etsy…I may get it someday. 🙂 https://www.etsy.com/listing/130542678/pomegranate-silver-and-bronze-garnet?ref=shop_home_active_11&frs=1&sca=1)
I’m always so interested in your life in Tasmania. Your life has never been boring!
OMG, that is such a beautiful pendant! And with the garnet seeds…well, something new for my vision board. 🙂
I believe manifestation works. You have to believe it, want it, work for it, and more to make it happen.
I used to have a thankless, hard job where I worked in a tiny cubicle and didn’t get paid nearly enough for the avalanche of work I was responsible for. I used to day dream about someone coming along, recognizing my worth, and offering me a job I would love, where I’d have my own office and get paid a decent salary…I daydreamed HARD about this. lol. Then after a few months, I got a call from someone I’d worked along side at a previous place of employment. He asked if I had time to come chat with him. Turns out, his current assistant was moving away. He asked me if I’d be interested in the job. I’d get my own huge office with windows and about $7K more a year in salary to start, and wouldn’t be chained to my desk… It was literally a (day)dream come true. 🙂
Uh…not sure why all of that italicized. lol.
I’m so glad you mentioned the mental blocks. Most of the time I measure my current stamina (or rather my exhaustion) up against what I want and then “right-size” my dreams or I feel guilty for wanting something more. Thanks for the tools to focus on what I really want.
Thanks so much for sharing. Manifestation is such a powerful tool!
“Hi Bryn
Thanks for sharing that – the world of manifestation is so big and wonderful and when we’re just starting out we get a little confused on how to go about it. But you gave practical tips and I thank you for that.