Why You're Not Manifesting What You Want (and How to Actually Do It)

Four Keys to successfully manifesting your desires.

Kris Marsh

Jan 08, 2025

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The walk where I manifested our first home. It’s located in the sunny “V” in the distance. The living room gets amazing light in the afternoon.

Manifesting.

This term is being used now more than ever. You hear a stranger in a coffee shop say how they manifested a date, or your friend say how they manifested a new job.

Maybe you’ve tried manifesting yourself, with little or nothing to show for it.

If you’ve been throwing darts blind or just confused about what manifesting really is, read on to learn why you’re not manifesting - and how to actually do it.

When I was a second year college student in 2007, my friend Nicole, who lived in the same dorm as me, told me that she had a Vision board above her desk. I’d never heard of a Vision board before. She said that the purpose of it was to wake up and look at pictures, images, and text representing your dreams, goals, intentions, aspirations, etc.

At the time I thought the whole idea was pretty far out. Nicole and I have since lost touch. These days though, I wonder if she ever manifested the Visions on her board.

Manifestation, according to the Oxford dictionary, is an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea. Put another way, it is the bringing into physical reality an idea that was born in the mind.

For those who practice a religion, prayer is a similar concept, and works in very much the same way.

See, as far as I could tell, Nicole only had one key of manifestation figured out: Vision. Being able to see your goals and dreams before they happen is important, but there are a total of Four Keys crucial for manifesting what it is you desire: Vision, Feeling, Knowing (Faith), and Action.

Key 1: Vision

Vision is usually the easiest of the Four Keys to grasp. Look at any Vision board and you’re sure to see images and photos of goals and big ideas. Envisioning your desire is the first key, and it involves you seeing what it is that you desire in your mind.

Vision requires that you imagine, or dream, about what your future life will be like. This can feel childlike. As children, we dream, have imaginary friends, and play. When we become adults we spend less time doing these things unless we make a conscious effort to do so.

To practice Visioning it usually helps to be in a quiet space. I do my best Visioning just after meditation in the morning, but you can practice seeing your Vision whenever you feel like it. Sometimes I get Visions all of a sudden during the day when I’m in a flow state.

Take a few minutes, close your eyes if you like, and imagine your desire. Try to see it. If nothing comes to you at first, that’s ok - take a break and come back to it later.

What details can you notice? Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with?

Be specific.

If you are looking for a partner, what qualities do they have? What do they value? What hobbies do they have?

If you are looking to change careers, what does your new career look like? What are you doing day to day? What are your co-workers like? What city are you in?

There are no rules or limits to what you can envision when manifesting. Your mind is a safe space to dream - allow yourself to do so.

Key 2: Feeling

I would say most people have the easiest time “seeing” what it is that they desire in their Vision. Seeing is just the beginning of the manifestation process.

The next step is Feeling.

Feeling is imagining the emotion that you have when you manifest what you desire.

Going with my previous example, how would it Feel to find the right partner for a relationship? How would it Feel to make a career change?

Some would say that the Feeling element of manifesting is difficult, but it’s really not any more difficult than having your Vision. The key with Feeling is remembering to consciously be aware of it while you are seeing your Vision.

Do you Feel happy? Content? Gratitude? Safe? Confident?

Remember, there are no wrong answers. Just make sure the Feelings you are imagining are true to you and in alignment with what it is that you desire.

A Note about Money

If you desire wealth, great! However, I caution you to really examine what you think you’ll Feel like if you manifest more wealth. If you believe you’ll Feel happy, beware of the happy money trap. It’s true that more money may bring comfort (perhaps you’ll Feel more comfortable?), but those that get more money often end up wanting more, and an endless cycle continues. If, though, you’ll Feel more free and your family more secure in building your wealth, for example, then that is likely a more sustainable Feeling with which to manifest.

Key 3: Knowing (Faith)

Having “Knowing,” or Faith, is the third key in manifesting. Some people will say “belief” but belief is not enough.

Belief implies an opinion with little evidence. Knowing, however, implies absolute certainty. Having pure Faith implies the same - Knowing.

When you are manifesting, you must Know in every fiber of your being that your desire is already yours. There must be no doubt in your mind that you are meant to bring into existence your desire.

To get a little more metaphysical on you (because the topic of manifestation isn’t meta enough), you must trust that the Universe is conspiring with you to help you manifest your desire. Although you may not know the timeline or the exact details of the path to get there, it will happen.

This is why prayer is so powerful. Prayer and manifestation are in many cases one and the same. Those who pray are often praying to their god and have Faith that their prayers will be answered. In those cases where prayers are answered, it’s my opinion that the person (or group) who prayed utilized the Four Keys in this article, even if they weren’t consciously thinking of them in the same way.

