5 Things Bill Gates Wishes He knew in his early 20s
Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates recently delivered a commencement speech to forestry and engineering graduates at Northern Arizona University (NAU). With his wealth of experience spanning five decades, he imparted invaluable wisdom and life lessons to the graduates.
In his speech, Gates aimed to distill his 50 years of experience into concise and meaningful advice for young graduates. He commended the class of 2023 for completing their education despite the disruptive impact of the pandemic. This marked his third commencement speech, with previous addresses at Harvard in 2007 and Stanford in 2014.
Gates shared five key lessons he wished he had known in his early 20s:
First Advice — Your life Isn’t Confined To A Single Path
Youngsters feel that their decisions and jobs are lines on the rock, which can’t be removed or changed. It’s not, in fact. He reflected on his own journey, initially thinking he would work at Microsoft for life but ultimately transitioning to philanthropy.
In his speech, Gates gives the emphasis that, “What you do tomorrow — or for the next ten years- doesn’t have to be what you do forever”.
When I left school, I thought I would work at Microsoft for the rest of my life. Today, I still love my work on software, but philanthropy is my full-time job. I spend my days working to create innovations that fight climate change and reduce inequalities around the world — including in health and education.
Not only, Gates says, is it okay to change your mind or have a second career…it can be a very good thing.
Second Advice — Embrace The Willingness To Learn
If you feel that you know everything, you won’t learn anything new. The first step, Gates says, to learning something new is embracing what you don’t know, instead of focusing on what you do know.
The real hack of getting or learning what you are looking for is to find the smartest people in the room. They can be anyone, be your colleague, expert or senior. They not only have a good perspective but will also push you to think differently.
At some point in your career, you will find yourself facing a problem you cannot solve on your own. When that happens, don’t panic. Take a breath. Force yourself to think things through. And then find smart people to learn from.
Gates said that the key is not be afraid to ask.
Third Advice— Engage In Work That Addresses Important Problems:
It’s a great time to race up and fight against challenges such as climate change. There are many important problems to solve.
Bigger purpose gives you a sense of boost that will catapult your mind and body to solve the endearing problem.
When you spend your days doing something that solves a big problem, it energizes you to do your best work. It forces you to be more creative, and it gives your life a strong sense of purpose.
Fourth Advice — Harness The Power Of Friendship
In his fourth piece of advice, Gates encourages youngsters to make good friends and never underestimate the power of friendship. It helps you to get through the tough times when things stack up against you.
“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”.
Fifth Advice — Prioritize Rest And Self-Care
Rest is as important as work. Nothing beats the power of a powerful nap, time spent with family, and enjoying small wins. Gates says, “Take time to nurture your relationship, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses”.
Take a break when you need to. Take it easy on the people around you when they need it, too.
