Manifesting vs. premortems

I’ve always been a manifestor.

For me, it’s about turning a thought into something real. Setting an intention, holding it, and then watching it shape reality.

I’ve manifested many things in my life: the relationships I wanted, the places I dreamed of living or visiting, the work I aspired to do.

Manifesting is the practice of visualization and a positive mindset to attract desired outcomes.

Of course, not everything comes exactly as I imagined. Sometimes the universe says “no” or “not yet” and reroutes me toward something even better — or something that fits me more closely.

But the act of manifesting keeps me moving forward with clarity and energy.

When I’m asked to do a premortem

So when I’m asked to do a premortem at work, I freeze up inside.

The exercise is designed with good intentions. It gives people a safe space to voice their fears and concerns. The idea is to imagine a project has failed, then work backwards to identify what could have caused it.

For many, that’s valuable. It sharpens risk awareness and surfaces blind spots from different perspectives.

I get it.

But for me? It feels like manifesting failure.

My thoughts are energy. My energy shapes my outcomes.

So why would I spend time envisioning all the ways something could fall apart?

That feels like pouring fuel into the wrong fire.

I’d rather look forward

Instead, I choose to save that energy for manifesting success.

Yes, some would say it’s optimistic. But I’d rather set a clear vision of what’s possible, commit my intention to it, and pour my efforts and creativity into bringing it alive.

And when things don’t go perfectly — because let’s be real, they rarely do — that’s when the retrospective becomes my tool of choice.

It’s a chance to look back, reflect honestly, and ask ourselves:

What did we like?

What did we learn?

What was missing?

What do we wish for?

Or simply: What should we start, stop, and continue doing?

Intention + reflection

To me, retrospectives honor the spirit of manifesting. They recognize that we aimed for something, we tried, and now it’s time to look forward and refine.

Premortems fixate on failure before it even happens.

Retrospectives embrace reality — and then help us move forward with better energy.

So while premortems may work for some, I’ll keep my focus on manifesting the outcome I want, and reflecting once the story has been written.

Progress comes from intention + reflection.

Not rehearsing failure.