22. Does Manifestation Really Work? The Energy–Mindset–Action Guide for Real-World Success with Emma Unsworth
- Aug 15, 2023
- 13 min read
Updated: Mar 25
Have you ever tried to “manifest” something—money, clients, a relationship, a big breakthrough—only to feel like… nothing changed?
I've been there too, which is why I've turned to Emma Unsworth for advice and insight.
And if you’ve been asking yourself does manifestation really work, this guide is for you. Because the truth is: manifestation isn’t magic dust that replaces action, and it isn’t blind optimism either.
It’s more like an internal signal system—your energy, your beliefs, and the actions you take (or avoid). When those three are aligned, momentum starts to feel easier. Opportunities show up more often. And even when you don’t get what you want immediately, you usually start moving in the direction your life is ready to become.
This article breaks down a practical way to understand manifestation through the energy–mindset–action framework, plus the less-talked-about pieces entrepreneurs run into: “upper limits,” decision paralysis, shiny object syndrome, and resiliency when results feel slow.
Grab a notebook (you’re going to want one), and let’s make this real.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, an online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Meet Emma Unsworth
Emma is a life coach, creative, entrepreneur & intuitive guide. Her role in the world is to inspire and empower people to live greatly, to help them expand and be who they were born to be.
Doing this through energy work, meditation, psychic channeling, mindset coaching and facilitation. The founder of Source Oneness, a transformational coaching company for life & business. Emma is currently on a mission to empower conscious leaders to shine their light in the world.
Table of Contents
Start Here: Energy, Mindset, Action (The Foundation of Manifestation)
One of the most refreshing perspectives on manifestation is this: you’re not “trying” to create a new life from scratch. You’re tuning into what you already are—energetically and mentally—then taking actions that match that frequency.
In an energy–mindset–action approach, your success doesn’t come from one piece alone. It comes from sequencing them.
Energy: What’s the vibe right now? What’s happening beneath your thoughts?
Mindset: What are you believing about yourself, worthiness, timing, and what’s possible?
Action: What are you doing consistently to align with the reality you’re trying to create?
Here’s why this matters: many people jump straight to action (or straight to affirmations) while their energy and beliefs are quietly out of alignment.
That’s why you might feel exhausted after “trying hard,” or why you can do marketing for weeks and still not feel like opportunities are landing. Your actions may be correct—but your system may be unconsciously saying, “Not yet. This isn’t safe. I can’t handle that. I don’t believe I deserve it.”
The alignment shift is the whole game.
So… Does Manifestation Really Work?
Let’s answer this plainly.
Yes— manifestation really works—but not in the way most people wish it did.
Manifestation works when:
You notice what your energy field is responding to.
You adjust your beliefs and self-perception.
You take action that matches the version of you who can receive what you want.
In other words, manifestation becomes less about “requesting” and more about becoming.
Emma describes it like this: we’re always manifesting, whether we’re consciously aware or not. You manifest every day in small ways.
You might want coffee, feel a craving, and your body tells you what to do: you go downstairs, you get it, you move on with your day. That’s manifestation too—just an everyday version.
The bigger manifestations (clients, launches, partnerships, major life changes) follow the same principles—just on a deeper level. She talks more about this in the full episode of the Go Get Great podcast, which you can listen to here:
Why Your Action Might Not Be Landing (Even If You’re “Doing Everything Right”)
It can be frustrating to do the marketing work, build the offer, post consistently, show up… and still feel like results are delayed.
The energy–mindset–action model offers a different question:
“What is the system doing underneath my actions?”
Because your actions are not just behaviours. They’re signals from your internal world.
If your energy is anxious, scattered, or resentful, your mindset may be running invisible scripts like:
“No one will buy anyway.”
“I need to catch up—I'm behind.”
“If I bring in more clients, I won’t cope.”
“I’m not the kind of person who gets that.”
And once those scripts are running, your “manifestation” becomes a loop: you take action to try to fix the feelings—while the feelings insist nothing is safe.
When energy and mindset align, action gets lighter. Opportunities feel like they move toward you—not because you forced them, but because you’re no longer blocking the signal.
Getting Started with Energy Work in Business (Without Overcomplicating It)
If you’re skeptical about energy and manifestation, you might be thinking, “Okay, but what do I actually do?”
