Bill Gates says he wishes he had discovered work-life balance years ago

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said during a speech that he wished he had discovered the importance of work-life balance years ago. 

Speaking at a Northern Arizona University (NAU) commencement ceremony Saturday, Gates told the graduating class that during his early days at Microsoft, he didn’t believe in taking vacation days or having weekends off, noting that he used to keep track of employees who would leave early or stay late. 

“But as I got older — and especially once I became a father — I realized there is more to life than work,” Gates said during his commencement speech. “Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses.”

“Take a break when you need to,” Gates added. “Take it easy on the people around you when they need it, too.”

Gates also encouraged the graduating class to live in the moment and “have some fun,” adding in his speech that what they are currently doing right now won’t impact their future. 

“You probably feel a lot of pressure right now to make the right decisions about your career. It might feel like those decisions are permanent,” Gates said in his speech. “They’re not. What you do tomorrow — or for the next 10 years — does not have to be what you do forever.”

Gates has previously acknowledged that he was a tough boss during his early days at Microsoft, with his biographers telling CNBC in a 2020 interview that Gates, 67, would send “flame mail,” referred to as critical and sarcastic emails, to his employees in the middle of the night. 

Gates advised the NAU graduates to build on their relationships with peers when working on projects that solve important problems such as artificial intelligence and climate change. 

“You have already made history by attending college during some truly unprecedented times. I have no doubt that you will continue to make history throughout the rest of your lives,” Gates said. “I cannot wait to see how you will drive progress around the world.”