Manifest Exactly What You Want in 2025: Ditch Your Resolutions, Do This Instead | Gabby Bernstein

Whatever you say, whatever you put out starts to come back to you like a boomerang. Gabrielle Bernstein, a role model for spiritual seekers, welcome back to the show, my friends. Welcome back to Dear Gabby!

We have an episode that is a timely episode: this is how to manifest exactly what you want in 2025. You're definitely going to want to stick around to the end of the episode because I'm going to reveal all of the mistakes that we make when we're manifesting, and I want to make sure that you do not make any of these mistakes in the New Year. We are in deep prep right now for our manifesting challenge, the 21-day manifesting challenge, and all that that means to us and the hundreds of thousands of people that we have taken through this challenge in the past.

We're getting ready for that, so this is like a preview of what's to come in my 21-day manifesting challenge. Listeners sent in a bunch of amazing questions about how to manifest before the New Year, and here are my answers. Dear Gabby, what's the secret to manifesting?

I think there's one secret to manifesting that no one talks about, and that secret is to forget what you think you need. As long as you are focused on holding on to your desire and strangling your desire and only having it this way—only seeing it in this one lens—you’re blocking, you’re blocking it. You're blocking that desire.

The secret, the secret that nobody talks about, is to forget what you think you need. The reason that this is such a powerful practice of just letting go of what we think we need and surrendering our desire completely is because when we're in that place of controlling, and we're manic manifesting, and we're holding on so tightly to what we think we need and how it has to be, and the exact way, we really get in the way. When I ask people, you know, what's more sexy: someone who's relaxed and chill and trusting, or someone who's like super thirsty and constantly texting and being like, "You know, let's get together"?

It's a lot more sexy the person who's chilled out and trusting, right? The same goes for the universe. The universe is picking up the energy you're putting out, so if you're thirsty, it ain't going to work.

That thirsty energy is blocking your manifesting power. So forget what you think you need. You can use that affirmation: "It's this or something better," or you can say, "Surrender it all," or "I have this vision and this desire and I welcome this or something better.

" That kind of messaging, that kind of surrendered state, that kind of relaxed energy is so much more powerful than any other form of attracting. And this is the secret, this is the secret that nobody talks about: forget what you think you need! Boom!

Dear Gabby, how do I trust the universe? I also get this a lot. You know, in addition to surrendering, we really want to trust the universe, even when things are not going as we planned.

Because we want to remember that that rejection is protection—a big one, really important. Obstacles are detours in the right direction, and so when things are not going the way that we planned, we have to trust that the universe has a better plan. I want you to really think about that in your manifesting practice.

We have this desire; we have this vision of where we want to go, what we want to create, and we have to remember that when we are focusing so intently on how things are not going the way that we want, we’re missing the miracle. We’re missing the miracle! The miracle is not always that everything works exactly as you planned.

The miracle is that there's a plan better than your own. And I've experienced this in big ways in my own life. I've shared very openly about carrying a pregnancy until five and a half months and having to let go of that child because he wasn’t going to grow and it wasn’t going to survive his life.

So I had to let him go at five and a half months. And man, that manifestation felt like it was lit on fire! I'd been manifesting it; I'd been taking all the actions; I had all the visions and dreams for this child to come into the world.

And I really, in that moment of letting him go, had to really let go of the desire and say, "Universe, show me what you got here because this is not what I planned. " By fully surrendering and letting go of what my plans were, and continuously saying, "Thank you, Universe for revealing to me something far greater: plans of the highest good, plans that are far better than my own," many months later—now it's a few years later—I can say the universe had a plan far better than I did. Because for me, having one child is best for me and the life that I live and the energy I put out and the travel that I have.

I feel so grateful to have my son, Oliver. I feel so grateful to have one child. And if I had two, it would have been a miracle, but having one is a miracle too, and that's the miracle I have experienced.

That’s the universe's plan for me. I have accepted that plan, and it's not even an acceptance. It's an embracing of that plan and witnessing that, wow, as hard as it was to have that loss and have that dream change, it actually turned out to be a better dream.

