Melinda French Gates , billionaire philanthropist and former Microsoft executive , revealed that her lifelong habit of goal-setting began at just 12 years old when her father enrolled her in a business course that would ultimately shape her approach to achievement and success.
According to French Gates' memoir "The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward," she attended the "Successful Life Course" the summer after seventh grade, where she learned to document her goals in a navy blue binder that she continued to use nightly. Her initial childhood aspirations were remarkably specific for a pre-teen: making the intramural cheerleading squad by 14, traveling to Europe by 20, and owning "a Cadillac with velvet seats" by 21.
Gates’ simple dreams grew into serious ambitions
What began as simple childhood dreams evolved significantly as French Gates matured. "Over time, the goals I wrote down started to become more and more serious," she wrote in her memoir. This disciplined approach to goal-setting fueled the ambition that eventually led her to Microsoft and contributed to her current estimated net worth of $30.1 billion.
French Gates was pushing herself “so hard” that she realised it was time to “ease”
However, by age 35, after marrying Bill Gates and becoming a mother, French Gates recognized the need to balance her ambitious nature with enjoying life's journey. "I was almost using the goals to just push myself so hard in life," she told CNN's Abby Phillip in a recent interview. She realized it was time to "ease into life" while still maintaining "big audacious goals" but giving herself more time to achieve them.
French Gates acknowledged that while she diligently pursued and accomplished her objectives, she often neglected to celebrate her achievements before immediately shifting focus to the next goal. This early lesson in goal-setting became a lifelong practice that she eventually refined to create a more balanced approach to ambition and fulfillment.
According to French Gates' memoir "The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward," she attended the "Successful Life Course" the summer after seventh grade, where she learned to document her goals in a navy blue binder that she continued to use nightly. Her initial childhood aspirations were remarkably specific for a pre-teen: making the intramural cheerleading squad by 14, traveling to Europe by 20, and owning "a Cadillac with velvet seats" by 21.
Gates’ simple dreams grew into serious ambitions
What began as simple childhood dreams evolved significantly as French Gates matured. "Over time, the goals I wrote down started to become more and more serious," she wrote in her memoir. This disciplined approach to goal-setting fueled the ambition that eventually led her to Microsoft and contributed to her current estimated net worth of $30.1 billion.
French Gates was pushing herself “so hard” that she realised it was time to “ease”
However, by age 35, after marrying Bill Gates and becoming a mother, French Gates recognized the need to balance her ambitious nature with enjoying life's journey. "I was almost using the goals to just push myself so hard in life," she told CNN's Abby Phillip in a recent interview. She realized it was time to "ease into life" while still maintaining "big audacious goals" but giving herself more time to achieve them.
French Gates acknowledged that while she diligently pursued and accomplished her objectives, she often neglected to celebrate her achievements before immediately shifting focus to the next goal. This early lesson in goal-setting became a lifelong practice that she eventually refined to create a more balanced approach to ambition and fulfillment.
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