I'd suggest surrounding your thoughts with the concept of lucid dreaming. Having it fresh in your mind before going to bed will aid you to a large extent, as what you think about before falling unconscious will carry over into your dreams.

If you're the type that likes to read and learn, how about looking into absolutely everything you can? I spent about a month solidly researching into sleeping and dreaming when I first started. I'd do it when I got home from college, before I went to bed, when I woke up in the morning, etc. Just all the time. Sure enough, within a few weeks I had my first lucid! It will be like nothing else you've ever experienced before when you get lucid for the first time. My main tip for when you do is to STAY CALM as you're going to be very excited, which will most likely prematurely end it for you.