It turned out to. . .

"be something that is more soothing for my nervous system, better for my marriage, and I can give my son, Oliver, all the energy that he deserves and needs. I know that my spirit baby came to me for that period of time to help me get to that choice and to help me make that choice. I don't think I would have ever been able to get to that choice on my own.

So, forgetting what we think we need and when things are not working out the way we plan, trust that there is a better plan, and that that plan may not seem better at first. It may take a long time to accept, but the sooner we get into that energy of accepting that the universe is delivering to us whatever is of the highest good, then we can really see the shift. We can experience the shift, and we can experience the miracle of that shift in our perception.

Maybe it wasn't exactly the way I wanted it; maybe what I have now is far better than what I could ever, ever have imagined. So, take a close look at your desires and how much of a stronghold you may have on them right now, and consider that the universe might have a plan better than you do. Give it over; let's see what happens!

Dear Gabby, when will it happen? I also want to address what to do when your manifestation hasn't arrived yet. People always say, 'Well, what do I do when my manifestation hasn't arrived yet?

' Remember, don't be thirsty. That thirsty energy of 'Where is it? Why isn't it here?

Why isn't it exactly as I wanted it in the exact time that I wanted it? ' is not sexy energy. It is not attractive energy; it's not manifesting energy.

So, if you've wondered why your manifestation has not arrived yet, the answer is clear: because it's not time. If you're feeling like you really want to know it's on the way, just ask the universe to give you a sign that your desire is on the way. Just say, 'Show me a sign that my desire is on the way.

' That'll chill you out. But really, the timing is not your time; this is about letting go of what you think you need, letting go of the timeline, and letting go of when it's not working out the way you planned. Trust that there's a time and there's a place, and there's a way that is far better than you could ever imagine.

Letting it go and allowing. I remember a time when a friend of mine was trying so desperately to attract a romantic relationship. She kept trying and trying, asking, 'Why isn't it here yet?

' Then she got a really, really big job, a big job that was going to take her out of the country, and a year later, she met her beloved on that job. She met the beloved when she was out of the country on that job. She thought two things: one, 'If I was in a relationship, I might not have taken that job,' and two, 'Having taken that job led me to the relationship that I desired.

' So, trust the hold-up, people! Trust the hold-up. How do I manifest money?

Another thing that people get hung up about when it comes to manifesting is manifesting money. So, I want to ask you this: Are you trying to manifest money or abundance? I want you to make this shift—make this shift to manifest abundance, because abundance is an energy.

When you assume the energy of abundance, that's when you start to attract more abundance into your life, including financial abundance. So, shift that focus right now from 'I need the cash' to 'I want to manifest abundance in my life. ' That abundance can look like supportive energy, a friend buying you a coffee, a shared connection, or free time in your calendar.

Focusing your energy and your attention on abundance rather than cash actually puts you into an energy of abundance, and in that energy of abundance, you become more magnetic for more abundance, including cash. So, let yourself off the hook; stop focusing on the money in the bank and start focusing on the energy of abundance. Trust that when you're in that energy, that is the attracting power we need to bring in that flow of financial abundance as well.

Stop looking for the cash and start focusing on the energy of abundance. How do I manifest love? We also have folks who want to manifest love, and I understand this so much.

We want to manifest romance into our lives, and we want to manifest love. A common mistake people make is thinking that they have to do something specific to get that love into their life. Yes, maybe you want to go on the apps, go out to a bar, or ask your friends to introduce you to people—yes, yes, yes!

But the greatest way to manifest love is to create more love in your life. Whether it be with friends, a pet, or romantic energy, it doesn't have to be just for a romantic partner; that energy, that romance could come through creative projects, listening to music, or going to a concert. So, creating that fun and that vibe also in your friendships creates this energy—once again, that's a vibration of love.

" Love is like a boomerang; it comes back to you. And when you're in that energy of romantic vibration, you start sending out the message to the universe that you are in joy, you are in fun, and there's nothing sexier than that authentic fun truth inside of you. So put yourself into that energy of romantic vibration with your friends, by cooking a nice meal for yourself, or by taking yourself on a date.

