Okay, you’ve seen or heard the Secret, you’re inspired to start using the Law of Attraction, but don’t know where to begin. Or maybe you’re wondering if it’s too good to be true, and want to test it out yourself. Here’s three easy steps to get started in exercising your deliberate creation powers.

Instead of reading every book on the topic or subscribing to expensive programs, with just a few tips you can begin experiencing the magic of conscious creation. Start with a practice project to not only build your manifesting muscle, but also have a lot of fun.

What’s a practice project? It’s a low-stakes item you choose to manifest strictly for fun. Many who are newly excited about the Law of Attraction want to immediately change their jobs, improve their health, transform relationships, get rich, etc. But when we start with something we’ve struggled with for some time, we handicap our manifesting efforts before we get out of the starting gate.

Which is where your practice project comes in. Follow these steps to begin experiencing the ease of deliberate creation:

Choose a practice project. Get something in mind that’s unique and out of the ordinary enough that you don’t see it every day, so when you DO see or experience it, you’ll know it’s a result of your manifesting. Ideally it will be something you look forward to or could enjoy, since the emotional factor helps bring your project to fruition quickly.

Projects some of my clients have had fun with include: unusual license plates, antique cars, specific songs, celebrities, clothing items, certain animals, cards in the mail, phone calls from old acquaintances, specific foods, flowers, etc. Again, choose something that brings you pleasure at the thought of, since the pleasant emotions add power to the process.

Imagine it. Next, simply imagine experiencing, seeing, tasting, touching and/or hearing the thing you’ve chosen as your practice project. For just a half minute or so, visualize what it will feel like to experience this thing. Imagine your surprise or delight when you see it; hear your laugh out loud as you realize it’s just what you’ve been manifesting; in your mind, pretend it’s happening for real.

Do that a couple of times throughout the day for the next few days, whenever you think about it. Again, the stronger the emotion you can replicate as you imagine experiencing your practice project, the better.

Keep an easy eye out. Now simply be on the lookout for your item. Don’t worry how it will appear – that’s the Universe’s job. Also, don’t be attached as to how it shows up. Be prepared to be surprised. Your work is just to relax and enjoy the thought of having this thing while you keep an easy eye out for it.

If you find yourself getting anxious because you don’t know how it will happen, or worry it hasn’t happened yet, consciously let go of those stressful thoughts and feelings. Your item will manifest when you’re feeling good about it. Anxiety keeps it from showing up. (Which is why practice projects work so well – because we’re less likely to have anxiety about seeing our “purple blanket” than our “annual raise” or “perfect body.”)

How long will it take? After you think about your practice project regularly and with pleasant emotion for several days, you will likely see evidence of it coming within 1-2 weeks. The key is to refrain from thinking thoughts like, “Where is it?” or noticing “It’s still not here.” Those thoughts are show-stoppers.

Here’s what this process looked like in action for a new client:

Thomas chose a free movie ticket as his practice project. He imagined the pleasure he would feel in accepting the free ticket, and smiled as he anticipated the happy result. He held this image briefly in mind a couple of times.

That day at work a colleague offered him a ticket to a live show. It wasn’t a free ticket, and it wasn’t a movie, but it made him think of his practice project. Thomas later smiled to learn the theme for the performance was “TV and film.” After work he noticed a promotional display at the store offering a free movie ticket for purchasing ten candy bars. He didn’t buy the candy, but knew the Universe had heard his request.

In the next day’s mail, Thomas’ laundry service offered a free movie pass to renew his membership. On his answering machine was an invite from an old friend to attend the symphony – the theme for the performance was “Academy Awards.”

The next day Thomas won free tickets on the radio to a Los Angeles theater awards show. At dinner that night, a friend mentioned the local grocery store was offering two free movie tickets for purchasing ten frozen items. A few days later, another friend invited him to a free screening of an independent film. Then he heard the radio ad for the free movie tickets at the grocery store; got a 30 day pass to an online movie site; and his AMC membership sent him free movie tickets for sneak previews.

This is an over the top example of how easy and fun deliberate creation can be when we let it. So again, choose something you’d enjoy, imagine it now and again without being attached to how it’ll appear, and keep an easy eye out for it. Happy manifesting!