That’s a fair question.
Here’s a simple entry point: meditation and self-reflection.
Not the complicated, hour-long kind that sounds intimidating—just a few minutes to notice what’s going on inside you. Because energetics isn’t something brand new. It’s something humans have always been doing.
Think about how babies react to the energy in a room. Or how you can walk away from certain people feeling “off,” as if you need a reset. You don’t have to label it to recognize it.
The modern coaching language might be new, but the awareness is ancient—and honestly, common sense.
If you don’t want to go deep right away, start here:
Take 5 minutes before you do business work and ask: “How am I feeling?”
Notice what your body is doing (tightness, heaviness, calm, excitement).
Then choose your next action based on alignment, not urgency.
Also: don’t get pulled into the marketing-y noise. If a manifestation framework doesn’t resonate with you, it’s okay to cherry-pick what’s true.
The core principle is simple: Feel into what’s happening, then act from alignment.
Manifestation for Entrepreneurs: The “Make Space” Method
One of the most practical pieces of advice for manifestation—especially for new clients—is not to obsess over what you want.
It’s to make space for what you want to actually arrive.
Emma challenged a common belief: that some manifestations are “easier” than others.
For example, going to get coffee might feel easy compared to getting new clients. But what if new clients were just as “simple” in principle?
Maybe the difference isn’t the universe—it’s your inner capacity and your energy field.
So the question becomes: What needs to shift so there is room for this?
For relationships, that might mean releasing old emotional patterns or letting go of what no longer fits.
For clients, it might mean doing some deeper inner work so you actually feel able to hold what you’re requesting.
Here are three ways to “make space” that don’t require you to pretend you’re already receiving everything:
Clear what’s heavy: release baggage, self-doubt, or emotional overload that blocks reception.
Build capacity: notice whether you have the bandwidth—time, energy, emotional stability—to take on more.
Surround yourself with the frequency you want: who you hang out with (online or offline) influences your identity and expectations.
When you lift heavier energies out of your field, new things start showing up. Not always instantly, but more consistently. And it feels more like flow than strain.
The Deeper Part Most People Skip: Manifestation Is Healing
You might have noticed that the best results happen when you stop trying to “think your way” into success and start looking at what you’re carrying underneath.
Emma’s approach emphasizes that manifestation isn’t only attraction techniques or positive thinking. It’s inner work—healing the root causes that keep you from receiving.
That’s why people can do affirmations for weeks and feel like nothing changes. If the core belief isn’t addressed, your system keeps protecting you from a reality you don’t yet feel safe holding.
Healing, in this context, looks like:
knowing what belief is running in the background
clearing energetic interference
reprogramming your identity so receiving feels possible
And that’s how “miracles” open up—not as random luck, but as the natural result of alignment.
Act as If (But Make It Feel True)
Yes—“act as if” is a classic manifestation principle.
But here’s the version that actually helps: don’t just pretend. prepare and rehearse.
Emma suggests a version that works really well for client attraction. If you want five new clients, ask:
What would your diary look like?
What marketing time would you hold?
How would you dress and show up?
What would consistency look like?
Then act as if you’re already ready—because you are preparing the ground. The magic is that consistency becomes easier when you believe you can hold what you’re inviting.
What About When You Feel Overwhelmed or Behind?
If you’ve been trying to manifest clients but you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or behind, you don’t need to shame yourself.
In fact, overwhelmed energy often shows you exactly what’s missing: readiness and capacity.
Emma described a common pattern: people chase “I need new clients” from a stressed place, and the anxious energy makes it harder to connect with opportunities.
Instead, you want to ask: “What is the version of me that can receive clients?”
Sometimes the answer is surprising and simple: it might be that you need deep self-care time first.
Or maybe you need to simplify your offer or reduce your workload so you can take clients without breaking down.
That doesn’t mean “wait forever.” It means align with your capacity.
And if nothing is landing, it may not be failure—it may be timing. Emma talked about how sometimes when “clients aren’t coming,” it’s because your system isn’t ready to hold them yet. Then life events shift and suddenly capacity and opportunities appear.
That’s why trust matters: not blind optimism, but trust in a bigger intelligence and your ability to adapt.
