Sing: 'Tis the season to be bling bling, tra la la la la la la la la...' If you, like most, live in the commercially driven world, then gold, frankincense and a Gucci watch are the order of the day (oh yes, and goodwill to all men, of course, especially if they come bearing that Gucci watch!).

I was working with a client recently and asked the usual "What stops you?" question.

After thinking for a second she replied, "I'm not sure. I'll apply the Paris Hilton test."

"What's that?" I enquired. "Well," she said, "she's so carefree, childlike. Paris doesn't have to worry about the consequences of her dreams the way I do."

She's right. Paying the mortgage or the gas bill probably don't make it on to her 'done' list very often. What this means is she's free to make some excellent business decisions and choices that are based only on her desired outcome.

So what would my client do if she had the same financial freedom? "I'd still work but I'd be a much better boss if I didn't have to worry about playing the game. I'd also do a much better job if I was less worried about the repercussions."

What would you do if you knew you didn't have to worry about the consequences?

Christmas is a time for children and we can learn so much from them. The main lesson being that they may be small but they think big. I remember dreams of being an astronaut or sailing vast oceans.

Which dreams would you love to pursue? What stops you? Which artificial barriers are you putting between you and your dreams? Most people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in a decade. Imagine yourself with your dream complete, then look back and see just how far you've come and how easily you have overcome the obstacles. I'm sure you've overcome many challenges in your life and when you look back they don't seem as bad now.

So, here's your holiday homework. Make a list of three things you've successfully overcome, revisit each of these and make the memories as big, bright and bold as you can. Feel how good it feels to succeed in spite of the difficulty. Now make a list of the artificial barriers you'll overcome in the new year. Flick between the lists and transfer the good feelings to the future challenges.

I'm not really one for New Year resolutions but the festive season offers you the time to refocus on your dreams. Have a good one this Christmas and remember to act small and think big.



Ali Campbell is a life coach and NLP master