Want your dream life? Just ask the universe! Create your Manifestation List
A manifestation ritual is all about positive reinforcement - proclamations and visualisations of your dreams so they can come true. It’s kind of like when you are looking for a new car - once you’ve settled on it, you then see it EVERYWHERE. My question to you is: do you have a manifesting ritual of your own? If you do, well done you fabulous thing, if not, well I am so glad that you are here! Let’s get you one.
My First Manifestation List
Six years ago, I was house-sitting one of my best friend’s glorious homes with my partner and baby. Inspired by the beauty around me, I decided to try something new. While my daughter napped, I sat down and created a dream list of what I wanted my life to look like. At the time, we were living in a tiny rented flat (once part of an old boat club), I was on maternity leave, and I was caught up in the hustle of pre-Covid life.
I still have that list, folded neatly in a drawer. And every time I look at it, I’m stunned by how much has manifested: our dream home by the beach, my own thriving business, mornings walking the pug along golden sand, and a career built around candles, meditation, and meaningful collaborations. That list didn’t just stay on the page. So much of it became my reality, and this process became a passion.
Why Manifestation Works
Manifestation is not magical, wishful thinking and hoping. It’s about aligning your subconscious beliefs, behaviour, and self-worth with your true desires. You cannot simply visualise yourself in a big house and wait for it to appear. You must believe you are worthy of it, and then act from that worth.
I like to think of the subconscious as the architect of your life: it doesn’t build from fleeting thoughts, but from your deepest beliefs about what you deserve. This is why self-love, self-development, and authenticity are inseparable from successful manifestation.
I have spoken a lot about rituals and this is where I want to show you how to create true rituals that will lead you closer to the life that you want. The very first step and my first question for you is, what do you really want? Top tip, grab a candle, new notebook and a pen that you love and get dreaming!! I also am rather partial to a music that gets me in the flow.
How to Create Your Manifestation List
Step 1: Awareness
Before anything else, get clear. I want you to think about which area of life you want to focus on? Is it your career, relationships, home, wellbeing, hobbies? We are going to start with just one (you can go back for each and every other area) but starting with one aspect at a time will make your manifestation list powerful rather than overwhelming.
Action: Write down the life area you want to manifest in. Nothing more. Just think about one area of your life that you want to focus on. Don’t worry, you can do this for every area of your life, we are just going to start with one at a time.
Step 2: The “Not” List
Thinking about everything that you might want can cause a feeling of overwhelm (or even blankness!). Sometimes, starting with things that you know that you DON’T want is easier to start with. Everything that hasn’t worked for you is a treasure trove of information, grist for the mill if you like. By naming what you don’t want, you get clarity on the things you do want.
Action: In your journal, list everything about this area of life that hasn’t felt right or aligned. Jobs that drained you, relationship patterns you don’t want to repeat, environments that never felt like home. Then, think about the opposites. These are the first clues for your manifestation list.
Step 3: The “This or That” Exercise
Determining what you want can feel daunting - but choices become easier when put side by side.
Action: Ask yourself quick “this or that” questions. Go with your first instinct:
Do I want to live in the city or by the sea?
Would I prefer a small, creative company or a large corporate career?
Is my dream partner adventurous or steady?
Would I rather travel often or nest deeply?
These simple contrasts help your authentic preferences rise to the surface.
Step 4: Create Your Happiness List
This is where you gather all that gorgeous raw material for what lights you up. The Happiness List is not simply the opposite of the “Not List”. No, this is a conscious scan of where joy and energy are already flowing in your life.
Action:
Think about the people, places, and activities that leave you feeling joyful.
Look at your social media feed: what do you post, share, or save most often?
Notice what you talk about endlessly to friends, or what you can’t stop reading about.
Recall the days you went to bed smiling, what made them different?
Collect these into a list. These aren’t maybes, they are hard yes’s. They are the fingerprints of your authentic desires.
Step 5: Craft Your List
First, Learn the Rules of Manifestation
Before you put pen to paper, there are a few guiding principles to make your list powerful and authentic:
Be Realistic
Focus on what feels achievable in the next 6–12 months.Unrealistic: Becoming the global CEO of a Fortune 500 company overnight.
Realistic: Securing a new role that stretches you, pays fairly, and brings you closer to the leadership path you’re envisioning.
No Manifesting for Others
Your list is not a popularity contest. It must be about you and your desires, not what others may think is cool.No One-of-a-Kinds
You probably can’t manifest a month-long sabbatical in Tuscany when you’ve just started a new job and have no annual leave saved. But manifesting a long weekend retreat somewhere local and restorative, giving you a taste of the life you want while keeping momentum with your commitments, may feel a lot closer. Focus on the essence, not the exact model.Release Strict Deadlines
Keep a 6 -12 month window, but stay open. Desperation shuts doors; trust that timing will unfold naturally.Always Use Pen and Paper
Handwriting activates deep, established neural pathways, helping you access subconscious beliefs and truths more effectively than typing ever could.
What Goes on Your List
When you craft your manifestation list, you’re not jotting down superficial wants - you’re distilling the essence of what truly matters. Focus only on the non-negotiable attributes.
Ask yourself:
Am I writing this from ego or for external validation?
Am I trying to prove something, or does my soul genuinely crave this experience?
Your list should feel like an intimate contract with yourself, stripped back, authentic, and aligned with your deepest desires.
Now you’re ready to write your list. Try using the present tense, as though you already live this reality. Be specific where it feels right, but allow room for magic.
Action: Begin with prompts such as:
I am living in…
I feel…
I work with…
I wake up and…
Your manifestation list should read like a snapshot of your dream life.
Keep Your List Alive
Your manifestation list is not static. Revisit it, refine it, fold it into rituals. Place it under a candle, tuck it into a journal, or keep it. The more you align with it, the more it shifts from aspiration to reality.
✨ Manifestation is not about forcing outcomes. It’s about declaring yourself ready for them, and living in alignment with that readiness.
You’ve Cast Your List
Congratulations! You’ve casted your list, your manifestation is already in motion and do believe that the energy of doing this will begin orbiting around you now. However, this is when the real manifestation work begins.
In order to make that manifestation come through, you need to be doing the work to move closer and closer to it. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing more on how to do this through my manifestation workshops, moon ritual cycles or through the journal.
... Because casting your list is just the beginning!