Last week I hit the phone and told him: “I’m raising you $50m this year.”
He nearly fell off his chair, grinning from ear to ear. For his business, this would be life-changing.
But why did I do this? After all, this is not within my usual roster of actions.
If we roll back a few weeks, I had set my mind that my business was going to make X this year.
From there, I traced back the steps needed — and this was the single most likely action to get me there.
Once I figured it out, I went to share it with my coworkers in a classic office watercooler moment. (Okay fine — I walked into the kitchen, told my husband and petted the cat.)
My coworker said “Excellent,” the cat purred, I grabbed a coffee, and went back to work.
I made the number real. I wrote the plan. I look at it every day.
But here’s the thing I’ve been asked since:
“Wait… is that manifestation?”
Am I now the type of person who believes in vibes, vision boards, and scripting my dream life in pink glitter pen?
Not quite. And here’s why.
What They Don’t Tell You About Manifestation
Let me get one thing straight: I’m not anti-vision. I’m not a negative Nancy.
But I am allergic to nonsense.
There’s a big difference between having a clear goal…
…and outsourcing your life to the universe.
Making a vision board?
Writing yourself a cheque for a million euros?
Scripting your dream life every morning?
Look, I’m not judging your stationery.
But let’s not confuse mood with momentum.
Instagram may love a soft-focus reel with a quote about “manifesting your dream life” — but here’s what I’ve come to learn:
Most people don’t need more manifesting. They need more action.
So I went looking for the science.
Quote of the Week
“Positive fantasies can help you relax — but they don’t help you get things done.
To succeed, you need to confront reality and plan for obstacles.”
Dr. Gabriele Oettingen, Professor of Psychology at NYU and author of
Rethinking Positive Thinking
Manifestation vs. Reality: The Science Is In
In 2023, psychologist Lucas Dixon and colleagues created the Manifestation Belief Scale — a way to measure how strongly people believe they can attract success with their thoughts.
Over a third of adults endorsed it.
And the ones who scored highest? They shared some traits:
✔ High confidence
✔ Big goals
✔ Belief that success was inevitable
✔ Willingness to take financial risks
But also?
✔ A higher chance of past bankruptcies
✔ Unrealistic expectations about how fast success would come
Confidence is great.
But delusion with no plan? That’s a different story.
Why Most Manifestation Advice Backfires
Let’s talk affirmations and visualisation.
Research shows these tools only work if they feel real and are tied to action.
- In one study, people with low self-esteem who repeated “I am lovable” actually felt worse (Wood et al., 2009). The affirmation just reminded them how far off it felt.
- In another, students who visualised getting an A did worse than students who visualised studying for it (Pham & Taylor, 1999).
The difference?
Fantasising about the outcome feels good — but it reduces effort.
It tricks the brain into thinking you’ve done something.
What Actually Works: Mental Contrasting
Psychologist Dr. Gabriele Oettingen introduced the concept of mental contrasting:
- Step 1: Visualise the goal
- Step 2: Visualise the obstacles
- Step 3: Plan how to overcome them
This approach boosts follow-through because it doesn’t stop at dreaming — it demands realism.
People who use mental contrasting:
- Take more consistent action
- Stay committed longer
- Get better results — no moon water needed
I call it “being an adult with a strategy.” But you do you.
Enter Grit (The Unsexy Superpower)
Angela Duckworth, author of Grit, defines it as:
“Passion and perseverance for long-term goals.”
It’s not sexy. It’s not viral. But it’s everything.
Grit looks like:
- Showing up when no one claps
- Sending the proposal when you’d rather hide
- Tracking the numbers
- Hitting send even when your last post flopped
It’s not a mood. It’s a mindset.
It’s not “I deserve this.” It’s “I’m building this.”
And if you need a little extra push?
Start with grit. The universe can catch up.
OWN IT: Belief Is Not a Business Plan
You can whisper your goals to the moon…
Or you can write them down, block time in your calendar, and start building them.
The stars might want to help you…
But they’re waiting to see if you’re serious.
Big visions are nice.
Big spreadsheets? Even better.
This Week’s Action Plan: Manifest Like a Scientist
- Write down one business goal (not a fantasy — a target)
- List 3 real obstacles between you and that goal
- Visualise the process — not the prize
- Re-read one paragraph from Grit
- Take one step today that your future self will thank you for
Less magical thinking. More measurable action.
Pretty please and thank you.
With love (and zero cosmic promises),
Claudia