Nourishing and nurturing yourself in these beautiful ways puts your energy into a heightened state, which then attracts more of that into your life. How do I manifest a new career? Finally, there are folks who want to manifest a new job or make a career shift—something that looks like a different day-to-day experience when they go to work.

My best advice is, well, first, the mistake is that when you're manifesting a new job, you do not want to be hating on your existing job. Because as long as you're hating on your existing job, you are sending that message: once again, "I don't want this. " Then the universe says, "Oh, well, I'm going to give you back what you say," right?

So you want to focus on what's thriving in that existing relationship to your job. Maybe you have a co-worker you really like, or maybe you like that you get out at five, or perhaps you appreciate some creative projects. Focus on the things about the existing job that you have that are working and thriving.

When you do that, when you make that your focus—what is thriving, what is working—that shift, that energetic shift, starts to send a message again to the universe: "I want more of that, please; thank you. I'd like more of that, please. " Giving yourself permission to focus on what is working in the existing job starts to shift your energy.

You’re much more likely to attract the job that you genuinely want into your life. You're also in a higher vibration, and that new vibration starts to pick up new opportunities and create new ways of being in your life. So, taking these steps really seriously, looking closely at the ways that you have been blocking your manifestations with that thirsty energy or focusing on the negative, or keeping yourself in that story of, "Why isn't it working?

" and letting go of what you think you need, gives you permission to focus on the good stuff. Putting yourself into that point of attraction is the secret to manifesting, and it's the way to unblock your energy so you become a super attractor. Now, I take this practice to the absolute next level inside my manifesting challenge, which starts on January 1st, but you can actually start today.

There's a whole early bird practice that you can jump into. When you sign up early for the challenge, you'll get four Law of Attraction coaching practices in this early bird offer. You’ll receive a meditation—a manifesting meditation—you’ll get a 38-minute manifesting talk that I've given, and you’ll receive these daily affirmation card pulls, all before January 1st.

So just head over to dearabby. com/manifestingchallenge, and let's dive in! Let’s get that challenge moving in your body, get a challenge going in your life, and start now.

You don't have to wait. I think this is a beautiful place to give yourself permission to say yes to your dreams, to forget what you think you need, and follow my guidance, trusting that I will guide you every step of the way. So go to dearabby.

com/manifestingchallenge. Gabby, do you have any New Year's resolutions? I don't actually set New Year's resolutions; I set intentions instead!

This is actually a really, really important thing. I talk about this a lot on day one of the challenge because I want to make sure that resolutions have a different vibration. Resolutions are kind of an energy of, "Well, I'm bad if I don't do it," or "It's something I have to fix.

" Whereas an intention is something that we want to cultivate; it's something that we want to bring forth. So I tend to not set New Year's resolutions and really focus on intentions instead, and I find it to be much more powerful. I think the intention-setting practice is a way of putting yourself in this point of attraction by saying, "I feel aligned with this desire, so I'm going to intend it.

I'm going to send a message to the universe: this is what I'm intending to create in my life. " And also, letting that go, surrendering it completely, because I like to take the pressure off. I feel like resolutions carry so much pressure, and that's why I like just giving people the steps: step one, do this; step two, do this.

That's what the whole 21-day challenge is about—it's like just bringing in your New Year, step one, step two, step three, so that you can just be in that intention, rather than forcing a resolution. I read this study that 80% of resolutions fail after February; like, February 1, 80% of resolutions fail. That's why, really, what I do in the New Year is set an intention and do my 21 days.

I do my 21 days every single New Year. I do my 21-day challenge. So, for people listening, go to dearabby.

com/manifestingchallenge to get the details on that. You can join it now and start doing the work today, because you have this whole early bird thing now where people can jump in early and get all of this Law of Attraction coaching and manifesting meditation and daily affirmation cards. Pull so you can start setting those intentions right now and get yourself in that momentum before the new year.

That's how I do it. Instead of setting a resolution, I set an intention, and then I do my 21-day challenge. So what should people do to manifest exactly what they want in the New Year?

