Hi, friends! It’s Elizabeth here, and I am so excited to share Episode 796 of Primal Potential with you today! Primal Potential is a podcast all about you — your ability to change is not defined by yesterday and doesn’t need to wait until tomorrow. Your transformation is now, no matter what stage you find yourself in life!
Today I want to talk to you about a very popular topic: journaling. You guys know that I’ve been journaling for a long time. I think it’s one of the most important daily practices we can implement. Journaling helps us create awareness, and self-awareness is essential to changing your habits and transforming your life!
But more recently, I’ve started bringing a new practice into my daily journaling — It’s called manifestation journaling, and I love it. I learned about this technique during my powerful interview with Rachel Luna on Episode 777 — which you should absolutely listen to! I actually love the practice so much that I’ve tweaked the identity journal I mail out to all my 12 Weeks to Transformation clients to include a manifestation section.
So today, I’m going to dig into manifestation journaling! I want to talk a little bit about what manifestation journaling is not — spoiler: it’s not about making things appear out of thin air. I want to get into why I think this kind of journaling works. And along the way, I want to give you guys some essential questions you can ask yourselves to implement this practice into your journaling routine. If you want to identify your desires and start exploring ways to bring them into reality, this episode is for you! Let’s dive in!
What Is Manifestation Journaling?
Before I get into any specific journaling techniques, I want to break down the term “manifestation journaling” and give it a solid definition. Or rather, I want to define what it’s not so that it’s easier to understand what it is.
First of all, let’s talk about journaling. I hear this all the time from my clients — journaling is hard! It’s challenging to consistently sit down with a pen and paper or an open document on your computer and write down your thoughts.
But I think the reason it’s so tricky is that most people aren’t defining journaling correctly. Journaling is not just keeping a diary. It’s not about writing, “Dear Diary, I had cereal for breakfast this morning.” Journaling is about intentionally exploring your goals and dreams and generating enthusiasm for those things. Journaling is simply the process of becoming aware of your thoughts, habits, and patterns by writing them down so you can bring new change and transformation to your life. What’s more exciting than that?
Now, let’s look at the word “manifestation.” I recently saw a comment on one of my Instagram stories from someone who said she hates the word manifestation because it seems like you’re pulling things out of thin air. Not true! While I think the word “manifestation” has been used that way in other contexts, that’s definitely not what I mean here.
When I talk about manifesting my dreams into your reality through journaling, I don’t mean that I make things suddenly appear. I’m not a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat! I know that I still have to put in the work to reach my goals. Instead, when I talk about “manifestation,” I’m talking about bringing something into reality by establishing expectations.
If you expect something to happen, it almost certainly will. If you expect yourself to get up in the morning, immediately scroll through your social media for an hour, roll downstairs, skip your workout, and eat donuts for breakfast, you probably will. But if you expect yourself to rise and shine early in the morning, get in a good workout, and then enjoy a healthy breakfast, you’ll be significantly more likely to do that instead!
That’s what manifestation is all about. It’s about creating new neural networks — to use the science-y term — in your brain. By that, I mean that you establish new expectations for yourself so that you will put in the work it takes to bring your dreams into reality.
And when I talk about this process in relation to journaling, I mean that you need to write those new expectations down. That’s the best way to build those new neural pathways in your mind! By writing down your goals, you establish the expectation that you can achieve them, and you start to manifest the things you want into your life!
So how does this whole thing work? How can you engage in this process of manifestation journaling to create new expectations for yourself and manifest changes in your life? Believe it or not, it’s actually a pretty simple process. If you can follow these three steps, you’re guaranteed to create new neural networks and set yourself up for greater success!
Step One: Get Clear On Your Desires
Many people get stuck on the idea of manifestation journaling because if they’re honest, they just don’t know what they want. If that sounds like you, I want you to know that it’s okay! You don’t have to know exactly what you’re trying to manifest to start practicing this kind of journaling!
The important thing is that you take the time to figure out what you want. Ask yourself: What do I desire in my career? What do I desire in my relationships? For my physical fitness? Personal choices? Pick any category and get started.
