I Wrote It Into Reality: How Journaling Helped Me Manifest My Dream Life

During my journey of giving myself more time and learning how to focus on me—even in the chaos of raising three kids—I discovered a new world. One morning, while folding laundry, I started listening to You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor. I had no idea that one book would open the door to something I had never fully understood: the power of mindset, self-talk, and manifestation.

Around that same time, I came across Rachel Hollis, and although I know there’s been controversy since, what she taught about journaling back then genuinely helped me. With just 30 extra minutes in the morning—earned by waking up earlier—I started putting pen to paper. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, but I began writing my goals as if they had already happened. I followed the advice from Bob and Rachel: write with gratitude, write in the present tense, and write often.

At the time, I lived in a great house, but I didn’t have a pool—the one thing I had always dreamed of. Since the ‘90s, I imagined myself in an open-concept home, something that felt like a New York loft (yes, I blame the movie Big for this). So I began writing, “I’m so grateful I live in a beautiful house with an open concept and a pool.” I wrote it over and over. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t true yet—I wrote it as if it already was.

I also wrote about work. I dreamed of having a job that gave me flexibility, where I could take my kids to school, be home when they needed me, and still earn an income that made us feel abundant. At the time, I was still teaching. And don’t get me wrong—I loved teaching. I loved my students. But I didn’t love having to leave the house at 6:30 every morning or missing school events and mid-day moments that mattered.

And I was tired. Tired of giving so much and watching the system stay the same.

So I started journaling harder. Dreaming harder. Believing harder.

And slowly, things started to happen.

I got a new job—one that let me work from home. My salary increased. Then, after a couple of years, I was promoted. The raise that came with it was substantial—enough that we began looking for a new home. And one day, out of nowhere, we found it. I called a realtor friend, and we saw the house that same day.

I walked through the front door and stopped. I could see straight through to the backyard… and there it was. The pool. Not just any pool—a rectangular, modern design. The exact one I had once sketched in GoodNotes. The home? Open concept. New York loft style. Unlike anything I had ever seen in our area. It was like I had walked into a physical version of my journal.

I flipped back through my pages and saw it. Word for word. I had written this life into existence.

And the job? It gave me time. I walked my youngest to school. Picked him up. Took my kids to doctor appointments and stayed home when they were sick. Since 2018, my income has increased by 130%. I truly believe manifestation—and consistent journaling—was a huge part of how it happened.

It wasn’t perfect. I wasn’t always consistent. But I believed, even when things didn’t look like they were working. I became a little delusional. And honestly? That belief became my superpower.

I’ve learned that when you write it down and believe in it deeply enough, the universe starts moving in ways you never expected. I can’t wait to share more about how I continued to manifest miracles—including how I believe I increased my salary by more than double—but that’s a story for another post.