The first step—let me repeat it—set a powerful intention, an intention for what you want to create, what you're a yes for. The universe is always picking up what you're putting out. The universe is always a yes for what you're a yes for.

So really claiming what you want to put out and setting that clear statement, that clear intention. You could go and sit down in your journal and almost write about it. You know, what is it that I'm dreaming of?

What do I want to create? Just write for about 10 or 15 minutes about what you want to manifest, what you want to attract into your life, what you want to change, what you want to shift, and just get it into a positive statement. So then you can write for 10 minutes, come back to your writing, reread what you wrote, and underline what feels the best.

Then pull that statement out of the free writing, and that becomes a statement—a statement to the universe, an intention statement. This is what I am ready to call into my life. This is who I am.

This is what I'm ready to receive. This is what I'm affirming. Instead of a resolution, set that statement, that intention statement.

Gabby, is it possible to manifest anything you want? The universe is like an algorithm, and whatever we're putting out, we are getting reflected back to us. So, you know when you're on TikTok or on Instagram and you start looking at puppies, and all of a sudden you start getting fed a thousand puppy videos, and like all you see are puppy videos?

The same goes for the universe. Whatever you say, whatever you put out, starts to come back to you like a boomerang. So I do believe that we have to get clear and focus on what it is that we want to call in because the more clarity we have, the more attuned we are with what it is that we're attracting, and the more likely it is that the universe will deliver on our desire.

But just in the same breath, I also want to be very clear that you can have that clear intention and that clarity of what you want to attract into your life, but you also want to have it be surrendered. You want to let it go, trust, and allow. So send out those clear messages.

Remember that the universe is an algorithm. Remember that your desires are being reflected back to you, but also let it go because you don't want to control the outcome. You don't want to control the universal algorithm so much that you actually miss the miracle of something else.

So I always like to have this beautiful, clear desire of what I want to attract, send the message out to the universe, and then affirm, "It's this or something better. " Because that language—"It's this or something better"—sends the message that, you know what, here's some clarity. I'm going to give it to you, universal algorithm.

Deliver back whatever you got for me, and it's this or something better. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get that message that's even greater than I could have possibly imagined. So be clear about the desires, and that's why I think that intention-setting practice of writing and then underlining what really sets you off—you know, what really lights you on fire—and underlining that and pulling that intention out and making that intention statement is so important.

Because what it's doing is it's clarifying your desires, and then it's this or something better. Let it go. Allow.

Trust that the universe will deliver for you in ways that you could never have possibly imagined. That is my advice. How do you create a desire statement today?

In our clip, we have this beautiful practice that I teach called "How to Create Your Desire Statement. " It's an expanded version of what we were just talking about—writing it out and holding the vision. So listen to this practice and learn this practice, and let this practice be your guide as you set your intention for the new year.

Remember: intentions instead of resolutions. Resolutions imply that we have to change something; intentions imply that we're ready to receive something. Very big difference here.

So set yourself up to win by creating a desire statement that clarifies your intentions for the new year, and then set that statement out to the universe. Affirm it daily. Use it when you're doing the 21-day manifesting challenge.

Use it when you're manifesting in the first days of the year. And this practice that you're about to listen to is going to teach you exactly, step by step, how to create that desire statement that's backed with your intentions. And those intentions, remember, are what manifest.

Today, my friend, is all about clearly and unapologetically stating your desires, committing to what you want so that you can co-create with the universe. Clarity is crucial when it comes to manifesting. We have to have a very clear and specific, unwavering desire because that clarity and that unshakable desire sends a really crystal clear message to the universe.

It makes it a lot easier for the universe to pick up what we're putting out because we're saying, "This is what I desire. I am energetically aligned with it," and having a laser-focused energy around it. Vision really can help you steer clear of any distractions.

Clear desires are what ignite our really powerful, strong emotions, and those emotions reinforce our thoughts; those thoughts reinforce our beliefs. Our beliefs are what manifest. We manifest what we believe.

