And here’s the trap: We spend so much energy fighting the contratempo that we forget to live through it.
Contratempos are not the enemy of productivity. They are the raw material of resilience.
In Portuguese, we have a beautiful word for it: .
Here’s a suggested post about (which means the setback, the mishap, or the inconvenience in Portuguese). You can use it for a blog, social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook), or a newsletter. Title: O Contratempo: Annoyance or Opportunity? o contratempo
Literally, it means “against time.” It’s that unexpected glitch, that small disaster that throws off our perfectly planned schedule.
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We’ve all been there.
The alarm doesn’t go off. The train is delayed. The internet crashes five minutes before an important meeting. The client changes the brief—again.
Instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?”, try asking:
Because often, the magic isn’t in arriving on time—it’s in what you learn while you’re waiting. And here’s the trap: We spend so much
“What is this delay making possible?”
Not every setback is a disaster. Some are just redirections. Some are rest stops. Some are protection in disguise.
So here’s to the detours. The delays. The glitches. In Portuguese, we have a beautiful word for it: