Is Manifestation Real? Everything You Need To Know About Manifesting Your Dream Life

Manifestation seems to be the word on everyone’s lips right now.

Just look at Instagram, where the hashtag has been used over 10.5 million times. On TikTok, the term has had a mind-blowing 42.6 billion views.

When a trend like this goes viral, I get sceptical. (Kinda like how I feel about supplements).

You can’t have this many people talking about a single topic without it getting blown way out of proportion.

Influencers claim that they “manifested” a new iPhone, although they just went to the store to buy one. While travel creators say that all they did to backpack across the world was “manifest” it. They seem to avoid going into the ins and outs of what it actually takes — confidence, budgeting, making money abroad and a heck of a lot of planning.

Because after all, manifestation sounds a lot easier and magical than all of that stuff, right?

The real meaning of manifestation is becoming so blurred that online, it’s being thrown around as the new “That is so fetch” tagline. (Mean Girls, 2004)

“Hey, Cute bag!”

“Thanks, I manifested it.”

It’s no wonder that people are so curious about manifesting and want to learn more. People literally want to believe that they can receive everything they want if they just visualise it and believe it enough.

And this is where my scepticism lies.

Manifestation is being sold as a new “success” strategy to make all your dreams come true.

But this unfortunately is bullshit. You can’t manifest your dreams unless “you pair desire with action.” (Erin Lowry)

As much as you want to, you can’t lie in your bed hoping that your dreams will one day come true. We don’t live in a fairytale.

Real manifestation requires a lot more effort from you than what is currently being portrayed online.

Here’s how to manifest your dreams in a way that actually works.

Manifestation (the TL;DR version)

Similar to the law of attraction, manifestation requires you to use “high-frequency vibration” to attract everything you want.

This basically means connecting your inner energy and emotions to your desires so that they come true.

As a practical person, I don’t align well with spiritual practices and will always choose reading in the morning over meditating.

But over the past few months, I have been acknowledging the importance of high vibration. (Okay, I still feel super cringe writing that word down, but I don’t know how else to describe it.)

What I’m trying to say is — you attract the energy you put out.

If you start to cultivate more self-belief and an abundant mindset, chances are you’ll start to receive opportunities that support this positive state of consciousness.

In November, I joined a group coaching program focusing partly on wealth consciousness. This involves aligning my thoughts and actions with wealth-building principles for financial success.

Along with reading a money mindset book for 20 minutes in the morning, I also reinforce self-belief and confidence by repeating a personalised affirmation out loud in the mirror 10 times every day.

This one simple affirmation has already started to have a significant impact on my overall success.

But I’m not an idiot. I know that “raising my vibration” will only take me so far.

And that’s the problem I have with manifestation. It often ignores the role of hard work. So, if you do plan on manifesting, I urge you to not forget the most essential part — taking action.

Manifestation is not a replacement for doing the work needed to reach your goals.

Repeat that again.

Is manifestation real?

In the words of Ryan Holiday and Joe Rogan, “You only hear from the people who are successful” in manifestation.

So, in part, yes, manifestation is real as there’s proof from others. Whether these people are actually credible and telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth is a different story.

Take Roxie Nafousi, for example. Dubbed the “manifesting queen” by Forbes, she’s built a personal brand on manifestation and published a series of books on the topic. The latter, which she claims she manifested.

As I’ve previously argued, Roxie was already in an extremely privileged position when she started manifesting. a.k.a. she knew people. She has a cohort of rich influential friends and was once in a relationship with Damien Hirst.

In her book, Roxie even mentions being friends with someone linked to a Penguin book agent, the publisher of Manifest.

This, to me, doesn’t scream manifestation. It shows that if you know the right people, anything can happen.

Since my blog began, I’ve been extremely clear about my thoughts on manifestation.

I quit my toxic 9 to 5 back in 2017, solo-travelled the world, grew this blog to 60,000 monthly readers and built my digital nomad lifestyle all without once turning to manifestation.

To be even more transparent, I didn’t even create my first vision board until December 2020. Three whole years after I went travelling the first time around.

So I know it’s 100% possible to create your dream life without needing to turn to yet another self-development hack or book to make it happen. Sure, it requires a lot of hard work, dedication and motivation, but that’s the fun part.

Wouldn’t you rather say to yourself, “Shit I built this life. I’m so damn powerful” rather than putting it all down to the universe. The universe has a big enough ego as it is.

5 steps to manifesting your dream life

If you’re done with the misleading version of manifestation, then let me introduce you to a more realistic version.

A version that actually works because it requires you to take action. (Sorry guys, these tips are only for the ambitious).

Here are the 5 things you need to do to manifest your dreams.

I encourage you to bookmark this blog post so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.

1 | Connect to your future self

I want you to imagine this for a second…

It’s 6 months from now, and you’re getting closer to your yearly goal(s).

• How do you see your ideal 6-month future self?
• How do you feel?
• How do you respond to challenges?
• What changes have you noticed in your day-to-day life?

It’s 12 months from now, and you’ve just hit your biggest yearly goal.

