a practical manifestation process for 2026
A four-step process to reflect, manifest, goal-set, and dream for the year ahead.
Hello! It’s been a while, but one of my goals in 2026 was to write on here at least twice per month, so why not start right now?
I spent the better part of Sunday cozying up in my sweats, on a clear, big table, with candles burning in the background, to manifest my 2026. I then got a massage at Spencer’s and ate Sugarfish for dinner, so safe to say it was the absolute perfect day. I went to sleep feeling grateful, recharged, and very tired (but the good kind of tired, the kind that leaves your body heavy because so much just poured out of it).
I don’t personally consider myself woo-woo, but I do believe in the power of mindset when it comes to achievement. Telling yourself that you can do things is magical. I don’t really meditate, but I do write down prayers each morning in my five-minute journal. I don’t create vision boards, but I do let my mind wander and dream (and scroll Pinterest for fun). I think we get bogged down in manifesting the “right” way, but in reality, there is no right way to manifest.
So below is my practical manifestation process for 2026. I call it practical because it follows clear steps: reflection, manifestation, goal-setting, and dreaming for the future. It’s easy-to-follow, but customizable, so you can do you.
before you begin: setting the scene
Do the exercise alone, but feel free to sit with others and discuss afterwards if you want to! I sat with my boyfriend and we chatted about it afterwards, which was really helpful to get some feedback.
Get comfy. Sweats, blankets, candles, fireplace, whatever.
No distractions. Put your phone away. Do not take scroll breaks.
Be comfortable with emotions. Reflecting and goal-setting may evoke some cries, let them out. It’s part of the process.
create your 4 dimensions
For each step in this exercise, you’ll recap four dimensions in your life — these are specific to you, but I feel strongly about only choosing four and not fewer or more. I personally did:
Career
Relationships (family, friends, romantic)
Personal Life (hobbies, interests, travel, personal development)
Health (mental & physical)
step 1: reflection
Part A: How Did My 2025 Go?
Across your four dimensions, ask yourself, how did my year in this area go? Break it down into two parts: the good (things that went well) and the bad (things that didn’t go as well). Write it all down, get it all out. Spare no detail!
Career
The Good:
The Bad:
Relationships (family, friends, romantic)
The Good:
The Bad:
Personal Life (hobbies, interests, travel, personal development)
The Good:
The Bad:
Health (mental & physical)
The Good:
The Bad:
This will probably take the longest out of any step in this process — true reflection takes time and energy. Let any emotions come out as necessary, and most importantly, be honest with yourself. Don’t gloss over the bad, and don’t downplay the good.
Part B: Stop/Start/Continue
After reflecting on your 2025, sit back and ask yourself: What would you start doing in 2026, stop doing in 2026, and continue doing (or do more of) in 2026? Do this for each dimension, and only write one sentence for each start/stop/continue.
Career
Start:
Stop:
Continue
Relationships (family, friends, romantic)
Start:
…. and so on
step 2: manifestation
In 2026, I want to…
This is where you manifest your year ahead. What do you want to accomplish? Where do you want to travel? How do you want to grow? Across each dimension, write down anything and everything that excites you about the year ahead, things you’d hope would happen. Get as specific as you’d like — in fact, the more specific, the better.
And then, get practical. As you write down your manifested goals and dreams for the year, ask yourself: how am I going to achieve this? Then, write down how you will achieve them.
For example, for work, I wrote that I wanted to hit a specific sales goal for Arame. How would I achieve this sales target? Then came the flow — posting content consistently on socials, migrating to a 3PL, starting subscriptions on our site, launching a new product, a viral moment with an influencer or celebrity.
Thinking through how you can achieve these year-long goals brings them one step closer to reality. Understanding the steps to reach these goals will allow you to live your year with purpose, intention, and clarity.
step 3: goal-setting
My 8 Goals for 2026 are…
Now that you’ve reflected on your 2025, written down your start/stop/continues, and manifested your dream 2026 across each dimension, sit back and look for common themes. What should you strive for in 2026 that aligns with these steps? Write them down as eight goals — and only eight! Feel free to break them down as two goals per dimension, but there are no strict rules here.
For example, reflecting on my 2025, one of the “bad” things in my life was too much doom-scrolling. My “stop” was to stop scrolling so much. And my manifest for 2026 was to create more during my free time. So one of my 2026 goals is to create more, consume less — and I’ve already thought through practical tips to achieve that goal (time limits on my phone, reaching for Pinterest instead of Tiktok, Canva instead of Instagram).
Goal 1:
Goal 2:
Goal 3:
Goal 4:
Goal 5:
Goal 6:
Goal 7:
Goal 8:
Write these goals down, then post them everywhere. Your wallpaper, your fridge, your nightstand. Keep them close to keep your mind clear.
What happens if you don’t reach these goals by the end of 2026? That doesn’t matter. What matters is your intention throughout the year to reach them. What if you want to adjust some goals mid-way through? Go right ahead — these aren’t written in stone, and aren’t meant to trap you. They’re meant to only help you!
[optional] step 4: dream for the future
In five years from now, where do I want to be?
This is an optional step, but one I love as a Pisces and day-dreamer. Where do you want to be in five years? Write it all down, across each dimension (if you’d like, but no stress).
Although more future-trippy, I find this step to be practical because I can assess if what I’m doing today aligns with where I want to see myself in five years. Be honest with yourself here too. If you’re doing nothing that tracks to where you want to be five years from now, you have the power to change it — and you may need to revisit your 2026 goals accordingly.
For example, in my dream five-year plan, I was close to my family and saw them often. So, I went back to my manifested 2026 and made sure I had practical intentions to see them throughout the year. Many of us desire to be close to family in the long term, but fall short in making that effort in the short term. That’s misaligned!
By the end of this process, you’ll have a clearer path to your year ahead — one set with intention. You’ll also probably be exhausted, so go refuel, relax, and recharge.
We have a big year ahead of us.
xx, Brittany, aka The Tooth Fairy
*$5 under your pillow*