Once you’ve gotten those juices flowing and you’re thinking about what you want for your life, take it a step further — why do you want those things? Why do you want to transition to a new job? Why do you want to lose 20 pounds? Why do you want new friendships in your life? When you figure out why those things matter to you, you gain a clearer picture of the future you want for yourself.
And finally, you can ask yourself my favorite question: What does my ideal life look like? If everything were perfect, what would your life be like every day? Would you be a mom? Would you be running a company? Would you be sipping coconut juice on a beach somewhere? Allow yourself to dream and be creative — this step is about figuring out who you are and what desires you have at your core.
Step Two: Ask Yourself, “How Do I Need to Show Up Today?”
Once you’re absolutely clear on what it is that you want, you’re ready to move on to step two! This is when you start thinking about your actions. Ask yourself questions like, “What do I need to do to bring those things into my life? How do I need to show up for myself today?”
For example, say you’re up for a promotion at work. You really want this new job because the position is more in-line with your professional goals, the pay raise will help you live the lifestyle you want, and you’ll be able to work a more convenient schedule for you and your family. Ask yourself, “What do I need to do to get that promotion?”
How could you make yourself a more competitive candidate for the position? What initiative could you take at work? What conversation could you have with your boss? How can you show up for yourself and build the confidence you need to stand out as a leader?
Write down all your answers to those questions in your journal. Be as specific as you can be, and remember to be creative here too! Remember: by writing down the things you need to do to reach your ideal life, you begin to establish the expectation that you’ll follow through and take action to manifest your new reality.
Step Three: Practice Gratitude
Once you’ve discovered what you truly want and figured out what you need to do to get it, it is essential to practice gratitude for the process. Ask yourself, “What excites me most about my future?” When you’re thinking about how excited you are to be building your future the way you want it, you’re so much more likely to get up in the morning and start being productive and working toward your goals.
How can you demonstrate gratitude for the things you’re bringing into the world? What have you done already that deserves to be celebrated? And what are you thankful for as you make progress toward your ideal life?
When you bring an attitude and a mindset of gratitude and excitement into your work, you are much more likely to attack your action plan with enthusiasm — and that’s how you get results. I probably don’t have to tell you that when you’re feeling grumpy and tired and resentful, you don’t want to make healthy choices. You don’t want to workout. You don’t want to go the extra mile at your job. I know I’ve been there, and I also know that change does not happen when you’re in that place.
But when you’re practicing sincere gratitude and demonstrating thankfulness for who you are, where you are in your journey, and the opportunities you have to grow, you are willing and able to transform. You have the energy, enthusiasm, and drive to change your habits. And as we know, changing your habits changes your life! So make sure to include gratitude in your manifestation journaling practice every day.
Your Transformation Is Just Around the Corner
I hope this episode cleared up some misconceptions for you! Manifestation journaling isn’t about writing down whatever you want and then expecting it to show up magically. Manifestation journaling is about creating the expectation in your brain that the life you want is coming to you. It’s a method of creating new neural networks that will help you feel motivated to take positive action, transform your life, and demonstrate gratitude and excitement along the way.
If you want to start practicing manifestation journaling, remember these three key questions you can ask yourself:
- What specifically do I want to bring into my life?
- How do I need to show up for myself in order to have that life?
- How can I practice gratitude today?
If you remember those three questions and take a little time each day to write down your answers, you will start to see a change in your life. You will find yourself taking more positive action, and the life of your dreams will feel nearer than ever before. Your transformation is just around the corner, so start implementing this practice of meditation journaling today!
And if you’d like some extra support, a little more coaching, and accountability — I want you to get on the waitlist for our next 12 Weeks of Transformation! In this program, I work with people in a much more personal and structured way to create change. We tackle our excuses head-on and find the core values that will motivate you to take action. If you’re not sure what to do next, I encourage you to check out 12 Weeks to Transformation and get on that waitlist!
I’d also love to connect with you via text! I send out encouraging text messages with my daily mindset upgrades. I know they will encourage you and empower you on your journey!
Thanks, everyone! I’m so glad you chose to join me today. Now grab a pen and paper or a computer and start journaling! I can’t wait to see what you’re able to manifest into your life.
Elizabeth Benton