Are you struggling to achieve a work-life balance? Are you wondering whether you have to sacrifice some crucial things like family to achieve success? Well, this article answers that and many other questions that you might have. We assess the lives of billionaires to see how they achieve a work-life balance in their lives.
According to a study done by Credit Suisse the globe’s richest 1% own half of the world’s population. These are people that most people aspire to become one day and there is no shortage of books written about their business success and how they can be applied by any company or person to achieve their level of success. Even some of the most reclusive ones, like Warren Buffet, have of late allowed people to peek into their personal lives and see what makes them tick through personal biographies.
Before you think this is another ‘how to get rich article’ and switch to another tab allow me to ask you a couple of questions. Do you struggle without a work-life balance? Do you wonder whether the grind to burn both ends of the candle each and every workday is worth it? Do you even wish that working on other aspects of your life like your: social aspect, spiritual aspect, and psychological aspects were running as seamlessly as your career or business? Well, you are not alone, and the facts are in your favour because according to a report done by the world happiness report work-life balance is one of the key predictors of happiness. Well, who better to learn about work-life balance than the wealthiest 1% of people on the planet—and this is the focus of this article.
1. Exercise
When it comes to exercise the world’s wealthiest people lead from the front. An example is, Bill Gates (the second richest man on the planet) who spends an hour each day on the treadmill and also loves playing tennis. Mark Zuckerberg exercises about three times a week and at times he brings his dog with him on a run as extra motivation. It seems that exercise is not just limited to the ‘younger’ billionaires because even the likes of Warren Buffet (who is 87 years old) still find time to exercise. Billionaires are people with very busy schedules, but even in light of this, they still find time to exercise despite their schedule and age. This leaves you with no excuse not to exercise. Richard Branson is an extremely active billionaire, and he does various intensive exercises like weight lifting, running and rock climbing.
2. Spend quality time with family
You have probably heard of the cliché “family first” and you would be surprised at how serious the some of the top 1% wealthiest people prioritize their family. Some of the world’s wealthiest people put family first above their businesses and here are some examples to prove this. Bill Gates spends a lot of time with his kids and even takes them to tour unusual destinations like missile silos and electric plants. Jeff Bezos, the wealthiest man on the planet, always makes time to have breakfast with his family each morning and still sets time aside to wash his dishes. This does not come without some sacrifice, and that is why Bezos has a principle of never having early-morning meetings. The fifth richest person, Mark Zuckerberg, makes sure that whenever he is not globe-trotting or working, he spends time with his family.
3. Have a hobby
Do you have a hobby that you like doing but never seem to find the time to do it? Do you feel that you have such a busy schedule that there is never time to do the things that you like or explore new things that you might like? Well, if you are wondering whether the world’s ultra-rich face the same quagmire then here is a list of some of the hobbies that they still engage in despite their busy schedules:
- Jeff Bezos – takes submarine excursions to retrieve discarded NASA rocket ships.
- Warren Buffet- loves reading (reads 500 pages per day) and plays games (like bridge) and instruments like the ukulele.
- Bill Gates – traveling, reading, playing tennis and indoor games like bridge and Settlers of Catan
- Mark Zuckerberg – reading, coding,
- Richard Branson – plays indoor games like chess as well as various outdoor games like rock climbing.
4. Give back to society
As the good
book says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” and this is a feeling shared by many billionaires. Some of these
billionaires are so serious about giving that they signed up for the giving
pledge that binds members to give away
more than 50% of their wealth. Some of the notable names that have taken the pledge are
Warren Buffet (who promised to give away 99% of his wealth) and Bill Gates (pledges to give away 50%). These billionaires have put their money where their
mouth is, and according to a report done
by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Warren Buffet has donated 71% of his total fortune, and Bill
Gates gave away 22%.
Bringing it home
The above examples show us that success at work begins with success outside of work. The ultra-rich shows us that maintain a healthy work-life balance is one of the most crucial business decisions that one make.