wanted to complete a law degree . He finally did so in 1989 at the age of 71 . He also studied languages , including Afrikaans .
Another South African whose statue shares space with Mandela ’ s in Westminster , London , is General Jan Smuts . He is regarded as one of the best students ever to have studied at Cambridge University , becoming the first student in its 600-year history to achieve a double first , or double cum laude , in law . He was also a ferocious reader and student of subjects from history and farming , to philosophy and botany . His botanical library was the largest in the country at the time . And he was also a keen mountain climber .
However , if there was a prize for the statesman with the widest variety of interests , especially the more physical endeavours , and if the propaganda around him ( and my Google research ) can be trusted , it must go to Vladimir Putin . The Russian president prefers to spend short holidays in a very active way , such as in the wilds of Siberia where he fishes and swims . He apparently journeys down mountain rivers and rapids on powerboats and rafts , takes mountain hikes , and rides quadbikes and horses . He is an avid alpine skier and plays league ice hockey . Power hang gliding is apparently another hobby , as is crossbow and rifle shooting and judo .
He started with sambo ( a martial art developed in Soviet-era Russia ) at the age of 14 in 1966 , and then judo a year or so later , eventually taking 3rd place at the Russian junior nationals and becoming the senior champion of Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg ). But it is not only active sports ; he can also play the piano .
For many of us , the issue with taking on new interests and hobbies is simply where to find the time . Personally there were two ways how I found more hours : reducing my commute time ( one of the positives brought on by COVID-19 ’ s enforced workfrom-home ) and cutting screen-time , especially television .
Churchill ’ s abundant productivity was not due only to his enthusiasm and focus . He had help from staff that took care of some basic functions , thereby freeing up time in his schedule . We often think that personal outsourcing is bad practice that saps our DIY ethic and resources . Yet , most great men and women were consummate outsourcers and delegators . They often achieved their greatness not in spite of this tactic but because of it . Yes , many were wealthier than the vast majority of us , but outsourcing has become more accessible than ever before . You can now find people to do almost anything these days , and often at a reasonable price .
To free up a little extra time , you do not need an army – pick just one undesirable chore . If a housekeeper saves you just two hours of cleaning every week , it will amount to 3 120 hours over 30 years . That is a lot of time for woodworking , fishing , gardening , biking , blacksmithing , hunting , beer brewing , tinkering , painting … And you would be creating an opportunity for someone who desperately needs it .
Think of your time like a bank about its business model . Banks make money by lending capital to clients at a higher rate than they pay for that capital . If the rate that you earn on your most important asset – time – is higher than the rate at which you can put hours back into your life by outsourcing , then you have a net gain in value . And the ‘ value ’ of time to
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