It’s that time of year again when many of us make new year's resolutions only to break them a couple of weeks later. I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes us reach our goals. I have a lot I want to accomplish this year, but honestly— I don’t believe in resolutions anymore. Those feelings of disappointment and guilt when you don’t reach a goal can be paralyzing and overwhelming. Rather than making a resolution, I’m setting a “focus” for my year instead.
Read moreJansson's Temptation
I can’t forget to give you the recipe to one of your favorite dishes on the holiday Smörgåsbord - Jansson’s Temptation, or as we say in Sweden ,Janssons Frestelse.
Read moreThe Swedish smörgåsbord and julbord dishes
Here is everything you need for the Swedish Christmas celebration and the smörgåsbord, or Julbord, as we call it. The Swedish Julbord (Christmas table) is a spread of many delicious meals that we enjoy on Christmas Eve and every day thereafter for as long as we have leftovers.
Read moreHow to make human connections
One thing you have to learn in both college and in your first job is how to make human connections. Why? Well, first off all it would be pretty boring and lonely if you didn’t connect with your co-workers. Feeling connected to the people around you and at your job provides an increased feeling of belonging, purpose, happiness, self-worth and confidence, and that is critical for our wellbeing.
Read moreBuild your library of knowledge
You have to make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of becoming a robot that just goes through the day on autopilot-- counting the hours and minutes until it’s time to close down the laptop. We often don’t realize that there are teachable moments throughout our days. Every day.
Read moreDon’t despair, you can learn from bad managers too
A question that often comes up in my coaching sessions is "How do you deal with a bad manager?"-- a manager who is disrespectful and who doesn’t care about your career. Unfortunately, I have experience with managers like that, but that didn’t prevent me from learning new things and growing in my career. It taught me what kind of manager I don’t want to be, and things I will never do to my team members. These are also valuable lessons!
Read moreIt is never too early to define your leadership style
I’ve realized more and more lately that a lot of people don’t really know the true definition of a leader. People know the standard definition of leadership, that it is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide followers or other members of an organization, but few know how to actually be a great leader. I also have not seen many leaders who have an active plan for becoming the leader they want to be.
Read moreSwedish Meatballs
Here is a great recipe for Swedish Meatballs. The same recipe our family has used for generations. The best there is!
Read moreHow to create an active plan
You and I have talked about this many times, Elsa. What is it that stops us from getting started and ultimately reaching our goals? I know that in our case, it’s fear. We fear what would happen if we reach our goal, or even worse: if we fail. I know it is also the fear of judgment from others, which is often linked to perfectionism.
Read moreI got a question from a young woman the other day, regarding a subject that many of us are struggling with as we start our careers. She was asking how she can build confidence as a woman starting her first professional job.
Read moreHow to manage up
One thing that people commonly forget, something I don’t want you to forget Elsa, is how to manage up. People who are just starting their career often see it as the manager’s role to manage both them and the team, but that is far from the truth. You and your manager are a team, and one can’t succeed without the other.
Read moreSeaweed avocado salad
Here is the recipe for dad's seaweed salad. A must have. I’m not sure you remember, but this recipe was inspired by a dish in our favorite sushi restaurant.
Read moreAre you coachable?
The best way to do this is to think of yourself as a lifelong learner. See every moment as an opportunity to learn something new. It can be learning a new fact, a new way to communicate, or a new way to negotiate. Always observe, listen and learn.
Read moreHow to build a strong relationship with your manager
You asked me the other day about how do you work with a manager, and how do you build a good relationship with a boss? It reminded me why I’m working on this blog for you, and it also reminded me how I felt when I started working. It is not easy to transition from college into the professional world.
Read moreTime management 101
Elsa, time to address my favorite topic - Time management! This is my superpower. The most common question I get is “how do you get everything done?!”.
Read moreKnowing how to listen will help your career
It’s funny how in school they teach us to speak, but not how to listen. Listening is more important than speaking, so you would think it would play a bigger part in the curriculum. A leader who never listens to their team, is going to eventually have a team who has given up on providing feedback and information, and then you have nothing.
Read moreCandied pecans
Here is the recipe for the Candid Pecans we always make for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Read moreSwedish holiday craft
As promised, I did a little holiday craft for some zen this weekend. I love doing the same crafts with my kids that I did with my grandmother as a child in Sweden. Keeping the traditions going. These are paper basket we used to fill with candy in my grandparents Christmas tree...
Read moreAre you really ready to start your own business?
You and I, Elsa, have new great business ideas all the time, but to be honest not many are good enough to sacrifice our very precious and valuable time on. Time is precious. If you are not truly passionate and committed to giving your all to your business, then don’t do it. It’s a waste of time for you and the people around you, who also has to sacrifice time for you.
Read moreThe 5 Why's method
In your career (and in your life) it is good to find ways to analyze situations and find out what the essence of a problem is. Knowing the real problem in a situation will not only help you solve the root problem, but also avoid the same problem in the future.
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