The well-known American billionaire and founder of the giant company "Microsoft," Bill Gates, revealed the most important lessons he learned in his life, expressing regret for learning the lesson too late. According to a report published by the American network "CNBC," Gates learned this lesson from his friend, also a billionaire, Warren Buffett, who is considered an inspiration for many in the business world.
Gates stated, "I wish I had learned the lesson from Warren Buffett much earlier." He and Buffett exchanged some advice regarding their friendship, which has lasted for more than three decades and continues to this day. According to Gates, one of these lessons, which he wished he had learned early on, is "clearing his busy schedule," indicating that this "might have made him happier and more productive."
He added, "It took me a very long time to realize that you don’t have to fill every second of your schedule to be successful." Gates continued in a blog post he published on Thursday: "In hindsight, this was a lesson I could have learned much earlier had I taken a closer look at Warren Buffett's intentionally light calendar."
Gates was "packed every minute" in his schedule when he was CEO of Microsoft, a position he held for 25 years before stepping down in 2000. He admitted that he was a difficult boss and was not shy about sending some requests to employees at two in the morning. Gates said, "I thought this was the only way to get things done." However, Gates eventually learned to take a break for both his staff and himself.
He recalled, "I remember Warren showing me his calendar; he still had days with nothing on them." Gates noted that Buffett's scattered schedule taught him an important lesson: "You control your time; it isn’t a sign of seriousness to fill every minute of your calendar."
It is noteworthy that a study conducted by Stanford University in 2014 found that worker efficiency declines sharply when they work more than 50 hours a week. The study revealed that individuals who work up to 70 hours a week accomplish the same amount of work as those who slave away at their computers for 55 hours.
Another study conducted in 2021 found that the optimal amount of daily free time in a person's schedule is around 9.5 hours. Researchers pointed out that this number might seem unrealistic for most working adults, but allocating more discretionary time can lead to decreased stress levels and long-term health benefits.
