How to Manifest a Goal

Source: Photo by Michael Dam on Unsplash

The idea of ‘manifestation' is actually 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.

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. And research suggests that these approaches can actually do us more harm than good, hurting our well-being in the long run (check out your current well-being with this well-being quiz).

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.

I have good news for you. Manifesting your dreams is indeed possible. According to science, there are a ton of ways we can more easily reach our goals, manifest our dreams, and create the lives we want.

Here are some tips to help you get started.

Figure 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, and we don’t make any moves at all. And then we are stuck.

That's why it's so important to figure out what you want. We can start by exploring our needs, values, and purpose. Once we figure out what themes come up, then we can more easily (and effectively) pursue the goals that will really make us happy. And isn't that what we're really looking for? Happiness?

Get Clear on Your Goals

Our goals are often big and diffuse. 'I want to be happier.' 'I want to make more money.' '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 what actions to take to achieve them.

This is why successful manifestation often requires getting crystal clear on your specific goals, making sure these goals actually matter to you, and breaking them down into achievable steps. Once we see how the small actions we can take each day lead to the life we desire, it doesn't feel so overwhelming to reach for our dreams and we're more likely to give it a go.

Believe 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). If we’re struggling to manifest something in our lives, learning how to believe in ourselves can help a ton.

Of course, if we've had low self-esteem for any amount of time, believing in ourselves can take some work. We need to shift the way we think about ourselves and our place in the world. We can do this with some cognitive exercises and visualizations that help us see ourselves in a more positive light.

Shift Your Mindset

Recent research has shown us that our mindsets—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, but you also 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.

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Take 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).

You can bring your dreams to life. All it takes is knowing the strategies that work and how to implement them in your life.