Resiliency as an Entrepreneur: It’s a Choice
Manifestation is one piece of the puzzle. But entrepreneurship includes messy chapters—rejections, cash-flow weirdness, stalled momentum, unexpected curveballs.
So where does resiliency fit?
Emma offered a powerful reframe: resiliency isn’t only a personality trait. It’s a choice.
You choose what energy you give. You choose whether you develop strength in yourself.
She also explained that there are “two ways” to be resilient:
Resiliency from strength in self: knowing who you are, what you stand for, and continuing even on crappy days.
Resiliency from experimentation: trying things, failing quickly, learning fast, and not giving up because the first attempt didn’t work.
When entrepreneurs quit too soon, it’s often because they didn’t choose resiliency—or they didn’t realize how quickly experiments could rebuild momentum.
And if you’re currently in a hard season, this is your permission slip: keep going, but also adjust the plan. Alignment and experimentation go together.
Upper Limits: The Hidden Reason Your Manifestation Fizzles
If you’ve ever manifested something positive… and then sabotaged it, panicked, got sick, or suddenly dropped into old patterns, you may be running into something called upper limits.
Upper limits are unconscious “self-imposed ceilings” on how good things can be.
You can do everything “right” to create growth, and then when you start receiving more, your nervous system reacts as if success is unsafe.
Emma referenced concepts from The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. In the simplest terms, upper limits are about this unconscious question: “How much goodness will I allow before something feels like it needs to go wrong?”
She described patterns like:
Waiting for the other shoe to drop
Going from “really good” to “suddenly not okay”
Making a big launch, then getting overwhelmed or unwell
Experiencing a growth month, then dropping hard because your body isn’t used to it
Upper limits often show up when you’re expanding but your subconscious is still protecting the old identity.
That’s why healing and reprogramming are essential. If you don’t address the deeper beliefs, you can attract success—and then your system tries to correct it back to “safe.”
Shiny Object Syndrome: When Your Energy Gets Split
Let’s talk about shiny object syndrome—because entrepreneurs especially are susceptible.
One week you’re obsessed with a course, the next week you’re obsessed with a new strategy, then you’re chasing an app, then a funnel, then a fresh content style.
It’s not that any of those things are “bad.”
But the problem is this: shiny object syndrome is usually a sign that your energy is scattered. Emma described it as focusing on distractions while you lose energy away from what actually matters.
Instead, the goal is to bring your attention back to “needle movers”—the actions that shift your business and your growth.
Her advice was to:
test things quickly (so you learn faster)
avoid getting stuck in other people’s drama
release energy that isn’t yours
decide what’s worth your time
That “worthiness” part matters. Because if your energy is low, you’ll reach for stimulation. If your energy is clear, you’ll be able to stick with the process that brings results.
Decision Making: Clear Your Energy First
Decision fatigue is real. Especially if you’re sensitive, intuitive, or easily impacted by other people’s emotions.
Emma explained a framework for decision-making that starts with energy clearance.
Her process goes like this:
Clear off any energy interference (because it’s easy to pick up what isn’t yours).
Ask if you have enough information—if not, don’t force a yes/no.
Use a “shelf” approach for ideas that aren’t ready.
Plant the seed and revisit when it feels time-appropriate.
That’s why you can make better choices —when you haven’t absorbed noise from your phone, clients, and the world and you're not rushing to make decisions.
How to Manage “Not Right Now” Ideas (Without Losing Your Mind)
If you’re a person who gets inspired all the time (hello, shiny ideas!) but struggles to pause them, you’re going to love this strategy.
Emma suggests not treating everything as urgent, and not treating everything as a yes/no choice.
Instead, you can:
store ideas in a “not right now” shelf
ask for timing—intuitively, energetically, or through your inner guidance
allow gestation time
She shared an example from her own journey: she had intuitive downloads and ideas for her membership program years before it fully came together. It wasn’t forced. It developed when she was ready and qualified enough to hold it.
That’s an important lesson: some manifestations can’t be rushed because your system (skills, identity, energetic capacity) needs to catch up.
Quick Manifestation Tips You Can Use Today
If you want manifestation to feel less confusing and more grounded, here are practical steps drawn from the energy–mindset–action approach:
1) Tune into your energy before you work
Before marketing, content creation, or client outreach, ask: “How am I feeling right now?” If you’re anxious, scattered, or heavy, don’t pretend you’re fine—clear and reset first.
