8/29/2021 Work-life balance: A perspective from one of the finest sportsmen – Waqas Younas | Personal Website

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Work-life balance: A perspective from one of the finest sportsmen

I was reading David Rubenstein’s book, How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Great CEOs,
Founders, and Game Changers [1]. This book is a collection of interesting interviews.

It includes David’s interview with Jack Nicklaus, who is one of the greatest golfers of all time. I
recently learned that even Tiger Woods is behind Jack Nicklaus in terms of major titles won.

In this interview, the insight that amazed me was Jack’s response when David asked him, “If you
look back at your career, what’s the thing you’re most proud of?”

To which Jack replied:

“You know, to me, golf is a game. The most important thing to me was my family. I’ve got five
kids, who all know me. My wife made sure that my kids grew up knowing me. I spent a lot of
time with them. She’d bring them to tournaments all over the country to make sure that they
knew their father.

I’ve got twenty-two grandkids who are great. I do things with all of them all the time. Now that,
to me, is far more important. Golf’s a game. I love the game of golf, and I’m proud of my major
championships, obviously. But they’re still just part of the game.”

David then said, “You had a rule you didn’t want to be away from home for more than two
weeks.”

“Never away more than two weeks the whole time I played,” Jack replied.

It is amazing that one of the greatest golf players of all time is not most proud of his golf skills,
he is not proud of his countless prestigious prizes, but instead what he is most proud of is his
family. This is praiseworthy. This is admirable.

Our work sometimes puts huge demands on our time. Due to these growing demands, instead of
focusing on our family, we focus on chasing promotions and rewards that feed our desires. Work
is important, yet there is uncertainty about work. Family lasts, jobs do not. Family is genuine, the
office can be pretentious. Family is there when you need people at your side, but your company
and your managers may not be there when you need someone. Yet we lose focus. We lose sight
of what truly matters.

Work serves an important purpose in our life. It not only helps us create value, but also helps us
learn from people and experiences. So yes, work is important, but not most important. It
deserves our attention, but not the whole of it. Our family, not our work, comes first. 

Whenever you prioritize work over family you regret it. Whenever I did that, I regretted it.
Jack’s insights can serve as a good lesson for all of us who sometimes lose sight of what is
important in life.

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8/29/2021 Work-life balance: A perspective from one of the finest sportsmen – Waqas Younas | Personal Website

1- https://www.amazon.com/How-Lead-Greatest-Founders-Changers/dp/1982132159

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