Here, we will discuss the benefits of journaling, offer some prompts to get you started, and provide ideas for journaling your way to your dreams.

Are you looking for a guide to help you start a practical, fun, and valuable journal? Then why not start with a manifestation journal? In a manifestation journal, you write down your thoughts, dreams, goals, plans, or other things you want to manifest. It can help you clarify your life goals and what to do to get there.

To start journaling for manifestation, you only need a notebook or journal and a general goal (no specifics are required). We will walk you through the steps to get your manifestation journal going. 

Step 1: Free-write

Starting a journal with freewriting can be helpful—we just let whatever comes to our heads flow onto the page. It can help you overcome the inertia of the blank page. If you are not sure what to write about, it may be helpful to clear out any thoughts or emotions that are distracting you. Consider sharing emotions and disclosing private things you have not told anyone (do not worry, no one gets to read this). Research suggests that sharing these deep feelings may help release them (Pennebaker, 1997). With that gunk out of the way, opening up space for your goals and dreams may be more accessible.

Step 2: Set SMART Goals

Although science is skeptical of the "Law of Attraction" approach to manifestation, research supports that setting ambitious goals may help us achieve more. To start, we can use a manifestation journal to clarify what goals to set. One method of this involves the SMART system (Lawlor, 2012). Check out the 'SMART' system below and use it to guide you as you write about your goals.

●       S - Specific

●       M - Meaningful

●       A - Achievable

●       R - Realistic

●       T - Trackable

Step 3: Find Meaning

Once you have your goals clear, you should spend more time thinking about the meaning behind your goals. To start, answer these questions in your journal:

●        Why is this goal meaningful to you?

●        What will achieve this goal give you?

●        How will you feel once you have achieved this goal? Will those feelings last?

●        Will achieving this goal help you achieve other important goals?

Could you try to reflect on why your goals are significant to you? We are more likely to stick to substantial goals.

Step 4: Believe in Yourself

A negative mindset or the failure to believe in ourselves can often block us from achieving what we want. We give ourselves a better chance to succeed by believing in ourselves, our capabilities, and our future.

In your journal, try to develop a growth mindset—the belief that your most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work (Dweck, 2015). When we develop a growth mindset, we put in more effort to improve our skills because we believe those efforts are worthwhile.

To build a growth mindset, write about times when you learned new things or built new skills in your manifestation journal. Write about how it went, the challenges you overcame, and how you eventually discovered something new. Reminding yourself of what you did in the past can help you gain the confidence to do it again.

​Step 5: Map Your Path Forward

Here are some more questions to ponder in your journal to help you find your path forward:

●        What are your short-term goals?

●        What are your long-term goals?

●        How will these short-term goals help you reach your long-term goals?

●        What good habits would you like to build in the next five years?

●        How can you set goals that support the person you are becoming, not the person you used to be?

●        What would you like to have accomplished by the end of your life?

●        How do you imagine the last years of your life?

●        What can you do now to get where you want to go?

In addition to reflecting on goals, write about yourself to clarify what you want, what you need, and what will make you happy. Here are some prompts that may help you gain more clarity:

 ●        I am happiest when I...

●        The positive changes I want to make in the world are...

●        I am successful at reaching goals when I...

●        I struggle with my goals when I...

●        I can overcome challenges by...

●        I believe in myself because I...

●        If I feel losing faith in my abilities, I will...

●        If I am feeling stressed on my journey, I will...

●        When I need a friend, I will reach out to…

These questions and prompts will help you gain clarity on goals, dreams, and what you want to manifest in your life.

References

●        ​​​​Lawlor, K. B. (2012). Intelligent goals: How the application of smart goals can contribute to the achievement of student learning outcomes. In Developments in business simulation and experiential learning: Proceedings of the annual ABSEL conference (Vol. 39).

●        Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). I am writing. Psychological science, 8(3), 162-166.​