Key 4: Action

The fourth and final key in manifesting your desires is taking Action.

This is why using Vision boards alone, for example, have little chance of success helping you manifest.

Those who dream of manifesting wealth hope to wake up some day and win the lottery, or look at their bank account and see a sum appear.

This is not how it works.

If you integrate the first three keys - Vision, Feeling, and Knowing - then all that is left is to take Action in pursuit of your desires.

“But I thought manifestation was an automatic process that just happened?”

Nope, sorry.

That being said, taking Action doesn’t necessarily mean grueling in labor day in, day out in the hopes of accomplishing your goals. It means taking steps each day to move you closer to what it is you desire. You have to put energy in - but in turn, the Universe will match your energy and conspire to help you in your journey.

Like I said, it’s hard to know the timeline for manifesting our desires. But, if you take Action each day while continuing to hold your Vision, Feelings, and Knowing, you will eventually manifest your desires.

In your search for a relationship, are you also working on yourself? Are you going to events to meet more like-minded people? Are you putting yourself out there? Are you healing your trauma?

If you’re looking to make a career change, are you reflecting on what you do and don’t love about your current job? Are you working on your resume, networking, and talking to recruiters? Are you learning new skills?

Take your manifestation into your own hands by taking Action and allow the Universe to help you along the way.

Now that we’ve covered all Four Keys, let me illustrate them using examples of manifesting desire from my own life.

Manifesting My Career in Cannabis

Nearing the end of my time in graduate school, I was preparing to transition into my career. At the time, I had little idea what I wanted to do as a recent Chemistry graduate. All I knew is that I didn’t want to go into academia.

A free career change workshop at the General Assembly in Santa Monica popped up in my email one day, and I decided to go. At one point during the workshop, the facilitator had us do a Vision exercise.

The prompt was to envision what our ideal career would be if no one was there to judge, if money were no option, and if you could do anything you wanted.

At that time, cannabis had just been legalized in California for recreational use. This was intriguing to me, but I had not considered working in the industry due to the stereotypes that came with it. But, following the prompt, I focused in on my Vision, and then shared it with my workshop partner:

“I will be a successful young professional in the cannabis industry.”

I have to tell you that it Felt (one of the keys!) GREAT to say that out loud.

Also notice the specific words I used - “I will be a successful young professional in the cannabis industry.” They’re definitive, certain, and Knowing.

A week later, I decided to send an email to a cannabis testing laboratory in Berkeley. They responded quickly, and in a few days, after what had been a months long job search, I received a job offer. Ever since then I have been in the cannabis industry, steadily being promoted along the way. Today, along with being a writer, I’m a senior leader at one of the largest cannabis testing laboratories in the US.

Some might say that I simply applied for a job and got it, and that it was just coincidence. But to me, this process Felt different. In practice, manifestation feels like you are flowing. You use less thinking, more intuition in making decisions. What once felt like a stagnant dead end becomes the next door you walk through.

I manifested my career. You can too.

In practice, manifestation feels like you are flowing. You use less thinking, more intuition in making decisions.

Manifesting Our Home

One more example from my personal life. This is a short story about how my wife and I manifested our first home.

When we moved to Reno in 2022 we rented a house, and then started going to open houses and looking on sites like Zillow for properties. We had picked certain criteria we wanted in a potential first home - 3B 2BA, near the river and the neighborhood we were already living in, and in our budget.

Over the course of a year we saw little on the market that met our desired criteria. A few properties were exciting, but we started getting frustrated. Times were uncertain, and we were ready to buy. We almost considered just giving up the search and picking it up in a few months.

It was then in early October that I went on my usual walk by the Truckee river, just before sunset. The Truckee is beautiful that time of year. On the way back home after turning around at the park, I got to a stretch of road that had a straight shot view of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I was met with a beautiful panorama of the sunset just disappearing over the mountain range, golden rays meeting a slight mist in the air.

I stopped walking. It was stunning. I stared on for a few minutes.

(I also took a photo which you can see at the top of this article.)

In my mind, and my heart, I Knew - our home was somewhere in that light, facing the mountain range. The Vision, Feeling, and Knowing I experienced were absolute. I just KNEW our house would be there where all that light was.

Within 5 minutes of returning home, I kid you not, my wife tells me that a new house was listed on Realtor that met our criteria. I was floored. “No way, that’s just too weird.”

We took Action and called an agent the next day, visited the property twice, and then made an offer. We got the house, and have lived in it now for more than a year.

Again, some may call this coincidence. But the process FELT like it was so easy. And it felt right.

A picture facing the Sierra Nevada mountains from our yard in Reno.

Use these Four Keys - Vision, Feeling, Knowing, and Action - in your own life, and I suspect you will find that your truest desires come into your reality.

I want to know your story - what have you manifested into your reality?