Productivity experts tell us that the power of positive thinking will lead to achieving our goals. The importance of manifesting cannot be understated. But though these words of encouragement are based on good intentions, there’s a difference between simply manifesting what we want without taking action and having a clear vision of your goal while also coming up with a plan.
Of course, we know that thinking about what we want isn’t the only step to achieving our goals. That said, our mindset around these goals is what shapes our thoughts and behaviours.
Reaching any dream or milestone begins with believing that we can achieve them in the first place. How can we manifest what we want without relying solely on positive thinking? Here are five methods to get you into the right headspace to act on and reach for your dreams:
1. Start with a Positive Mindset
A positive mindset means being more cheerful, steadfast, and open to what the world can give you. To gain this mindset naturally, be aware of when you’re angry, gloomy, and cynical. These negative emotions will show up physically via your facial expressions and body language. The same goes for when we’re optimistic and excited—during these times, we generally feel better and smile more.
Given this, do your best to establish and maintain a positive mindset that will help support your productivity and creativity. When the mind is at ease and happy, the rest will follow. But don’t force yourself to be cheerful if it’s not happening. Instead, try to strike a balance between your positive and negative feelings by not swinging one way or the other too often. And when you do decide to try being more upbeat and enthusiastic, make sure your emotions are authentic and not fake.
2. Incorporate Journalling into Your Habits
To achieve your goals, it’s key to understand why these are your goals before you do anything else. Journalling is a great way to do this, as this exercise lets you write down all your thoughts and worries about your dreams and aspirations in a safe and private space.
To get started, all you have to do is write down whatever comes to mind. Let the thoughts flow freely without judgement. Once you’ve written everything down, review what you’ve logged into your journal. You’ll find that each entry provides a clear and complete record of what you’re going through at any given moment.
Include gratitude entries in your journal. To do this, list all the things, events, and people you’re thankful for every day. Seeing how fortunate you are already can cultivate a positive mindset, as it makes you realise how blessed you are. At the same time, knowing your blessings helps clarify what you really want. With what you already have, what can you add or reach for to improve how you live?
3. Create a Vision Board
After putting your thoughts into words, you can further concretise your goals by creating a vision board. It means creating a collage of images to remind you of your goals. The idea is that looking at the board each day will inspire you to make your visions of the future a reality.
To get started, look for specific images that symbolise your dream job, vacation, home, or whatever your next goal may be. You can cut up magazines, and old books, or use any journalling paraphernalia you may already have at home. If you can’t quite find what you’re looking for, you can instead print and cut out any snapshots, screenshots, or royalty-free images you’ve got saved on your digital devices.
There’s no right or wrong way to create a vision board. The space is all yours to help visualise what you have in mind. Once created, hang the vision board up in your room to serve as a daily reminder of your goals. Putting these images up where you can easily see them also helps you better visualise and focus on what you want as you go about your daily routine.
4. Try Something New
Sticking to what you know and doing the same things you always do won’t help you manifest new events or stages in your life. Indeed, growth only happens when we step outside of our comfort zones. To get closer to your goals, you need to add something new to your life or step into unchartered territory. After all, you’ll never know what opportunities arise in trying something new unless you give it a shot.
It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up stability or security. Instead, you can try doing new activities that nudge you outside of your little bubble, such as enrolling in a class to learn a new skill or educating yourself about an unfamiliar topic.
5. Say and Repeat Positive Affirmations to Yourself
Many of us struggle with self-criticism and negative self-esteem. Unfortunately, allowing these thoughts to fester in our minds acts like self-sabotage. If we believe in these limiting beliefs, we’ll start thinking there’s no point in trying at all. And if we don’t try, we won’t get any closer to achieving our goals.
The good news is that it’s never too late to start turning things around by building your self-confidence. You don’t have to do anything extreme, either; you can start raising your self-esteem with simple acts like positive self-affirmations.
It may sound silly at first but telling yourself positive affirmations such as “I’ve got this,” “I will be successful,” and “I am worthy” every day can go a long way to increasing your confidence. That is because this exercise trains the mind to start getting used to thinking more positively about your capabilities. With each affirmation, you strengthen that self-belief and increase the chances of reaching your dreams. When you believe you’re capable, you’re better able to push yourself to take concrete steps towards achieving your goals.
6. Remind Yourself Regularly of Your Goals with a Numerology Method
To further reinforce the visualisation of your goals, try the 369-numerology method. This involves repeating your goals throughout the day using a very specific method based on a particular set of numbers. Whether you believe in numerology or not, repetition helps you touch base with your goals and purpose. The constant reminders will also shape and determine the direction of your actions.
The method itself is straightforward. Three times in the morning, write down what you want to manifest. Then, write your goal down six more times throughout the day. In the evening, write the goal down another nine times.
Remember: positive thinking isn’t the only ticket to success. However, not having the right mindset about your abilities will set you back quite a bit. If you feel you could use a little help, use these manifestation methods to boost your confidence and remind yourself that you can achieve these goals. Knowing you’re capable of success will positively impact your choices and influence the approaches you take. Before you know it, you’ll be much closer to your dreams than you ever imagined.
