Manifesting 101: How to Attract What You Want in Life

You're stuck in a job you dislike, aren't making as much money as you'd like, don't look the way you'd like, and haven't traveled to nearly as many places as you'd hoped you would be this age, dammit.

Thinking positively about your life is like a constant game of whack-a-mole, as negative thoughts keep popping up.

IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, at times.

Like when your boss happily announces a new team project. "Oh, yay!" 

You try to force yourself to put a more positive slant on the events in your life to mentally survive.

So you start focusing on your manifesting 101.

You start a gratitude journal and list all the blessings you have:

1. Job security, though I hate it.
2. Friends. Thank $#@* for friends.
3. My cat, Mr. Doodles.
4. Wine. And Happy Hours!

But sometimes trying to force yourself to feel good when you feel like your life has become a junkyard hull is like trying to spray-paint over a rusty patina.

Pointless, makeshift, and just a bit gaudy!

So how does manifestation work? Does this online manifesting 101 actually work? And how does one manifest things instantly? 

Well, the short answer is yes, manifestation does work! But it does not happen by applying positive thought band-aids!

There is a way of practicing manifestation that can call in what you desire and what you need. In this blog, I'll take you through the 3 simple practices I use to manifest the things I want in life.

If you are looking for ways to practice manifestation without having to join in fake positive cheering and gratitude diaries, keep reading!

Does Manifesting 101 Really Work?

Manifesting 101 DOES work but it is way more than simply positive thinking. In theory, thinking positively is a nice idea, but in reality, it's a masochistic mental gym class that never ends.

Those who believe that manifesting is all about positive thinking have a very crude understanding of the Law of Attraction, which, by the way, is 99% not even metaphysical. 

A legion of New Agers who can't articulate the practice with any useful guidance except to suggest vision boards, gratitude journals, and positive thinking are to thank for all the people who poo-poo the power of manifesting.

Manifesting 101 works.

Though science hasn't explained all of it yet--give it a few more decades to tackle that 1% crazy coincidence-level stuff-- there are enough of us who actively use and experience the benefits of manifesting to have created a large-scale spiritual movement around it.

What are the steps to manifesting 101

While the visual board activities and gratitude sessions are fun and useful, the real power of manifesting what you want in life has to begin with clarity, intention, and focus--things that are far easier to achieve than forcing thought band-aids on our brains.

Step 1: Look inward

It has to begin with looking inward at yourself to begin to know what you really want. You have to dig deep and keep digging.

It can be hard to look inward in the noisy world we live in. We are glued to our phones and laptops, scrolling through social media all day. We listen to podcasts while we are driving and watch Netflix while we swallow down our food mindlessly. We are consumed in a world where we try to make every second count - to the point of complete burnout.

Taking take to slow down and listen to ourselves can feel daunting, unproductive, and pointless. But this is the first step in reconnection with our intuition and getting manifestation right!

Once you know what it is you want, you must focus on that thing intensely and live each day with the intention of getting that thing.

Step 2: Create Opportunities

You must create the opportunities for it to come into your life, expect it, allow it, and look for signs that it's not far off.

You have to be consistent in your search for it.

Be HARDCORE about your desires! Nobody else will. Only YOU can make it happen.

Do you need to learn digital marketing to create a successful creative business? Or do you need to tune in and listen to your body more to understand what diet is right for you?

Maybe you crave a life of freedom or an alternative lifestyle. Well, there are steps you are going to have to take to achieve both of those things. You can't simply write it in your diary every morning and live in the status quo, hoping something is going to happen!

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein

Step 3: Focus and find clarity!

All that intentional thinking requires focus, of course, so you must work to keep your mind focused.

FOCUS is what will help you achieve the changes you desire, once you get clear on what it is you want to manifest.

And the skeleton key to developing mental focus is meditation. 

Sit for at least 20-minutes a day to practice calming down the noise in your head and listen to what you're really thinking in there. Practice deep breathing and relaxation. It should feel like a hot bath for your mind.

When you meditate daily, repeatedly think about what you want, and begin each day with the intention of achieving that thing, your chances of success skyrocket!

And, you'll become more open to the things you dislike in your life because your mind is hell-bent on having the better things you desire.

You'll become more creative, less anxious, you'll sleep better, and you'll even discover a delight in the things you must do, because you're living intentionally, like a woman on a mission!

Incidentally, you'll also start to feel....more positive!  

Positive thinking follows intentional living, but first, you must get clarity.

Manifesting is a practice, not the result

For those still wondering how to manifest what you desire instantly, the answer is simply: you cannot.

Manifesting is not something that you just write in your journal in the morning and find at your doorstep in the afternoon. That's not how manifestation works and any book, coach, or video that tells you otherwise is most likely BS-ing you. But with these tips, you can manifest faster.

Instead, enjoy the practice of manifestation, and get good at it. Once you've found your perfect manifestation practice, the results take care of themselves. You start seeing the small changes, and eventually, you start to see and feel the bigger things change too!

So, what is it you want in your life and what are you doing to manifest it?

Share your practices in the comments below!