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Manifestation might sound like something that only happens in yoga studios, but the practice of creating intentions and then watching them appear can have a real place in business. Manifesting success is less about wishing and dreaming and more about defining your goals and setting the stage to make them happen with practices such as visualization and affirmations. This practice takes root in the idea that you have the power to create the life that you desire; all it takes is a little focus, determination and faith. Here are five tools to help you manifest success in the business world.
1. Understand your “ask.”
In order to create the life you desire, you must have a clear picture of what it looks like. Can you describe your ideal future success down to the smallest details? If not, it’s time to add some clarity to your vision. First, I would recommend spending some time in meditation to block out any external chatter. Next, pull out a pad and a piece of paper and write out what success looks like to you. The more detailed you get, the better. It doesn’t matter if the path isn’t clear, what truly matters is the end goal. Once you have this kind of clarity, you can put out an ask to the universe. This calcifies your goals within your mind and lets you set forth in achieving them with focus.
2. Visualize success.
Once you know what it is you would like to bring into your life, begin visualizing yourself living out those goals. If you are looking to manifest a job or business success, take some time each day to visualize yourself in those roles. I often work with my clients to incorporate success visualization into their daily meditation practice. All you need to do is carve out time to sit down somewhere comfortable, breathe deeply and relax your body and mind at least once per day. Once any tension has cleared, begin to play a movie in your head of you fulfilling your goals and what you hope to achieve. Make it very detailed. Visualization is known to be a useful technique for improving performance in athletes, and it can work for you in achieving your business goals as well.
3. Operate as though your dream has already come true.
Take the power of visualization one step further by embodying your future achievements. Once you have laid out the perfect idea of success, it’s time to physically become the person who sits inside that life. The way you present yourself can tangibly impact your performance. In your mind, tell yourself that you already are living out your dream and begin to move around as that person. Dress for the role, adopt the posture of a successful person and surround yourself with others who fit into and support your vision. When you start acting and moving like your future self, you will slowly see yourself transform into this person.
4. Affirm your preparedness daily.
Research shows that affirmations are useful for improving performance. You can use the power of affirmations to support the development of your success. Decide what it is that you want to achieve and regularly affirm that you will do so. For instance, if your goal is to become the CEO of your company, stand in front of the mirror every morning and affirm something to the effect of “I have the intelligence, confidence and drive it takes to be CEO.” Affirmations help move your dreams from wishes to beliefs. Once you confidently believe that you can achieve something, you are on the path to making it happen.
5. Keep a file of positive reinforcement.
It often takes time for your dreams to develop. In the interim, keep your spirits up by having a supply of positive reinforcement on hand. One way to do this is to screenshot any positive feedback that you receive from clients or co-workers. Store it in a folder to refer to when you’re feeling low or frustrated about your progress. There is evidence that positive feedback improves performance.
Manifestation is about clearly understanding what you want, asking for it, believing in it and making it a reality. This is a powerful practice, and it is best used to help you achieve grand goals. As Oprah told the Wellesley College class of 1997, “Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.”