• How do you see your ideal 12-month future self?
• What emotions are coming up for you?
• How has reaching this goal impacted you?
• How has this goal benefited other areas of your life?

Getting clear on how you envision your ideal future self is part one of “manifesting” your dream life, as it helps you gain clarity. Whether you believe in manifestation or not, clarity is an essential part of any goal-setting process.

To gain a better understanding of your ideal future self, try this visualisation technique:

• Sit somewhere quiet
• Close your eyes
• Begin to visualise your future
• Be descriptive of how it looks and how you feel
• Pay close attention to the emotions and feelings that arise

If you are new to visualisation and unsure of where to start, use these journal prompts to help guide you.

Once you have a clear image of your desired outcome, write it all down in a letter addressed to your future self.

Use the first person so it feels even more tangible and real.

2 | Create a vision board

Once you’ve connected with your ideal future self and know what you want to achieve in life, that’s when the fun begins.

Turn your future self letter into a visual representation of what you desire. a.k.a. get creative!

This creative vision can take on any shape or form. One option (and my personal favourite) is to create a visual collage by gathering pictures and quotes that align with your vision. Flick through old magazines or scout out stock images online that resonate with your desires.

Piece everything together either using glue and plain A3 paper or design it digitally using Canva (my go-to medium).

Start with the larger images or cutouts and then layer your smaller images and inspiring words on top. Or, if you prefer a cleaner look, think about leaving gaps between each element.

It’s important to remember that your vision board isn’t just for manifesting.

Don’t sit back and just look at it or allow it to gather dust.

Your vision board is for taking aligned and intentional action, which leads us to the next step.

3 | Break your vision down into achievable goals

Although I have issues with the term manifestation itself, I personally don’t think visualisation is a waste of time. You need to have an unshakable vision to know where you are going in life.

My vision board acts as the roadmap towards a life I truly desire. It details what I want in a visual and aesthetic way so I can stay focused and motivated on my journey.

But I also understand that I can’t rely on this vision board alone.

I need to make it tangible to achieve.

I need to set goals.

So, if you want to turn your vision into actual reality, then the next step is to break it down into manageable goals.

Aim to write down 2-3 goals for each area of your life that you want to change, detailing how you will make this happen.

You’ll then want to break down these goals into even smaller actions so you can spread them across your day or week.

By breaking down your goals into tangible steps, you’ll feel more in control of your manifestation practice while also increasing the likelihood of making your dreams come true (because you’re no longer relying on the one thing that everyone claims will make it happen for you — the universe).

4 | Take daily action (also known as the most important step)

Let’s be real — it’s not enough to lie in your bed, manifesting your dreams in the hope that they will one day come true.

No one is coming, and you need to remember that.

Not even the universe! Yup, I said it

The universe has been around for trillions of years (maybe even longer), so what makes you think it’s looking out for you? No one is coming to save you, period.

You are the only one in control of making your dreams come true.

You are the only one who can put in the work to make it happen.

So if you want to manifest your dreams in a way that actually works, then take action every single day.

Here’s how:

• Figure out what changes you need to make
• Break these goals down into digestible steps
• Take aligned action every single day, no matter how big or small
• Adopt habits that align with the ideal version of yourself
• Celebrate your wins and stay motivated

5 | Work with a coach to keep you accountable

Okay, I know I’ve said time and time again that “manifesting” your dream life comes down to you and only you.

And it 100% does. But the truth is, you don’t need to do it alone.

Yes, I meant what I said — no one is coming to save you, and you need to be the one to put in the work. But what if you had someone to keep you accountable and cheer you on every step of the way? And what if that person were me?

I am here to help you take action.

I am here to hold you accountable for those actions.

I am here to motivate you even when things get tough.

I am here to cheer you on despite what everyone else in your life is thinking, saying or doing.

I am here to watch you create your dream life.

If you’re ready to ditch self-sabotage and become the best version of yourself without having to turn to manifestation and the “will it, won’t it happen” attitude, then book a blueprint call with me now

We’ll spend 90 minutes unpacking where you’re at, what’s feeling off, and what you actually want so you can move forward with clarity and confidence during this turning point in your life.

Final thoughts

I’m all for the anti-hustle and taking a slow approach to life, but I do need to draw a line.

I was listening to Britney’s “Work Bitch” the other day and I must admit, it resonated so much.

As the lyrics go…

“You want a hot body? You want a Bugatti?

You want a Maserati? You better work, bitch.

You want a Lamborghini? Sip martinis?

Look hot in a bikini? You better work, bitch.

Do you wanna live fancy? Live in a big mansion?

Party in France? You better work, bitch.”

And let’s face it, Britney’s right — nothing in this world comes for free. You need to work for it. Because, despite popular belief, things won’t magically find their way to you. You need to put in the work.

Sure, go ahead and visualise your dream life all you want. Manifest it from the rooftops. But don’t just sit there waiting for the universe to do its thing.

Take intentional and aligned action every single day towards your dream life.

You’ve got this,

Thalia xx