I love this time of year. I enjoy Christmas and the special feelings that come with it. It is fun to help other people and show love to friends and family. However, I am finding myself already thinking about the new year and all the things I want to accomplish and experience. I look forward to the fresh start and goal setting that comes with the beginning of a brand new year.

Dr. David Schwartz, in his book, The Magic of Thinking Big, speaks about how to think and dream creatively. He says the first step to do anything is to believe that it can be done. According to him, “Believing something can be done sets the mind in motion to find a way to do it.” Dr. Schwartz proposes that traditional thinking “freezes your mind” and “blocks your progress.” He offers three ways to fight traditional thinking: “1. Become receptive to ideas. 2. Be an experimental person. 3. Be progressive, not regressive.” He says that “successful people, like successful businesses, live with the questions: ‘How can I improve the quality of my performance? How can I do better?’”

I used the exercise he wrote in this chapter just this morning on my way to work. I asked myself, “How can I do a better job today? How can I increase my productivity?” Dr. Schwartz says that “Capacity is a state of mind. How much we can do depends on how much we think we can do.” When we think we can do more, our mind begins finding the way to do it. I believe this is an effective technique. I have had an extremely productive day today.