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Hello, everyone. Here is Ricardo Vargas, and this is the 5 Minutes Podcast. And this week is a very special week in Brazil. It's Carnival week, and Carnival is one of the largest cultural celebrations in the world. It's music, parades, colors, costumes, and joy in the streets everywhere in the country. But above all, it's time to celebrate. It's time to celebrate our culture. It's time to celebrate our creativity, to celebrate our collective energy. And when we think about projects, there is something very important that we often forget to celebrate victories. Projects are long journeys. They require discipline, effort, resilience, and sometimes personal sacrifice. We work for months, sometimes years, facing risks, conflicts, scope changes, and pressures on deadlines and budgets. It's pressure everywhere. And what usually happens when we reach an important milestone is we immediately start thinking about the next one. We jumped to the next challenge. We jump to the next schedule. We rarely stop celebrating. And Carnival reminds us of something essential. Celebration is part of the human process. No samba school enters the parade by chance. There is a massive amount of planning, budgeting, sponsoring, rehearsal, and everything else. It's project management behind it all. Each car is a mini project. Each group has clear goals. Each person wearing a fantasy or a special garment knows their role and responsibility. And when the big day arrives, everything that was planned comes alive in the avenue. That is what the public sees in a few hours in the Marquês de Sapucaí in Rio de Janeiro. And this is the result of months of structural work. But the parade does not end with a cold closing meeting. It ends with applause, joy, emotion, and pride. And in projects, we must do the same. We must celebrate small deliveries, small milestones. And when, for example, a critical risk is mitigated, we need to celebrate when the team overcomes a crisis. Celebrate when we learn something important. Celebration is not a waste of time. It's emotional fuel. When we celebrate, we reinforce positive behavior. We strengthen our sense of belonging. We create shared memories of success. And look, celebration also helps to reduce the natural burnout of long projects. It reminds us that we are moving forward. It shows progress in a very tangible way. And of course, when I talk about celebrations, I'm not talking about expensive parties or big events. Sometimes it's a simple public recognition, a thank-you note, a moment at the end of a meeting to recognize someone who truly made a difference. And Carnival teaches also something else behind the joy, there is discipline. Behind the costumes, there is structure. And behind the perfect parade, there are months of hard work, and projects are exactly, absolutely, exactly the same. The success everyone sees is the result of invisible preparation. And one thing I want you to think about now is: have you been celebrating the victories of your project? Or you are always running to the next challenge without even recognizing how far you have come. Celebrating does not reduce focus. Celebrating strengthens focus. Because when we recognize progress, we increase our energy to continue. Professional life has enough pressure. Bringing moments of celebration into our projects is a leadership choice. Creating meaning for collective effort. So embrace the spirit of Carnival. Celebrate your achievements. Recognize your team. Value every single step, no matter how small it seems. Because successful projects are not only the ones that deliver results, but they are the ones that build stronger teams along the way, and teams will become your biggest asset. So, for those celebrating Carnival, stay well, stay safe, stay happy, stay peaceful. I hope you all enjoy this episode and see you next week with another 5 Minutes Podcast.
