What Warren Buffett’s Empty Calendar Can Teach Us About Life
The other day, my niece and I were talking about how nobody really stops anymore.
Not at the grocery store.
Not in waiting rooms.
Not at stoplights.
Not even for a few seconds.
Every empty moment gets filled.
We scroll.
We text.
We check emails.
We consume information nonstop.
Even standing in line for two minutes has become uncomfortable for most people. The instinct is immediate. Reach for the phone. Fill the space. Stay stimulated.
And it is not just individuals. It feels like society itself has forgotten how to pause.
Ironically, right after my niece and I had this conversation, a video popped up of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in an interview talking about Buffett’s calendar. Part of me laughed and thought, “I think my phone heard the conversation and the algorithm kicked in.”
But the message stayed with me.
During the interview, Gates talked about how shocked he was by how much empty space Buffett intentionally protected on his calendar. Gates later reflected that constantly filling every minute is not necessarily a sign of importance or success. Sometimes the space to think is where the real value lives.
Many of our best ideas do not come while we are actively trying to force them. They appear when we finally stop.
On a walk.
In the shower.
Looking out a window.
Sitting quietly with coffee.
Driving without noise.
Hiking through nature.
The moment the constant input quiets down, something deeper finally has room to rise.
Creativity.
Innovation.
Clarity.
Self awareness.
But society moves in the opposite direction.
We live in a world addicted to doing.
Doing more.
Producing more.
Consuming more.
Responding faster.
Staying busy.
Staying connected.
Staying distracted.
Somewhere along the way, stillness started to feel unproductive.
But humans were never designed to operate at this pace all the time.
Our minds need silence.
Our nervous systems need rest.
Our creativity needs space.
When we are constantly consuming, there is no room left for our own thoughts.
We are overstimulated, yet starving for connection to ourselves.
The irony is that many people say they want more peace, purpose, creativity, and fulfillment while avoiding the very thing that creates it: stillness.
Doing less can actually open the door to more.
More presence.
More awareness.
More meaningful ideas.
More connection.
More creativity.
“Let go of doing and just be” is not about abandoning ambition or responsibilities. It is about remembering that we are human beings, not human doings.
There is wisdom in slowing down long enough to hear ourselves think again.
Maybe the next time we are standing in line somewhere, we do not immediately reach for our phones.
Maybe we simply stand there.
Observe.
Breathe.
Pause.
And remember what it feels like to just be.
Reflection Questions
When was the last time you allowed yourself to do absolutely nothing?
How often do you fill silence with distraction?
Where do your best ideas usually appear?
What would change if you gave yourself more moments of stillness?
Small Step This Week
Choose one moment each day to simply pause.
No phone.
No music.
No multitasking.
Just observe, breathe, and allow your mind space to wander.
You may be surprised by what rises to the surface.
Until Next Time,
Wendy Wheeler