So, when you have that precise vision of what it is that you want to attract into your life, you're much more likely to believe that it's not just possible, but it's inevitable. You start to get into the power of positive anticipation of what's coming, and it's just also about becoming unapologetic. When we boldly declare our desires, it's a testament to our confidence, and it really reinforces that belief system that is what's truly manifesting.

Remember, you manifest what you believe. So, the first step here is to choose your desire. Choose one desire to focus on, please, because you may have a lot of desires that you're hoping to manifest, but I think it's important to choose one single-pointed focus.

The second step is to declare your desire. Declare your desire by completing this sentence: "I desire to manifest. .

. " For example, "I desire to manifest my dream career," or "I desire to manifest the love of my life. " I desire to manifest.

. . you choose whatever it is that you are really wanting to create in your life right now.

Then, the third step is to create your desire statement. I want you to write it in the present tense as if it's already happened, as if it's already manifested into your life. And I want it to be vivid and detailed.

This clarity in the statement that you put forth doesn't have to be long; it could be a few sentences. The clearer it is, and the more easily it is for you to own and memorize and stand behind, the more you can rely on it and turn to it and reinforce it. I want you to sit with it; allow the energy behind the statement to provide you with a lot of momentum, enthusiasm, excitement, and just really give you so much energy for all that's to come.

These emotions are going to fuel the manifestation process. We manifest what we believe; our thoughts inform our feelings, our feelings inform our beliefs, and our beliefs are what manifest. It's like this simple, simple practice.

This is what I do every single year: I set that intention, and I write it down. I do the free writing; I get it all out on the page. I come back, I get it very tight and clear, and teed up for what I want to bring in.

Gabby, do you have a New Year's Eve ritual? I take my desire statement, what we just learned; I create the desire statement, I have it on my piece of paper, and then, on New Year's Eve, I sit in front of the fireplace and I say a prayer: "Thank you, Universe, for guiding me towards this desire; it's this or something better. " And then I throw that desire statement into the fireplace and I burn it.

The act of burning it, to me, is an act of really setting myself up to win, really setting myself up to release and surrender the desire to the universe, and trust that it is absolutely being taken care of, that it is in the hands of a higher power, and that I am not in control anymore. It's this desire or something better, and I turn it over completely. That is a practice that I have done year over year over year.

I love to do it, then start New Year's Day, wake up in the morning, and start day one of the manifesting challenge. That's my ritual; it's my ritual for the past five years now of just writing it down, doing the desire statement like we learned today, lighting it on fire, and waking up and starting the challenge. That's what I do.

Rinse and repeat—it works! I think it's really important to have rituals because there are so many ways that we kind of live our lives so routinized, and we move through life and kind of forget what happened or what happened yesterday. Little moments of ritual are so beautiful.

They're such a great addition; they’re spiritual moments, practices, and intentions. It's a beautiful thing; I think it's necessary for us. I really do, and it's a great way to start the year.

So, if you like that desire statement and you're thinking, "Okay, I'm going to go do that," you can come back; you can re-listen to that practice. That clip will give you a lot of information, and I really highly recommend the steps: create your desire statement using the guidance I gave you in the clip, then write it down. You can even repeat it a little bit as we prepare for the new year.

Repeat that desire statement; say it like an affirmation and repeat, repeat, repeat. On New Year's Eve, write it on a piece of paper; if you have a fireplace, you can throw it in the fire. If you want, you can flush it down the toilet; you can throw it into a river, whatever works, as long as it's not too littery.

I guess paper will recycle, but maybe we could bury it; we could do something where we send this message to the universe that we're releasing it, we're letting it go, we're surrendering it fully, and we're trusting that our desires will be delivered and returned to us tenfold. That, to me, is the whole thing: just clarity and release, clear desire and surrendered release. And here you are.

This is… Is the recipe for success sets you up to win? Everybody, go set your desire statements, go send them off to the universe, and forget what you think you need because the universe has a better plan. Happy, happy, happy holiday season, and happy early New Year!

If you like this video and you want to get more Gabby, check out the next one right over here.