Manifestation isn’t about wishful thinking or toxic positivity – it’s about using your thoughts intentionally to create your reality. Victoria Jackson, manifestation coach and bestselling author, has spent over a decade simplifying the practice for those feeling stuck, overwhelmed or ready for change.
We spoke with Victoria about her most effective tools for building self-worth, the power of connecting with your Future Self, and how to weave manifestation into your daily routine without adding to your to-do list.
Victoria's latest book, RESET, is available now. Shop here →
For anyone who feels overwhelmed by the idea of ‘manifestation’, how would you describe it in the simplest, most grounded way?
I felt completely overwhelmed when I first discovered the concept over a decade ago. There were so many buzzwords and confusing messages floating around the internet that I made it my mission to simplify manifestation. To manifest is to use our thoughts to create our reality. Our dominant thoughts – the things we think about the most – are what are mirrored back to us in life. The more we focus on what we’re lacking, the more reasons we spot to feel a sense of lack. When you’re having a bad day, you’ll often see more reasons to prove to yourself just how much of a bad day it is – stuck in traffic, getting caught in the rain, spilling your coffee. However, when we focus on what we desire, how we want to feel, and what we’d actually like to experience in life, our external reality will reflect this back to us. The subconscious mind will give you evidence of your thoughts, regardless of whether they are negative or positive, so choose your repeating thoughts wisely.
If someone wanted to start a mindset or manifestation practice today but feels stuck or sceptical, where do you suggest they begin?
Start by getting clear on what you desire your life to look like and, more importantly, feel like. Write a list of things you’d love to have, be, do, feel and experience over the next 6-12 months. Once you have this, create a vision board by finding images and words that represent your dream life, taking just a couple of minutes a day to look at it, tapping into how you will feel when (not if) this board is your reality. While I understand when people are sceptical about the concept, I will always remind them that nothing bad can come from choosing to focus on gratitude rather than what we are missing in life.
Many women struggle with self-worth, comparison or feeling not enough. What are your most effective tools for shifting into a more empowered mindset?
My third book, RESET, begins with my own story of low self-worth and how I would search for external validation, hide away and never really feel good enough for anything or anyone. The work I’ve done over the last two years to really build a solid foundation of self-worth has been to first of all understand where the root of the belief that I wasn’t good enough came from. Once I was able to uncover this, I was able to choose more empowering beliefs, and I used subconscious reprogramming tools such as subliminal audios and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) or as you may have heard it, ‘tapping’. However, I think one of the biggest shifts was to start keeping promises to myself. I set out on a summer of dating myself – taking myself on a date every single week for three months, and not once cancelling on myself. I went to art galleries, candlelit concerts, sunsets on the beach with a book – so many beautiful solo dates to show myself that love starts with me, myself and I.
“Do not flake on yourself. Do not put yourself at the bottom of the pile. When you feel good and look after yourself, it creates a ripple effect on the world around you.”
We are so quick to help everyone else but tend to break promises to ourselves, so my biggest piece of advice is to begin building self-trust. Do not flake on yourself. Do not put yourself at the bottom of the pile. Understand that when you feel good and you look after yourself, it creates a ripple effect on the world around you, including your family, friends and colleagues.
Manifestation can sometimes be misunderstood as wishful thinking or toxic positivity. In your view, how can women build small, consistent habits that actually move things forward?
Habit stacking has been key in my journey. We already have so many things to juggle in daily life that adding in a new manifestation routine can feel overwhelming. This is why adding a new habit to something you’re already doing can work so well. For example, I'll start the day by speaking my gratitude out loud when I’m in the shower. I imagine that the water is washing away any negative energy down the plug hole. I’ll play a self-love affirmations track while I’m brushing my teeth and doing my skin care. Then, as I’m getting ready for the morning, I’ll play a personalised subliminal. Multi-tasking audios are game-changing in a manifestation routine. As the day goes on, perhaps when I’m waiting for the kettle to boil, I will check in as my Future Self and see how she would approach the next part of the day if she had everything I have on my vision board. Checking in with our Future Self is so powerful because it allows us to make decisions from a place of empowerment rather than lack, fear or a negative mindset.
“The subconscious mind will give you evidence of your thoughts, regardless of whether they are negative or positive – so choose your repeating thoughts wisely.”
What are some signs of limiting beliefs, and your favourite ways to gently work through them?
Limiting beliefs are conscious or subconscious thoughts that prevent you from doing something. ‘I’m not confident enough to put myself forward for that promotion’, ‘I’m bad with money and I always overspend’ or ‘I’m scared I’ll get rejected’ are all examples of beliefs that keep you stuck in a cycle of not living to your full potential. A good way to identify your limiting beliefs is to look at your vision board or goals list and ask yourself, 'Why is this not possible for me?' and see what beliefs come to the surface.
