Manifestation Journal 101: What It Is, How To Use One & Tips For Getting Started

From reciting affirmations to vision boarding, there's no shortage of manifestation methods to try—and journaling is one worth considering.

A manifestation journal is essentially a journal used for—you guessed it—manifesting. Manifesting uses the law of attraction to attract things into our lives using positive energy, thoughts, and behaviors.

You can think of a manifestation journal as a written record of what you want to attract, in the same way that a vision board is a visual depiction of those things. Energy flows where attention goes, so by holding your goals in mind as you write, you're fueling your intention.

According to Jocelyn Kelly Reid, a manifesting expert and abundance coach, journaling is an incredible way to support and guide your manifestation process. "For starters," she says, "it can be extremely therapeutic for releasing our emotions and giving us a safe space to express everything that tells us that we can't have what we truly desire."

To that end, neuroscientist and author of The Source Tara Swart, M.D., Ph.D., previously recommended journaling for that same reason. She says journaling daily can help you recognize a scarcity mindset versus an abundance mindset—because you won't get far manifesting from a scarcity mindset!

Writing also gives us the space to give the "thinking brain" a rest and enter a flow state, Reid adds. And when we're in a flow state, we can better hear "what our heart and soul have to say about what we truly desire."

Any time you're trying to manifest something, it's important to get super clear and super specific on your goals. The more detailed, the better!

On top of getting hyper-specific, Reid adds you'll want to really immerse yourself in the experience of writing and imagining what you're trying to manifest. The more you can really feel it as if it were already real, the more you're aligning with the vibration of what you want.

It might seem counterintuitive to write about the negative stuff in a journal all about attracting what you want, but it's actually essential to get it out of your system. If you're feeling any sort of resistance in your manifesting process, Reid says, airing out your limiting beliefs helps "train your brain to look toward new possibilities, solutions, and opportunities vs. limitations and challenges."

And as registered yoga instructor Sonia Lopez Simpson previously wrote for mbg, even keeping a "worry list" of anything that's bothering you can help to "release the heavy energy that often keeps us stuck."

Reid tells mbg one of her favorite ways to use manifestation journals is by writing specifically what you desire, "something that feels really good, expansive, exciting to start—but also feasible." She explains that in the beginning stages of manifestation, evidence, or "seeing to believe," is really important.