If you want to make your dreams happen, then you’ll benefit from knowing the key difference between manifesting and setting goals.
When you’re trying to shape your future, two concepts might keep popping up: manifesting and setting goals.
Both are hot buzzwords in the realm of self-improvement. Yet they often leave people scratching their heads wondering: what’s really the difference?
So I thought I’d dissect these two strategies – and explain the difference between manifesting and setting goals.
I’m writing about this because I’m a bestselling wellness author with about 2 million books sold globally.
Plus I founded a groundbreaking video course called The Anxiety Cure.
I love sharing insights and strategies to help people to be happier and calmer.
This term might conjure images of people meditating surrounded by scented candles, essentially refers to the practice of thinking aspirational thoughts with the intention of making them real. It’s like using your mind as a magnet, attracting what you focus on into your life. The idea is grounded in the Law of Attraction, which suggests that positive thoughts bring positive results. This means calming your mind and visualizing.
On the other hand, this term is the more down-to-earth cousin of manifesting. It involves identifying specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives, and then outlining the steps necessary to achieve these objectives. Think of it as the blueprint for building your future castle, while manifesting is more like dreaming about the castle.
To get into the nitty-gritty, let’s look at the processes involved.
You visualize your desired outcome, meditate on it, and perhaps even write it down as if it has already happened. Research shows that visualization can improve motivation, confidence, and even motor performance. A study in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology found that visualizing an activity can activate the same brain regions as physically performing it. So, there’s some scientific backing to the idea that vividly imagining your success might edge you closer to it.
This includes writing down clear, actionable objectives, breaking them down into smaller tasks, and regularly reviewing and adjusting these tasks to stay on track.
Studies in goal-setting theory, like those by Dr. Edwin Locke, demonstrate that specific and challenging goals lead to higher performance than easy or ambiguous ones.
The emphasis here is on action and adaptability.
The core difference also lies in the mindset each method promotes.
The philosophy suggests that if you truly believe in an outcome, the universe will conspire to make it happen. This can be empowering for many, providing a sense of control over their destiny. However, critics argue that manifesting can encourage a passive approach, where one might end up waiting for the universe to deliver their dreams on a silver platter.
It’s not just about believing in the possibility of achieving your goals but also about taking concrete steps to make them a reality. This approach aligns with the principles of behavioral psychology, which emphasize reinforcement and consistent action as drivers of real change.
Ultimately, the outcome of each approach can differ significantly based on how much you trust external forces versus your own efforts:
It’s a spiritual or psychological process that can help reduce stress and increase positive feelings, thereby potentially improving your overall well-being and making you more receptive to opportunities.
It’s grounded in personal accountability and often leads to tangible results. By setting goals, you’re essentially promising yourself to do certain things. This method builds confidence not just through achievement, but through the disciplined pursuit of each goal.
While they may seem different, manifesting and setting goals don’t have to be at odds. In fact, they can be quite complementary.
So, perhaps the real trick is to harness the visionary power of manifesting to boost your drive and focus. And then channel that energy into the structured process of setting goals.
So, next time you’re looking to build that castle in the sky, maybe start on the ground with some solid goal-setting. Then, let your manifesting mindset put a nice big flag on the top of the highest tower. If you’d like support to make your dreams happen, explore a free Mindset Mastery consult with me – here.
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