These Manifestation Practices Have Worked Best For Me

When it comes to manifesting, there is no one-size-fits-all methodology. While some people swear by the 369 Manifestation Method, others recite affirmations. I have tried a wide range of things (I live in LA, after all!) — and have found a handful of manifestation methods that actually work for me... as well as a slew that don’t. I’ve manifested everything from jobs to relationships to you-name-it (more on this later). The sky’s the limit, really…

Liza Colpa, meditation and yoga teacher, says the universe can be a chaotic place, with beauty also being a part of this chaos. For example, you can manifest building a beautiful new home, yet you somehow end up working with a controlling interior designer with a great resume. “You did not manifest that person's attitude — that was simply something that happened,” she tells TZR in an email. “But what you can do is take your power to manifest, and use it as an opportunity to find a person, or ideas, that are more in alignment — and manifest growth and positive change.”

When the universe gives you lemons, we need to make magic with them, she explains. “Know that you are worthy of your dreams, and dare to go for them,” says Colpa. “It's the ‘going for them’ that matters most.” She says to keep in mind that manifesting is a journey, not just a destination of a desired outcome. It’s not an “overnight success,” but takes time.

Kathleen Cameron, life and manifestation coach, adds that manifestation is the act of becoming aware of something that is already there. “Most people ask, ‘How do I manifest?’ It is not about how, it is about, ‘Who do I need to be?’ It has more to do with how you see yourself, your beliefs, and your feelings about yourself and your life,” she tells TZR in an email. She says that if you want a different life, then you need to think, feel, and behave differently. “Manifestation is always working — we are always bringing something into the physical form through our thoughts. Most people are just manifesting their biggest fear, their worries about their business not growing, and their need for more money, which creates more ‘need for more money.’”

She notes that it’s not just about writing down what you want — like a relationship or new job — over and over again. “This does not change you,” she says. “The more you transform your beliefs, the more your life will change. That's why it is so important to learn the art and science of manifestation — not as a trendy thing, but as a new way of living.”

To Cameron’s point, I’ve tried many different manifestation methods — and here are the ones that have worked best for me.

Tony Robbins’ ‘Priming’ Exercise

Earlier this year, I did a virtual Tony Robbins seminar, Unleash the Power Within, and felt it was part life coaching, part therapy in four action-packed days. In it, he teaches you all about “priming,” wherein you practice some breathing and visualization/manifestation techniques to start off your day. There are a few steps involved and the whole process takes about 10 minutes. (I do it before even looking at my phone or emails.)

In a nutshell, first, you do a breathing exercise, then Robbins guides you to think of things you’re grateful for, then you visualize a light going through you and healing you (stay with me here!), then you send out positive energy to your loved ones. Finally, you think of goals you most want to achieve and feel as though you’ve already achieved them (like getting that raise or selling your memoir — you can visualize yourself at your book signing, for instance).

Positive Affirmations

Every month or so, I change the screensaver on my phone to a different positive affirmation. Since, like so many, I pick up my phone 1,001 times a day, this is an easy, subliminal way to get a certain “message” stuck in my head. I’ve had a lot of anxiety lately — moving stress, health issues, you name it — and anxiety loves to scare me into thinking up worst-case scenarios.

So my phone currently says, “I choose faith over fear.” By seeing this all the time, it snaps me out of my anxiety loops and back into a manifesting mindset to have faith — even when it’s difficult and all seems lost. (I even recently bought a “Faith Over Fear” bracelet too, which comes in handy when I don’t look at my phone.) Another month, I was focused on abundance, so my phone screensaver read, “I attract success wherever I go.”

Manifestation & Vision Board Apps

Although I do think there’s something to making a vision board and having it up on the wall for you to see all the time, there’s also something nice about having a vision board on your phone to take on the go. With Subliminal Vision Board, you can create multiple ones in various categories (travel, money, relationships, and so on) and add photos (either stock or personal ones) and positive affirmations.

And Mantra is what it sounds like — an app chock-full of daily affirmations. For example, you may see one that says, “Every day, I’m becoming more confident, powerful, and successful.” Or, “I have unlimited potential. Only good lies before me.” You then not only recite it (several times), but also really believe it. To me, it’s like a little dose of a therapy session. Although I try to look at it first thing in the morning and right before bed, I also look at it at random moments in the day if I need a mental boost.

Gratitude Lists

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that it’s easy to get weighed down by problems — not making enough money, feeling disappointed by a friend, and so on. But whenever I’m feeling sorry for myself, I turn to gratitude. So instead of focusing on the lack (lack of money, lack of a good friend), I focus on the money I do have or make and the good friends I do have in my life at the moment.

Arianna Huffington has been known to say you can think of three things to be grateful for while brushing your teeth. That way, it becomes a habit (that you do at least twice a day, right?). For me, I use an app called Gratitude and tend to type into it right before bed. It also gives prompts, like “What are the three things you’re grateful for today?” or “Write about someone who makes your life better.”

And I think the more I focus on positive thoughts — like what I’m grateful for — the more positivity I attract and manifest.

Manifesting-Themed Meditations

Another manifesting must-do is listening to various meditations on Insight Timer. Before I even get out of bed, I start the day with Liza Colpa’s “Meditation for Manifesting a Positive Day” — which is pretty self-explanatory — and end it with her “Gratitude Meditation to Release Anxiety in Times of Uncertainty” (which is a combo of gratitude and manifesting). I’ve also done Carrie Suwal’s “Law of Attraction: Manifest Your Dream Life,” which is a 30-day course that has you take actionable steps toward manifesting your goals and desires. It’s especially perfect if you’re new to manifesting.

Like I said before, with all the manifesting options out there, you really have to see what works best for you and go from there. It’s definitely important to have a “slow and steady wins the race” type of mentality. And once you start to see the results of what you’re manifesting, it’ll help keep you going. You’ll see.

How Manifesting Has ‘Worked’ For Me

So what, exactly, have I manifested? I feel it mainly encompasses so many little things day-to-day that it’s hard to keep track. For example, I really wanted to get my hair cut, but kept putting it off. On a day I had a doctor’s appointment, I added it to my Google calendar for 2 p.m. (after my meeting with my doctor): “Get a haircut.” I had no appointment, just that sentence and belief. At around 2 p.m., I exited the doctor’s office and walked about a block when a woman stopped me, asking if I’d be interested in being a hair model at her Beverly Hills salon — she needed someone with long straight hair. This was clearly a sign, nay, a manifestation. (Apparently, the universe thought I needed a haircut, too!)

A bigger example is when I moved back to Chicago in 2015 when my grandmother (my best friend) had gotten sick. I’d been between jobs and had just started as a part-time writer at a digital publication, but only for 12 hours a week. How would I be able to afford to stay in Chicago? But I had to find a way, so I manifested work. I literally looked up at the universe and asked for more opportunities. This became all I thought about. Low and behold, I secured two more ongoing writing jobs — within the month — and my hours with my digital publisher increased, too.

So, in conclusion, I think if you believe it, truly believe it, it’ll happen. But believing is the key ingredient. Happy manifesting.