Bill Gates claims that he didn’t realize that “life is more than work” until he was older and a father.
“When I was your age, I didn’t believe in holidays,” Bill Gates said in a commencement speech to graduates of Northern Arizona University. “I didn’t believe in weekends. I made everyone around me work long hours”.
The billionaire, who dropped out of Harvard University after three semesters to launch Microsoft, added: “You are not too lazy to relieve yourself from time to time.”
Gates has stated that during his early years at Microsoft he did not understand the importance of balancing work and family life, and that from his office window, which overlooked the parking lot, he used to watch the employees who There were those who left early and those who left. stayed up late.
Gates recommends, “Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson.” “Take time to care for your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses. Take a break when you need it. Be comfortable with those around you when they need to.” need it.”
Gates has already admitted on this occasion that he has high expectations of his employees in terms of work ethic. In fact, his biographers explained to CNBC that he used to send highly critical “explosive emails” in the middle of the night.
Gates himself admitted on his blog in 2019, “When I was at Microsoft, I was strict with the people I worked with.” ,
In Gates’ graduation speech, which he shared on his blog, the billionaire also advised students to take time to re-evaluate the decisions they are going to make throughout their lives and to continue learning outside the classroom. Be prepared for
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“You’re probably feeling a lot of pressure right now to get on the right track in your career,” he said. “It may seem like those decisions are permanent. But they’re not. What you make tomorrow or for the next 10 years isn’t forever.”
Gates advises students to lean on their friends and work on projects that solve important problems like climate change or bias in AI.
“You are graduating at a time of great opportunity to help people,” Gates reminded the graduates. “New industries and companies emerge every day that will allow you to make a difference in lives. And advances in science and technology have made it easier than ever to make a big impact.”
In the past, Gates has also given commencement speeches at Harvard and Stanford.
