Give yourself a chance: My new year resolution

Time is finite but, unlike money, time is also replenished every second,” the entrepreneur and writer Seth Godin once said.

So as I wish you ‘Happy New Year’, dear readers, here’s hoping you can reach all the goals you’ve set this coming year.

Also I’d like to wish you all a year full of good vibes, positive attitude and, yes, opportunities!

Being an admirer of Godin adds value to my life in a profound manner. I try to keep up to date with his writing, but it’s not always possible.

Too much time
Time wasn’t a problem three and a half years ago when I first arrived in Denmark with my wife Catherine and Ines – at the time our only child.

At that time, we were living at my in-laws and time was passing at a tortoise’s pace – like we like to say in Brazil – and my primary concern was how was I going to find a job.

The only email in my inbox was either some sort of spam or a ‘thank you’ for subscribing to a new cloud-based service from the likes of Google Drive.

Yes, not only did we have plenty of time, but those were desperate times!

Too little time
But things started looking up in 2014, firstly due to the arrival of Cecilia, our two-year-old ‘rocket-fire’ daughter.

By then a lot was happening with me professionally. Time by then as a resource had started to become less available.

And now here I am in 2017 looking back at was has probably been one of my busiest years and the best year I’ve ever had professionally.

Making better use of my time has now accordingly become my new year resolution.

So how do you perceive your time today and what are your new year resolutions for 2017?




  • Photo story: Meet the internationals at Reffen Street Food

    Photo story: Meet the internationals at Reffen Street Food

    The weather is brightening and Reffen Street Food – an open-air market out on Refshaleøen in Copenhagen – is gearing up for a busy summer. With a multitude of stands from all around the world, the market is packed with talented international entrepreneurs and chefs.

  • 9 out of 10 new hires in Denmark are internationals

    9 out of 10 new hires in Denmark are internationals

    Internationals account for as much as 87 percent of the growth in national employment, according to new figures from Dansk Industri.

  • Volunteering – a way into Danish communities

    Volunteering – a way into Danish communities

    As an international arriving to Denmark, finding social connections is hard. That’s why the International House Copenhagen organized a volunteer night, to find a perfect match to connect and contribute to the Danish society.

  • The future of work in Denmark and the EU

    The future of work in Denmark and the EU

    With the European Parliament elections in June, and skilled labour shortages being felt across the EU, political debate on the future of work and migration has intensified. Here, Kathrine Richter, EP candidate for the pan-European political party Volt, talks about whether Denmark is doing enough to reform its labour market and compete with other member states to attract foreign professionals.

  • Sweden’s failed integration stirs strong emotion in Danish parallel societies debate

    Sweden’s failed integration stirs strong emotion in Danish parallel societies debate

    A remarkable speech by the immigration speaker of Socialdemokratiet sparks fierce debate in the leading government party.

  • Restaurants call out Danish diners’ behaviour

    Restaurants call out Danish diners’ behaviour

    Copenhagen restaurants are seeing high rates of no-show reservations, according to the hospitality trade association Horesta. Several sector workers argue that no-shows should pay a cash penalty.