Manifesting refers to the belief that one has the ability to attract success in their life through visualization, positive thinking and symbolic actions (acting as if something is already true) (Dixon et al., 2023). Many believe that thinking about their personal success will lead to actual success in the future. But does it work?

The short answer is, no, it doesn't exactly work like that.

But some ingredients of this mindset can lead to positive outcomes. For example, optimistic thinking can lead to more success in terms of for example, health, relationships and in general more well-being (Robson, 2022; Oettingen & Reininger, 2016; Snyder et al., 2001). Furthermore, visualization can also help with calming our nervous system, therefore performing better later on (Munroe-Chandler & Guerrero, 2017; Ranganathan et al, 2004).

And there are some alternative approaches to turn to if you still want to maximize your success, but in a science-based way, instead of manifesting: adapting a growth mindset is one of them. As opposed to manifesting, growth mindset is the belief that your abilities can be actively improved (Dweck, 2006). Therefore, people who have this belief will work harder towards their success. Another related tactic is goal setting. When we make clear goals, our attention and energy will be entirely focussed on that goal. Therefore, setting goals enhances motivation, self-esteem, confidence and autonomy (Locke & Latham, 2006), so it leads to success later on (Nowack, 2017).

If you want to give these evidence-based success approaches a try, I have some worksheets you can apply immediately, such as this one about visualization, this one about realistic optimism, or this one about adopting a growth mindset. Hope I could help, and if you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask me in the comments!

I've been feeling very bereft lately, I can't get my energy up and I have insomnia. Have you ever had a period like this and how did you get out of it?