ALBAWABA - As the former CEO of Microsoft, billionaire Bill Gates had a packed schedule, even sending requests to his employees in the early hours of the morning.
However, the 67-year-old revealed that this changed after he saw his friend Warren Buffett's daily schedule and learned to give himself and those working with him some rest.
During a joint interview between Buffett and Gates in 2017, the co-founder of Microsoft stated that every minute of his time used to be packed, believing it was the only way to get things done.
He added, "I remember when Warren showed me his schedule, and I found that he had days where there was nothing on it."
From Buffett's daily schedule, Gates learned an important lesson: You are in control of your time. Filling every minute of your schedule is not a measure of seriousness.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP)
He continued, "I can buy anything I want... but I can't buy time."
Scientifically, Buffett supports the theory that says, "Work smart, not hard." According to a 2014 study by Stanford University, workers' efficiency declined significantly when they worked more than 50 hours per week.
The study also showed that people who worked 70 hours per week accomplished the same amount of work as those who sat in front of their laptops for 55 hours.
Billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk acknowledged the same, stating in an interview with CNBC that after a long period of sleeping less and working more, he currently sleeps at least 6 hours every night.
He added, "I've tried to sleep less, but despite waking up for more hours, I'm less productive, and I get a headache if I sleep less than 6 hours per night."
Meanwhile, Gates recently admitted that it took him years to find a healthy balance between work and life.
He emphasized that when he was young, he didn't believe in vacations or weekends.
He continued, "Take your time to nurture your relationships, celebrate your successes, and recover from your losses... Get some rest when you need it."
