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This week I've decided to let friends and family stand for the social invites. In other words, as long as no one invites me to do something, I will concentrate on work, getting some excersise done and catching up on reading I've longed for. Just because you are used to doing all at once doesn't mean you always have to!

It's a way to concentrate that can make you very calm. Leaving things up to others sometimes is something one should practice, especially if you and everyone else are used to you taking charge.

Think, are you one to take charge or one to always follow? Do the opposite for a week or two.

If you're one not to take charge:

• arrange a dinner for 6-12 people at home
• make a cocktail-date with friends
• call an old friend
• write 5 emails to people you miss
• send a spontaneous postcard to a friend.
• Invite friends for some pottering like scrapbooking, making a travelphotoalbum, making jewelry, make dreamboards together
• play games: wether it's boardgames, cards or something outdoor

If you're one to always take charge:

• make a list of things you want to do that doesn't involve others. like exercising, reading, cleaning up, organizing your home, go to an exhibition
• let others know that you won't be taking charge for social events and planning this weeks, but that you gladly can attend theirs
• take out the books you want to read
• rent a movie you wouldn't watch with anyone else
• organize your work and try to stick to a plan with someting rewarding for yourself each night.
• only answer the cellphone if you want to!

The weekend has been busy for me. But mostly in a nice, non-workrelated way. I've been celebrating Midsummer, the swedish summerfestival together with friends and loved ones in a rainy, rainy stockholm.

Me and my James Dean even managed to squeeze in a lovley dinner-and-a-movie night out. Starting with dinner at Raw, a asian grill- and sushirestaurant, and then continued with a swedish film based on the books of Stieg Larsson.

Today I'm planning a trip to Gothenburg (Göteborg) to meet a friend of mine for dinners and nightlife but also to do some research while down there for my designerbrand, Xue Mei Rhodin. But ofcourse, I've got a million other things to do, like bying supplies and writing budgets and eventplans.

Making small or large events is a great way to strengthen you image, your brand or just for the simple reason that things you do, like go to an event, is more often spoken about in private- and business-relationships than a brand or person you've met. It's just the way we function now a days.

Happenings, event, show, exibition, gathering, meeting, forum, intermezzo, fixture, market, showdown, tournament, adventure, episode, party, opening, premiere, release, revival.

Many think that "Should I really? what can my company have a party around? What if no-one comes?". But really, you can have a party or gathering about almost anything, wether it's a new product, a new area of business you expanding to or a way to meet others in you business.

Some tips are:

• Always be overdressed. Then everyone will know it's you hosting the party and you get a slight "upperhand" on the situation.
• Always have something that people can do, eat, read, drink or listen to. Wether it's wine, interesting pictures, folders, a band, a speaker ect, it's will make an excellent starting point for conversation and having something to do makes people relax when mingeling around with unknown people. If it's something new, refreshing, funny, surpricing and interesting, even better! Goodiebags and samples together with folders ect is a great way to get people to "take you company with them" when leaving the event.
  
• Choose an easy-access place to meet (If it's not a treasurehunt or course...) and always include a map or road description with the invitation.
• Designed, fresh invitations are to prefer to email-lists and facebook, though this can be included too as an extra! Make sure atleast the most important customers or visitors get proper, old-fashioned invitations!

When it comes to location: You don't have to rent a 30 000 dollars/night event- or showroom. Sometimes having private gatherings in you home makes your loyal customers and buyers see what an open and hostpitable person you are. A great example is an wine-exporter from Argentina who had an private winetasting at her home.

Other ways to find cool and odd showrooms are to call brokers who have down-town apartments up for sale. An empty upper-eastside apartment makes a very special and flexible showroom. Renting it for a night or two before it's up for renting or sale is often possible of you call the brokers and negotiate with them.

I met the most interesting and nice woman yesterday at my marketingmeeting in the morning. A branding-coach. We're gonna have dinner tomorrow to talks some more. It's gonna be alot of fun.

Want to give you a tip about the HighRise CRM-program**. Everything you need to keep track of customers, collegues, delegate task and recieve tasks from other members of different projects, keep track of you VIPs and organize your work, all from an onlineplatform, available everywhere for you and your collegues or projectmembers. Check it out! Take care of your customers, your business and your time!

**CRM means Customer Relationship Management and such applications and programs involve workprogress, meetingcalendars, reminders, contacts, networking, emailexport and deal-follow-ups.

I feel extremely swedish for a change today. I'm listening to ABBA while working. Very upbeat and motivating I must say.

When working as a designer, consultant, writer, journalist, freelance, or with your own business, remember to listen to music that motivates you!

listening to the radio might seem like a good choice, but it's not! commersial, radiotalkers disrupting you train of thought and an uneven flow of song you like or those you don't like. When working long hours at the studio with the collection together with my assistant we listen to everything from the latest summer house-songs to Glamorous by Fergie. It makes you stay energized longer and keeps us singing along half of the working hours! Music is a great way to create a positive and energized workflow, just as the wrong music can do the opposite!

Classical music makes you calm and collected and those days you have a headache, cello- or pian-music is great. My tips are:

• Yo Yo Ma Mozart

• Ludivicio Enaudi
• Satie
• Michael Nyman.

Music that makes you and your co-workers feel happy and which are a bit summer-fresh and fun:

• Maia Hirasawa
• Lily Allen
• Robyn
• Amanda Jensen.
• ABBA

If your in for the more energetic and a bit off kick-ass songs i would suggest a playlist with:

• When I Grow Up - Pussycat Dolls
• I can't get no satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
• Live your life - Rihanna
• Winning Woman - Rihanna
• Glamorous - Fergie
• Independent Woman - Destiny's Child
• Survivor - Destiny's Child
• Fighter - Christina Aguilera.

If you after music with a smooth but energizing flow I would suggest The Classical Soul Collection that includes everything from Aretha franklin to The Supremes. Or Melody Gardot and Norah Jones.

There is an important part of being a achiever and career-chaser that most forget. Be satisfied and happy with what you've got. Because if you don't have the confidence to love your current self and your current life, you won't either when you achieve those high stake-goals that you painted on your bedroom ceiling. 

I believe that an important part in being successful is to learn the trick to be happy and satisfied. I've worked every sunday the last year and I still manage to be happy sunday afternoon. Because when I'm tired sunday morning after a dinner or party with friends, I remember just that, I'm tired because I had a great time with friends last night and didn't want to go home.

Keeping good moments in life, and remembering them by photos, texts you wrote about it, emails, postcards or textmessages will keep you off the victim-thoughts. To keep some kind of order, the best thing is to have a Happybox. That should be full with all your fun and proud moments.

Thinking you are the victim of (your own!) actions is the most destructive force in life. This is what keeps great people in a loop of unhappiness and unsatisfaction. You decide everything in you life, because you decide what you reaction and actions will be. This also mean that it's you who let yourself be in a loveless relationship or an underpaid job. Only you can change your life, actions and reactions. I can for example, only inspire you.

Well, I will continue on this subject later. Now I've got a breakfast meeting with my assistant.