2) Identify your core belief blocks
Sometimes it’s not that you lack ideas—it’s that you don’t fully believe you’re worthy of what you’re asking for.
Try journaling prompts like:
“What do I believe about myself that affects how clients choose me?”
“What would I be afraid would happen if I brought in more clients?”
“What part of me needs reassurance before I can receive?”
3) Make space for reception
Release baggage. Improve capacity. Build the environment where receiving feels natural.
4) Act as if—through preparation
Hold spots in your calendar. Rehearse consistency. Show up as the version of you who is capable of receiving.
5) Test ideas quickly to reduce shiny object syndrome
Try things for a short window, then learn. Don’t keep cycling through new strategies without measuring what helps.
6) Treat “not yet” as a valid answer
Some decisions aren’t binary. Put the idea on the shelf and revisit later when you feel clarity.
A Real-Life Example: The Manifestation That Felt “Obvious” Only in Hindsight
Emma shared a beautiful example of manifestation—her engagement after releasing an old relationship pattern.
She didn’t just “hope.” She created a detailed list of what she wanted in a partner. And interestingly, the universe didn’t always respond with a perfect match right away.
Instead, she experienced people who looked right on paper—but weren’t emotionally available or aligned.
At first, she thought the list wasn’t working.
Then she realized the list was training her system. It was helping her see herself more clearly and refine what she truly wanted.
So the manifestation wasn’t a one-hit wonder. It was a process of alignment.
And this technique is useful for entrepreneurs too: If you want clients, define your standards. Write them down—about the type of people you serve, what collaboration feels like, what outcomes you help them reach. Then hold those standards with intention.
That way, you’re not just attracting “anyone.” You’re attracting the version of the right fit that can actually work long-term.
FAQ: Manifestation Questions People Actually Ask
What does manifestation mean, exactly?
In the energy–mindset–action approach, manifestation means aligning your internal signal (energy and beliefs) with your external choices (actions and consistency) so that opportunities can meet you where you are—and where you’re becoming.
Does manifestation really work if I’m skeptical?
It can. Even if you don’t fully “buy into” spiritual language, you can still apply the practical side: notice your emotional state, update your beliefs, and take aligned action. Those steps often lead to measurable change—regardless of what framework you believe.
Why do I attract things that don’t last?
One common reason is “upper limits.” Your subconscious may see success as unsafe because your nervous system is used to an older identity. Addressing beliefs and capacity can help you receive more consistently.
Do I need to meditate to manifest?
Meditation is a helpful way to tune into your energy and reset. But it doesn’t have to be your only tool. Journaling, breathwork, quiet self-reflection, and energy-clearing practices can also help you align.
Is manifestation just positive thinking?
Not in this approach. Positive thinking alone can miss the root causes. Manifestation becomes more effective when you do inner work (healing, belief shifts, energetic alignment) and then take action that matches who you’re becoming.
How do I manifest clients without burning out?
Start by asking what version of you can receive clients with capacity. Simplify your systems, clear anxious energy, and “act as if” through preparation—not desperation. Also, make space for recovery so your energy field supports consistent growth.
Final Thoughts: Stop Forcing It—Start Aligning
If you’ve been trying to manifest success and it feels like you’re stuck, here’s the likely issue:
You’re trying to force external results without fully aligning the internal system that creates your choices.
When you clear energy, update mindset, and take aligned action, you don’t just “hope” anymore—you participate.
And that’s what makes manifestation feel real.
So if you’re wondering does manifestation really work, don’t just look for evidence outside yourself—look at what changes when you:
tune in to your energy
notice what beliefs are running
act from readiness instead of fear
Because the moment you start doing that, your life stops being something that happens to you—and starts becoming something you consciously create. For more info connect with Emma on Instagram and check out more episodes of the Go Get Great podcast.
Episode References
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00:00 Intro 2:10 Your energy mindset and action 5:11 Getting started with energy in your business 8:22 Manifestation 11:45 Tips to getting the right frequency 19:28 Resiliency as an entrepreneur 23:00 Defining upper limits 27:40 Working with clients 34:30 Sharing the best thing we've manifested 37:35 Shiny object syndrome as an entrepreneur 42:35 Decision making 48:20 Wrap up
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