Bill Gates shares how he realized the importance of work life balance

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates did not believe in vacations. In a speech he delivered at Northern Arizona University in 2023, he said that he did not believe in weekends and vacations, but later realized the importance of having a great life and being good at work, both being equally important.

"When I was your age, I didn’t believe in vacations. I didn’t even believe in weekends. I pushed everyone around me to work very long hours," he said.

Gates stressed that realising the importance of patience is must. He said, “Patience is a key element of success” while highlighting that it becomes crucial to be patient when there is a difficult decision to make.

He then mentioned how he used to look at the parking lot and "keep track of who is leaving early and who is staying late."

However, he did not realise for decades how this intensity was not always appropriate. He said, "As I got older and especially once I became a father, I realised that both in terms of doing your best work and having a great life, that intensity was not always appropriate. Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson."

He also stated that, "You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack."

Gates mentioned how important it is to nurture relationships, to celebrate successes and recover from losses.

He even shared about some tips for young generation on his blog, Gates Notes, where he writes about the people he meets, books he read and what he is learning.

He then spoke about the 'power of friendship'.

Saying that friends are not just classmates, but also 'network', 'future co-founders', and 'colleagues', he believes that the power of friendship should not be underestimated.

"When I was in school, I became friends with another student who shared a lot of my interests, like science fiction novels and computer magazines. Little did I know how important that friendship would be. My friend’s name was Paul Allen and we started Microsoft together," he recalled.