I think the time limit is what hung you up, not because it's not possible, but because it creates an attachment. You are testing something that is still a theory to you which means doubt is still in the equation.
Try a more light hearted approach and pick several things to find, or, one of my favorite suggestions is that you send out the intention to witness something very bizarre and that your intuition will alert you when it happens, you will know when it happens without a doubt because you will have an ahaaa moment the instant you see it.
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