How to manifest your health and wellness goals

Manifestation is often perceived as a ‘woo woo’ concept, thanks to its popularity across social media, leading many to doubt its integrity. However, it is actually rooted in logic and reason. In this article, we’ll explore how creating a manifestation board can help you to achieve your health and wellness goals.

What is manifestation?

Manifestation involves being conscious of your thoughts and actions, ensuring they align with the life you want to create for yourself. For manifestation to be successful, it’s crucial that our goals reflect our most sincere desires – what truly excites and impassions us, rather than what we think others expect or want from us.

Connecting with a goal that deeply resonates with us is key because we need drive and mental strength to maintain consistency. When we’re trying to manifest something, our motivation will face challenges, making it essential to clarify what we dearly want – not what our mum, best friend, or partner wants for us.

Creating a manifestation board

A manifestation board can help you identify your ultimate goals and the mini-goals necessary to achieve them.

For example:

• Ultimate goal: A habit, feeling, or circumstance that you aspire to manifest into existence.
• Mini-goal: An immediate, actionable step that propels you forward on your journey toward achieving your ultimate goal.

Create a manifestation board, compiling photos that showcase what you want to invite into your life. For instance, if you want to adopt a healthier diet rich in fruits and vegetables, include images that represent this ultimate goal. 

Once you’re happy with your manifestation board, formulate one to three manageable, mini-goals, to complement each photo/ultimate goal. For example, if you have a photo that represents the ultimate goal of developing deeper friendships, a corresponding mini-goal could be reaching out to a person from your yoga class and asking them to join you for coffee. This action will bring you closer to that meaningful friendship. 

It’s important that your mini-goals feel within reach, and that you can accomplish them relatively quickly. The idea is to write out and focus on a new mini-goal once you’ve achieved one, continually moving forward until you’ve reached your ultimate goal. However, it’s important to be gentle with yourself and allow for days of rest! As the timeless saying goes, “Small and steady wins the race.”

While your manifestation list may be long, it’s wise to prioritise one aspiration at a time so you avoid getting overwhelmed, and subsequently demotivated. Try pondering what’s most important to you and gently direct your focus toward that singular pursuit until you either reach your ultimate goal or feel motivated and capable enough to take on more.

How does manifestation work?

See, believe in, and act upon your power

You can make your aspirations come true; your achievements thus far are a testament to you. They happened because you made them happen. Your strong friendships, expertise, knowledge, passions, interests, and inner strength all exist because you cultivated them. 

Acknowledging your power

Being aware of the power you possess is an integral step if you want to manifest more goodness into your life. You must acknowledge the say you have in your story and celebrate the small wins along the way.

If you don’t believe in yourself or in your ability to create a fruitful life for yourself, you want to address the self-limiting mindset. You can change your frame of mind. You can go looking for opportunities, for positivity, for things to be grateful for, and follow new pathways rather than staying stagnant in the reality you currently exist in. If you want more for yourself, you need to recognise that more is possible.

Embracing a growth mindset

Every day, life extends an olive branch, offering us the chance to invite more beauty into our lives and we can take it! When we shift our mindsets from what we can’t do, to what we can do, we consciously notice what is possible and let go of what seems impossible – we can accomplish so much! 

It’s perfectly normal to feel down, upset, or worried now and then. We can’t expect to think good things all the time, and punishing ourselves for experiencing negative emotions will only exacerbate mental unrest. It’s good to feel, reflect, and express the painful emotions. We shouldn’t pretend they don’t exist. However, it’s also good to keep our eyes open to the wonderful possibilities showing up all around us. 

A bad moment doesn’t need to ruin our entire day; unexpected opportunities can emerge, and by seizing them, we can transform our days. For example, we might be upset because it’s raining outside and we planned to go for a walk during our lunch break. We may prolong this misery by sitting and complaining about how good we could feel if the sun was out. Or we could take a moment to glance around our surroundings and find something else to lift our spirits. Maybe there’s an umbrella conveniently placed by the door, offering us a chance to venture out despite the rain. 

Alternatively, we might find solace in journaling, allowing us to release our thoughts and emotions for mental clarity. Or, we could finally start the book we got for Christmas! There’s always a path out of the darkness, we just need to choose to walk towards the light.

Rather than compulsively focusing on everything awful, consciously decide to notice everything great. When you find yourself thinking you can’t do something, remember there’s always something you can do instead. You simply need to see the opportunity in front of you and take it!

Neuroplasticity is working in your favour

Neuroplasticity is made up of “neuro”, which refers to the nerve cells that make up our brains, and “plasticity”, which refers to the brain’s malleability. Humans can form new neural pathways through repetitive thought and action. By directing our attention consistently, we can slowly reshape how we think and, therefore, how we behave.

Our brains are adapting all the time. Our mindset is not permanently fixed one way. If we decide to change a pattern of behaviour, for example waking up at 6am to meditate before work instead of sleeping until the last minute, it may be difficult to begin with. However, with consistent effort, our brains adjust to this new normal. Eventually, a new neural pathway is established and we find it becomes easy to wake up early and get into that meditative state. 

Neuroplasticity enables us to manifest. As we push ourselves outside of our comfort zones and work towards our goals, our new behaviours over time become automatic habits. Our brains adapt to support our new way of being and this better positions us to manifest our goals.

You can only have one thought at a time – if you’re focusing on what you can do, you can’t simultaneously be worrying about what you can’t do. So, when your mind is clouded by demotivating doubt, gently shift your awareness to everything you are fortunate to have access to. Break free from limiting beliefs and unlock a world of possibility.

It’s important to understand that you are not likely to witness change overnight when you set out on your manifestation journey, nor are you going to reach this idyllic destination where your life looks and feels perfect. There will always be lessons to learn, and goals to aspire to. This is the beauty of living – consistent improvement and growth gives us purpose and meaning. Keep in mind that manifestation is a life practice, not a quick fix.