Manifesting our dreams is supposed to be a fun way to help us grow. By visualizing our desired outcomes and taking inspired action to get there, we can turn a humdrum existence into a life filled with joy and ease. Yes, there will be challenges along the way, but manifesting is meant to give us a sense of aliveness. If it feels like backbreaking labor filled with struggle, doubt, and worry, it might be time to look at ways to make it fun again. By doing so, you might discover that you’ve been stuck in survival mode and it’s time for you to thrive.
Here are five ways to make manifesting more fun.
- Take the survival energy out of manifesting
Manifesting often becomes stressful when we get stuck in survival mode. You know you’re in survival mode when you get emotionally triggered often and struggle to feel safe and secure. You have a stress response that gets stuck in the “on” position and don’t have a reliable way to turn it off. This can look like the following stress responses:
- Fight: frustration, anger, irritability, criticism, self-criticism, pushing and forcing outcomes you want
- Flight: anxiety, worry, restlessness, overworking, overexercising, overefforting or trying too hard, chasing people and things you want
- Freeze: procrastination, avoidance, feel numb, lethargy, brain fog, hopelessness, helplessness, unable to take action toward goals
- Fawn: people-pleasing, overfocusing on others, over-helping, neglecting your own desires and goals
To take the survival energy out of manifesting, we have to become aware that we’re triggered and stuck in a stress response. Once we recognize that we’re in survival mode, we can use strategies to regulate our nervous system. This can include basic stress management tools such as exercise, deep breathing, meditation, talking to a supportive friend, giving ourselves compassion, and taking very small actions to get out of a rut.
- Give your inner child all the love and support it needs
When we’re triggered around goals, it’s often because a younger part of ourselves doesn’t feel safe. It’s important to turn inward and give these wounded, younger versions of ourselves the love and care they still yearn for. This can look like noticing that you feel anxious about whether you’ll achieve a goal and taking a few moments to step back and see that it’s just one part of you that’s afraid. Once you locate the part, you can validate its feelings (you don’t have to agree with the feelings, just let the part know that it makes sense) and provide soothing, support, and reassurance. This process is called reparenting. Do this often enough and your inner child will know that it can count on you to be its secure adult figure when it feels scared. This ensures that your adult self, rather than a younger part of you, is in the driver’s seat when it comes to goals.
- Find role models and running buddies
Manifesting is much easier when we have role models who show us that what we want is possible. In psychology, this is called the Bannister effect—after Roger Bannister, the first to run a mile in under four minutes and an inspiration to many others who immediately did the same. To find role models, get creative and make a list of people who started out just like you and have achieved the things you’re trying to manifest. To make manifesting even easier, join a group of people who are working on the same goals as you. If you can’t find one, consider starting a group!
- Dream bigger and celebrate small manifestations
Sometimes our dreams feel out of reach not because they’re unachievable, but because we struggle to believe in their possibility. If this is the case for you, try a paradoxical approach: ask for more. For example, visualize choosing between two great job offers instead of one. Once you do, you’ll suddenly feel like your original goal isn’t so big after all. And when your desires do manifest, be sure to celebrate every little success along the way.
- Be more spontaneous
Always, always leave room for the unexpected when manifesting. You can have your vision—and make it as wildly satisfying and successful as possible—but remember that life’s greatest treasures are often the moments you couldn’t have orchestrated. Being open to these moments becomes easier when you work on healing so you can feel safe enough to be playful and spontaneous. It is in these unguarded, unplanned moments that new possibilities often find you, and this wink from the Universe offers you a glimpse into something magical, and yes, maybe even eternal.
By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to feeling better about the process of manifesting your goals. After all, manifesting is much more fun when we’re motivated by curiosity and joy, not survival. Try them whenever manifesting feels like a struggle and you need supportive guidance to get back on track. And, of course, keep in mind that taking care of your basic physical and emotional needs builds a healthy foundation for manifesting in a self-compassionate and sustainable way.
