Where are our TikTokanese language experts at?! If you’re an avid user of the platform you’ve probably been overwhelmed by the phrase “manifestation.” Manifest this, manifest that… Give it a mani-rest! 😂 But what if we told you that we have a major plot twist: it actually works! 👀
The recipe to achieving any goal is: half having a positive mindset and half putting in the work (we have a resource page for that!). If you’re struggling with taking the first steps towards pursuing a career in accounting -- think researching the right college program or applying to internships -- it might be because you’re in need of a mindset shift. Mindset, although seemingly unrelated to action, actually has the biggest influence on your behaviors. If you’re always expecting the worst, you will attract the worst to happen. However, if you’re always expecting the best… you see where we’re going with this? This is where manifestation comes in clutch.
Check out our favorite manifestation tools you can use to help make your accounting goals a reality.
- Start with a clear vision of what you want. It’s nearly impossible to reach that goal if you don’t know what it looks like.
This can be done using several different techniques. One being an established fan favorite – the vision board. Use online images or magazine clippings to help piece together what you want your future to look like. If you know you want to go to Illinois State’s accounting program, have a picture of their campus and logo to remind you every day what you’re working towards. Whether you make a poster or an online version, put it somewhere where you can look at it often and be inspired to keep going.
The other technique is daydreaming. How ironic that the action that our parents are always telling us to snap out of, might actually be what can make us successful at achieving our goals. Close your eyes and visualize your dream life as you want it to happen. If you want an internship at a specific accounting firm, imagine your name and picture on an office ID, consider what you want your first day fit to be, envision your desk setup, think of questions you’ll want to ask your coworkers and boss, and picture your bank account after payday (fun fact: accounting internships are almost always paid – don’t spend it all on one Amazon cart, please). You can even go one step further and print out a blank check from the internet and write in the amount you want to be paid each month.
- Write it into existence. Write a letter to your future self with a future date. In it, recap everything that you want to have accomplished by the date of the letter, but put it in past tense. Look at the letter on a monthly basis and refresh it quarterly or halfway through the year with new goals you want to accomplish.
See our example using a January 1, 2024 deadline:
"2023 was a great year. I got A’s in all of my accounting courses and made the Dean’s List. My days were spent running from class to my dream internship where I learned so many new techniques and skills to add to my resume. My managers were so impressed with my performance that I was offered a position after graduation. This year I also had the opportunity to become the President of my school’s NABA chapter and after attending their national convention I found an amazing mentor with a similar background as mine. She’s introduced me to a lot of other accounting professionals who have taught me so much about the different opportunities in the field. I am so excited for next year where I’ll be interning at another amazing firm after getting an introduction from my mentor.”
- Numbers aren’t just for accounting – give numerology a whirl. One thing about accountants? They believe in the power of numbers. Follow their example and consider manifesting using the 10/10/10 method.
How it works:
Start by writing down 10 things that you want in life to help clarify your goals and determine what you're striving towards. Want to land your dream internship at the FBI doing forensic auditing? Or bump your SAT score up 200 points? Write it down!
Next, create a separate list with 10 things that you’re grateful for. Showing gratitude is an important part of the manifestation process. Focusing on what you lack will make you feel like you don’t have enough, which can breed negativity. Instead, remember all the things that you have. Even if you are not working at the exact internship you want at the moment, your experience as a RA or an office assistant are helping to develop your accounting skills. When you’re feeling unmotivated, reflect on everything you’ve achieved so far and get back in your bag!
Last, write a list of 10 things that you love doing – we’re talking hobbies or even the more simple pleasures like watching The Office or eating a seafood boil (crab leg us, please). When you’re having a particularly rough day, consider turning to one of the things on this list.
The New Year is always a new opportunity to be clear about what you want. Not to be corny, but the cliché “you can do anything you set your mind to” exists for a reason. If you think positively, put in the work, and trust the process, then you really can’t lose. Especially in accounting where the opportunities are limitless and the paths are endless.
