NEW YORK: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes that choosing the right people to surround yourself with is one of the most important factors shaping a person's future and achieving success in life.
Many people aspire to succeed and work hard to achieve their goals, but often lose motivation after facing setbacks and failures.
Gates, one of the world's wealthiest individuals, believes success depends not only on education, career opportunities or financial rewards but also on the company people keep.
In a blog post, Gates advised people to build relationships with individuals who challenge them, teach them new things and bring out the best in their personalities.
"Surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you and bring out the best in you," he said.
According to Gates, personal success is not determined solely by individual determination. Supportive relationships also play an important role in encouraging learning, personal growth and professional development.
He believes intelligence alone is not enough to build a successful life, as learning from others is equally important.
People who challenge individuals can help them recognise weaknesses they might otherwise overlook, while those willing to share their knowledge and skills can introduce new personal and professional opportunities.
However, Gates clarified that this does not mean surrounding oneself with people who constantly criticise others. Instead, people should build constructive relationships based on mutual respect, encouragement and personal growth.
Gates also struggled with procrastination
In a separate account, Gates revealed that he had a bad habit of procrastination during his early years at Harvard University.
Speaking at a university event, he recalled putting off assignments until the last minute and trying to give others the impression that he did little work, skipped classes and did not care about his studies.
He said he would only begin preparing for tests shortly before they were scheduled.
"I wanted people to think I did nothing, that I didn't go to class and that I didn't care about anything," he recalled.
However, after entering professional life and starting his business, Gates realised that procrastination could undermine his chances of success.
He said it took him about two years to overcome the habit.
"At that time, nobody appreciated me because I kept putting off my work," Gates said.
The Microsoft co-founder eventually changed his approach and adopted the work habits of his college classmates who completed their tasks on time.