Journaling is a great tool for acknowledging and gently breaking through beliefs like this. Where did I first notice this belief showing up? What am I doing, avoiding or tolerating because of this limiting belief? What evidence do I have to show me the opposite of this belief? For example, if you believe that you’re bad with money, can you find ways to show that you have paid bills on time or kept a regular money payment, such as rent or a mortgage? What does life get to look like if I release this belief and stop it from running the show? What is my new belief instead?
Releasing limiting beliefs doesn’t happen overnight, but it absolutely can happen with consistency of catching the old thought and replacing it with your new belief.
Journaling is a big part of your work. What prompts or exercises do you find genuinely shift how someone feels, especially during times of uncertainty or transition?
I always turn to journaling as a way of putting myself back in the driver's seat. When life feels uncertain, our minds tend to spiral into worst-case scenarios, so journaling becomes a way of slowing that spiral and gently redirecting it. One of my favourite exercises is what I call "rewriting the moment". I’ll ask questions such as, What lesson can I take away from this? Is there a more empowering story I could tell myself about this moment? How might this be happening for me, not to me? This helps take the emotional charge out of the situation and replaces it with perspective.
Confidence looks different depending on life stage, for example career pivots, motherhood, relationship endings and beginnings and midlife. What would you say to someone navigating a chapter of change right now?
I would say that feeling uncertain doesn’t mean you’re doing life wrong – it usually means you’re evolving. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about trusting yourself enough to take the next step without needing the full map. It’s like setting off on a road trip and getting upset with yourself that you don’t know the exact route there, road by road. So often we’re waiting to feel ready when, actually, readiness is built through taking action. I’d encourage you to stop comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter ten, and to honour the fact that this season is asking you to become someone new. You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You can be in an energy of curiosity and experimentation. You just have to keep choosing yourself, listening to your intuition, and responding to life instead of reacting to it.
“Confidence isn't about having all the answers – it’s about trusting yourself enough to take the next step without needing the full map.”
We’re all juggling busy lives. What small daily rituals or mindset habits have the biggest impact with the least effort?
The biggest shifts come from small, consistent steps, not over-complicated routines and rituals. I preach about the power of the compound effect because it truly is life-changing to see what can happen over the space of a year, from a few small daily shifts to your routine. This could be a walk each day while you listen to a podcast. It could be listening to affirmations as you get ready for the day. I really believe in the power of audio. Playing affirmations, guided audios or subliminals while getting ready, walking or winding down in the evening is an easy way to reprogram your mindset without adding more to your to-do list.
Your latest book, RESET, has just launched. Can you share a little about the message behind it and who you wrote it for?
RESET was written for anyone who feels like they’ve outgrown their current life but aren’t quite sure what the next chapter looks like yet. It’s for the person who feels stuck in old patterns, low self-worth, or autopilot living, and knows deep down that there’s more available to them. The book really is about realigning with who you truly are, releasing what no longer fits, and becoming magnetic to the life you actually desire – not through hustle or pressure, but through self-worth work, aligned action and understanding how to become our Future Selves now. I wrote it as a guide you can come back to whenever life feels noisy or misaligned, almost like a reset button for your mind, body and soul.
Any tools, books, apps or resources you genuinely love and recommend for mindset or manifestation?
Four years ago, I created a membership specifically for manifestation and mindset called The Collective, which is the world’s first digital resort where you arrive as you are and check out as your Future Self. We now have over 300 members who are all on the same mission to create a life that feels good to them, not what looks good on social media. I’m a big believer in finding tools that feel supportive rather than overwhelming. I also adore the Activations app for guided audios, while my favourite book of all time has to be 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest.
QUICK-FIRE ROUND
A mindset lesson I come back to again and again is… life is happening for me rather than to me, so there is always a lesson or a blessing I can take away.
A ritual I do when I’m feeling stuck is… movement. Resetting my energy through walking or Pilates is the ultimate tool for realignment. I have a Halo Reformer Pilates machine at home, where I do 45 minutes each morning.
Something I wish more women knew about confidence is... that confidence is built by ‘failing’, getting back up, dusting yourself off and trying again. It’s not sitting there waiting for everything to be perfect before you begin. Take joy in the no’s, in the lessons, and in the rejections. Everything is data.
Advice I’d give my younger self... The sooner you tap into your own unique magic and stop worrying about the crowd, the quicker you’ll realise how amazing life can be.
EXPLORE VICTORIA’S EXPERT EDIT
About Victoria Jackson
Victoria Jackson is one of the UK’s leading manifestation coaches, the bestselling author of Manifesting For Beginners, How To Manifest Anything and RESET. She’s also an EFT practitioner, podcast host and founder of The Manifestation Collective. Follow Victoria on Instagram @themanifestationcollective
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