How to Use the Law of Attraction to Thrive in Your Career

By Krista Gray

Brit+Co, June 24, 2018 —

You’ve probably noticed that being positive can tend to bring good results into your life, whether you’ve been penning affirmations or treating yourself and others with compassion.

We talked with Christy Whitman, author of Quantum Success: 7 Essential Laws for a Thriving, Joyful, and Prosperous Relationship with Work and Money, about why and how what we put out into the world comes back to us — and how we can use the Law of Attraction to find professional success.

Christy Whitman

“The Law of Attraction is a universal principle, much like gravity, which is based on the premise that like attracts like,” Whitman tells us.

“Our personal and professional success is the combined energy of our thoughts, feelings, moods, attitudes, and expectations that we broadcast out into the world. This gathers energies that are harmonic or resonant in frequency; when Buddha made the observation that ‘As a man thinketh, so he becomes,’ he was talking about this.”

Whitman expands upon the idea that we can help attract and create the success we want rather than just receiving random results. “So many times, we may think we’re sending out positive energy and attention towards the vision we want to unfold, when in actuality we’re weakening the strength of our vision with the energy of pessimism and doubt,” she says. “Just as you can’t dwell on a problem and simultaneously be receptive to its solution, you can’t move toward your desired future while your attention is fixated on present circumstances that are less than satisfying.” If you can relate to this mode, you’re not alone: Whitman assures that it’s pretty common. “Day in and day out, many of us manifest the same predictable results and the same predictable problems.” But you can try something else.

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4 WAYS TO USE THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IN YOUR CAREER

To create a future unlike anything you’ve known before, you have to break free from the past. “Generate a new momentum and tell a new story,” Whitman advises. “Narrate the story of your success rather than the story of your failures.” Here are four scenarios where you can give it a go.

1. Starting a Job Search: According to Whitman, envisioning your ideal position is a key step you should take before you even start your job search. Not only will doing this help you hone in on what you want, but it’ll assist you in identifying your deeper needs aside from the basics. “See yourself feeling happy, prosperous, and at the top of your professional game; are your needs and wants met in this imagined reality?” she says. “If this vision were already fulfilled, would you have more security, more freedom from worry, or a simpler life? What qualities or feelings do you believe you would have greater access to? Would you experience more inner peace, love, self-esteem, satisfaction, or happiness?” Whitman says to cultivate these feelings and be open to experiencing the amazement of the right opportunities that pop up in response.

2. During the Interview Process: Start your interview process on the right foot by imagining you already have a thriving relationship with your future employer. Taking a trip down memory lane to pluck out previous career moments can be a useful exercise in this case. “Try to see that each time you dreamed about doing work that fulfills you or felt dissatisfied in a job was to get more clarification about what you want and deserve in your career. Take a few minutes before the interview to feel gratitude for the understanding that you have now, and trust that you will be guided to the perfect environment that will foster your growth and make the most of your innate talents,” Whitman suggests. She also says that letting your gut instincts guide you while interviewing is very important. “Listen to yourself and know that your goal isn’t to win acceptance but to find work that is a good match for who you are and what you have to offer.”

3. Dealing With Office Drama: A toxic culture can make going to work absolutely miserable. Whitman has some advice for how to begin to shift this dynamic into something more positive. “If you’re stuck with difficult people or unhealthy work conditions, take some time to imagine that you have never before met your colleagues and visualize formerly hostile collaborators as people who are valuable on your team,” she advises. Not sure how to do this? “Task yourself with finding something positive in a person you find difficult, and make sure that the thoughts, words, and gestures you communicate to them are supportive and encourage your new standard,” she says. “Challenging relationships can give us the opportunity to overcome… our own limited ways of thinking. When we are open to others as resourceful, helpful, or brilliant, it’s amazing how often they will rise to our expectation.”

4. Starting a New Side Hustle While Still Employed: Looking to do your own thing? Whitman says to manage your energy reserves carefully as you begin to set the wheels in motion. “If you’re transitioning from your day job, you might feel tempted to withdraw your energy from everything except the most important stuff so you can apply yourself to your new project or passion,” she notes. “This approach could cause you to miss helpful wisdom that could be useful later.” Drawing on her own experience, she recounts a micromanaging boss who loved to challenge her. “Thanks to this person, I learned one of the most valuable lessons of my career and life, which is that I have the power to choose how I’ll respond to any situation. This wisdom became the cornerstone of the message I share as an author and a coach!”