You should never underestimate the power of positive thinking, but you shouldn’t overestimate it either. Young people strapped with debt, priced out of housing and watching their wages lose ground to inflation might be tempted to believe they can just wish it all away, especially when all it takes is a quick trip down TikTok’s #MoneyManifestation rabbit hole to convince them they can.
With stars like Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa publicly professing their belief in the power of manifestation — willing desires into reality by writing, saying and thinking them — why shouldn’t the paycheck-to-paycheck masses try wishing their way to wealth?
Unfortunately, in personal finance, positive thinking only works when it’s backed up with hard work, discipline and consistency. According to the experts, simply wishing to be richer won’t actually get you any closer to being rich.
Wishing Your Way to Wealth
TikTok has no shortage of #MoneyManifestation influencers and wannabes who claim to have received life-changing “abundant wealth” by “realigning their vibration” and “priming themselves to receive riches” by adopting a “prosperity mindset.”
These influencers do this by visualizing the houses, assets, bank accounts and lifestyles they’re sure they deserve. To seal the deal, they take steps such as ritualistically writing or speaking affirmations and mantras, like “Money flows to me easily and effortlessly,” or simply “I am rich!”
And then, poof! A few days later, they’re apparently thousands of dollars richer. Outside of TikTok though, it doesn’t really work that way.
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If Only It Were That Simple
Improving your finances can be daunting due to the sacrifices and commitments required to overcome obstacles like eliminating debt and cutting spending. The lure of #MoneyManifestation is that it promises an effortless way around all that unpleasantness. The problem? No such way exists.
“People want instant gratification, and that is why the Manifest Money trend blew up,” said Taylor Kovar, certified financial planner (CFP) and CEO at 11 Financial. “It gives you the feeling of progress without the actual work.
“But money does not grow because you wish for it,” continued Kovar. “It grows because you put in the effort. What people don’t see from those who actually succeed are the late nights, the early mornings, the sacrifices and the moments when you show up even when you are tired.”
Ravi Parikh, CFO and managing director of Parikh Financial, agreed.
“The trend encourages people to believe that they can make vast sums of money without working hard,” he said. “It offers the false promise that anyone can make money simply by visualizing wealth and cultivating a positive outlook. It completely overlooks widely accepted factors like debt, inflation and employment challenges.”
Seek Money Advice Worth Following
Instead of falling for the get-rich-quick TikTok trends, the experts recommend seeking out the many influencers providing actionable insights on real-world financial betterment, even if their message isn’t as comforting.
“The advice worth following online is the stuff that points you toward the real grind,” said Kovar.
Not only is manifesting not a plausible proactive step, but it can actually generate momentum in the wrong direction through lost time and negative compounding.
“Social media influencers can influence people to postpone practical steps, such as budgeting, saving and investing, and instead wait for the manifestation to work,” warned Parikh.
If you find yourself wishing for wealth, try looking for credible, credentialed influencers who specialize in challenging but critical topics like:
- Budgeting
- Cost-cutting
- Side hustles
- Retirement planning
- Debt reduction
- Tax strategies
- Saving and investing
Theirs is the advice that will help you truly understand your money and how to make it grow.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Experts Warn TikTok’s ‘Money Manifestation’ Trend Is a Myth
