Forget waiting until you’ve landed the job, hit the goal or bought the house – some Brits are celebrating themselves before it happens. Moonpig research suggests that self-celebration can be one way people mark future goals. 11% of 18–24-year-olds say they have written themselves a congratulations card for an achievement they have not yet made, while others report booking celebrations (9%) or buying themselves gifts in advance (8%).
Moonpig research found that more than three quarters (77%) of Brits have tried some form of manifesting, with 32% doing so regularly. For some, it is also a way to physically mark the future they are working towards.
Among 18–24-year-olds, 17% say they always manifest and 11% say they have written themselves a congratulations card as a manifestation method. The most common ambitions reported by Brits are:
Better health (28%)
Money (22%)
Confidence and personal growth (20%)
Travel and holidays (18%)
A new job or promotion (15%)
For people who practise manifestation, the most common reason is to make their ambitions feel more tangible: 21% say it helps them visualise what they want. This is followed by one in five (20%) who say it makes them feel more confident and positive, while 18% say it helps them feel more in control of their future.
To give Brits practical inspiration, Moonpig has teamed up with manifestation coach Roxie Nafousi to share why celebrating yourself early can feel powerful – and why there is no reason to wait until you have achieved something before marking it.
Roxie Nafousi, manifestation coach, said: “Congratulating yourself before you’ve achieved something isn’t about pretending the outcome is guaranteed. It’s about deciding that you believe in yourself before the external proof arrives. When you physically mark that belief by buying yourself a card, choosing a gift or creating a small moment of celebration, it becomes more than a thought in your head. It becomes an action.”
Here are Roxie’s three rules for congratulating yourself before you’ve got there:
Celebrate the commitment, not just the outcome
You don’t need to know exactly when or how something will happen. Congratulate yourself for making the decision to pursue it and for becoming someone who is willing to back yourself. The outcome may still be ahead of you, but your commitment is already worth recognising
Make it physical
Don’t leave the celebration as a passing thought. Buy yourself a card and write the message you hope to receive one day. Choose a meaningful gift, book the dinner or raise a glass. A physical act makes your belief feel real and creates a memory your mind can return to when doubt inevitably creeps in.
Let the celebration strengthen your next action
Early celebration isn’t a replacement for doing the work. It should energise it. Once you’ve marked the moment, ask yourself: If I truly believed this was possible for me, what would I do next? Then take that step. Self-belief becomes powerful when it changes your behaviour.
Rachael Halliday, Marketing Director at Moonpig, said: “I remember sitting down with my best friends at 21, each of us writing down the life we hoped to have by 30 and sealing it away. Our research shows plenty of Brits are doing the same today, and taking it a step further by celebrating their goals before they’ve achieved them – some are even sending themselves a congratulations card in advance.”
“At Moonpig, we love celebrating life’s big and small moments, so partnering with Roxie felt like a natural step towards supporting Brits in celebrating their goals – no matter how big or small.”
Meet the people who celebrated their future goals early.
AIMEE, 30, GLASGOW
Aimee had been practising manifestation for ten years when she set her sights on becoming a published author. After finishing her debut book, The Prison Project, she sent herself a card celebrating the publishing deal she hoped to secure. A week later, she received an offer from The Book Guild.
“That’s what manifesting is. Having unwavering faith and acting as if you’ve already received the success you’re aiming for,” she says. The Prison Project is now available in Waterstones and independent bookshops across the UK.
DAISY, 22, LONDON
After graduating from university, Daisy Kennedy found herself stuck in a cycle of job applications and interviews, waiting to hear back from the role she really wanted. Inspired by a video on Instagram, she decided to act as though she’d already got the job – sending herself a congratulations card reading “Dear Daisy, Congrats on your new job, well deserved! Love from Daisy xx.”
A week later, she received the email confirming that she had landed the role. “I realised I had been offered the role I wanted,” she says. “I had decided that I would no longer let job rejections affect me, and I was already feeling more confident and settled in myself.”
Discover Moonpig’s card collection at: https://www.moonpig.com/uk/
