After some research - listening to audios and reading books - I decided to write about 3 excerpts from my notes on how Bill Gates work.
Before I dive into the excerpts, something you need to have in mind about Bill Gates - before you go on to apply them - is that he spoke about his success like it was a given. He was so certain it will happen and nothing could change it.
He was fanatical and obssessed with his work that he was seldom distracted from what he was working on. He always believed in continuously pushing himself to the limit and never giving up.
“There is no such thing as a finish line.” - Bill Gates
Now let’s get to the excerpts.
- No resting on Laurels.
Your past success does not guarantee your future success. You are not a product of your past. Your past is a product of your present.
You stop thriving because you believe your previous achievement are enough to secure your future.
Don’t get comfortable. Don’t assume that because you did something great once, you can stop working hard. The competition is always moving, and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.
“Don’t let success get to your head and don’t let failure get to your heart.” - Kelvin Omereshone
- No sleeping on winds.
Being oblivious to shifts in your environment is a bad habit! It’s the business that ignores a new technology, the artist who dismisses a new cultural movement, or the person who fails to see a chance to improve their life.
The rule is to stay vigilant and aware of the shifts happening around you.
See opportunities (or dangers) on the horizon and act on them immediately instead of “sleeping” through them.
- Make something great and then do it again.
The first part, “Make something great,” is about focused creation and high standards. The second part, “and then do it again,” is crucial. It rejects the idea of a single, defining masterpiece.
Focus on iterative excellence and success. True success comes from building a cycle of creation. Learn from what you made, apply those lessons, and start the process over to make the next thing even better. It’s a commitment to a journey, not a single destination.
Conclusion
In essence, these are recipes for never becoming obsolete. It’s the mindset of companies like Apple, which must constantly innovate beyond its last hit product, or of an athlete who wins a championship and immediately starts training for the next season.
See you on the next one!