The idea of ‘manifestation' is actually quite controversial in the field of psychology. The most common approaches to manifestation are the principles taught in "The Secret" and "The Law of Attraction". Simply put, these approaches suggest that we can manifest our thoughts into reality just by focusing on the things we want. They also say that all thoughts turn into things eventually. But if you've ever had a hope, dream, or goal that didn't work out, you know this is just too good to be true.
Still, maybe you wonder why some people seem to be able to manifest all their dreams while you’re still left wishing, wondering, and hoping.
Well, I have good news for you. Manifesting your dreams is indeed possible. It turns out that, according to the science, there are a ton of ways we can more easily reach our goals, manifest our dreams, and create the lives we want. In my new program, Manifest Your Dreams, I’ll teach you all about this science-based approach to manifestation. Here’s a sneak peek with some tips to help you get started.
Figuring Out What You Want
This is a question a surprising number of us ask ourselves. But if we don't know what we want, we can have a hard time setting or pursuing goals that would make us happy or improve our lives. We make moves, but they are the wrong ones. Or, we fear we’ll make the wrong move so we don’t make any moves at all. This gets us stuck. And that's why it's so important to figure out what we want by exploring our needs, values, and purpose.
Getting Clear on Your Goals
Our goals are often big and diffuse—'I want to be happier', 'I want to make more money', or 'I want to get married by the time I'm 30'. There is nothing wrong with these goals per se, except that they are so big and unclear that it’s hard to know which actions to take to achieve them. This is why successful manifestation requires getting crystal clear on your specific goals, making sure these goals actually matter to you, and breaking them down into achievable steps.
Believing in Yourself
Perhaps the most important part of manifesting your dreams is believing in yourself. If we have self-efficacy—or we believe in our own ability to do or achieve what we set our minds to—we work harder, persist longer, and achieve more (Schunk & Pajares, 2009). So if we’re struggling to manifest something in our lives, learning how to believe in ourselves can help a ton.
Shifting Your Mindset
Recent research has shown us that our mindset—or our attitudes and beliefs about different aspects of life—crucially affect our thoughts, behaviors, and experiences. With a growth mindset—or the belief that you can grow and improve—you not only try harder, you aim to learn new strategies and get feedback from others when you are stuck (Dweck, 2015). These are some of the reasons why a growth mindset can help us accomplish the things that matter to us.
Taking Action
Goals are just ideas until they are put into action. Luckily, there are strategies we can use to turn our goals into simple plans that we can more easily follow. For example, specifying where, when, and how to go about goal pursuit and creating if-then plans are tools we can use to facilitate action (Oettingen, Hönig, & Gollwitzer, 2000).
In Sum
You can manifest your dreams. All it takes is knowing the tools that work and how to implement them in your life. To get these tools and start bringing your dreams to life, check out our Manifest Your Dreams Program
References
Dweck, C. (2015). Carol Dweck revisits the growth mindset. Education Week, 35(5), 20-24.
Oettingen, G., Hönig, G., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2000). Effective self-regulation of goal attainment. International journal of educational research, 33(7-8), 705-732.
Schunk, D. H., & Pajares, F. (2009). Self-efficacy theory. Handbook of motivation at school, 35-53.
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