Thought I'd just write this little post because it ties in with 'acting as if' however not in a total fantasy way. To get your manifestation, you definitely need to act as if from time to time but you also need to really act as if, meaning, not just the fairytale version, the reality version. I saw my original person out the other day and I watched him for a few moments to see what he's like now; he's pretty much the exact same. It was at a music festival and I saw him talking to a whole bunch of people, hopping around, and ignoring the girl he's with for the most part of it all. I realised....that if I was with him right now, I'd be standing at this music festival quite alone for most of it. That's him, that's how he is, and no it's not that nice actually! But being with someone isn't always roses, being with someone has compromises and a good way of acting as if is to remember all those little things you did while you were with them that you didn't really enjoy much, but finding a way for you to get around that. But what if they came back right now, what if they came back and you had to deal with all those little annoyances again? How would you feel? Do you miss those things? It's actually good to remember those things because a. it's realistic and brings you closer to the manifestation and b. it helps you get over them a bit. 
I think people can only change when they themselves want to change but not because anyone else wants them to change. Just look at Brad and Angelina, he didn't change his weed habits for her even though he said he had it seemed! But you take the bad for the good because no one, not even you, is perfect. But realistic imagining helps bring you into the real vibration of the person, which will attract them. Realistic imagining of anything will take away from the overwhelming excitement and bring into a level of normal, so that it comes to you. Then when you get the manifestation coming to you, you can begin to manifest inside that and make a better relationship, but you do need to attract the person by getting into their actual, realistic vibration first.