8
Nov
One of the first countries that pop up in your mind when someone mentions lakes, chocolate, cheese, snowy mountains and good living is probably Switzerland.
According to Mercer’s Quality of Living Report 2016., Switzerland was ranked the world’s happiest country in 2015, while Zurich was ranked the second best city to live in.
It’s hard not to fall under the impression that Switzerland is the perfect country (well, that’s if we don’t take the most expensive coffee in the world into consideration).
In this post, we bring you 6 things you can learn from Switzerland and how to do it like the Swiss.
#1 Punctuality
First of all, by being punctual you show that you respect the time of others and prove that you are disciplined, have integrity and keep your promises.
No one likes people who are late. It is particularly unacceptable in the business world, so organize your time wisely.
The Swiss have a reputation for being as punctual and precise as their excellent watches.
The rule is: Avant l’heure, c’est pas l’heure, après l’heure, c’est plus l’heure which means: “Before the hour is not yet the hour, after the hour is no longer the hour” and they are very proud of it.
We all know the saying: “Runs like a Swiss watch.“
This refers to a plan, or an action, especially a complicated one, that works out well and achieves the desired results.
The goal of every venture (business or personal) is to offer the best service or product. One could say that the equipment that runs at maximum efficiency runs like a Swiss watch.
#2 Become aware of the environment
Lakes, mountains and clean air are associated with Switzerland’s quality of life. Beyond its picture postcard image, the natural environment is an integral part.
Population growth, growing consumption and economic development are the three biggest factors that have impact on natural resources.
To ensure their sustainability, Switzerland encourages its citizens to consume resources responsibly and has introduced an environmental policy that promotes optimal techniques for their use.
Waste recycling is everywhere, therefore it’s impossible to go through a city without coming across waste recycling bins. They are everywhere – in railway stations, on street corners, in parks and other public places.
Switzerland has one of the highest waste-recycling rates – more than 50%! Levying a tax on bags for household waste in almost all cantons, improving waste collection points (with stricter waste separation) and surging in the number of initiatives to reduce waste production.
Let’s do it like the Swiss!
#3 Learn how to ski
Being right in the middle of the Alps, Switzerland is dotted with some of the world’s most iconic mountain peaks.
You’ll also find there the biggest glaciers, the most of Europe’s peaks over 4000 meters and equally lofty opportunities to spend your money (though the thriving ski scene can be accessed on a budget if you know the ropes).
This is a ski country. You’ll find people toting skis and snowboards nationwide. There’s a special magic in Graubünden in the southeast, home of après-ski buzz on and off the slopes around St. Moritz.
Southeast of Lake Geneva, the ritzy, French-speaking Verbier is home to some of the more daring off-piste routes and so many more.
#4 Eat quality chocolate
Of course Switzerland and chocolate go together, they are practically synonymous.
Back in the 17th century, the Swiss made use of their strategic position as a transit point for goods passing through Europe and they started making chocolate.
It all began in the canton of Ticino, which sits on Switzerland’s southern border with Italy.
Back then, chocolate wasn’t the luxurious eating experience of today – it was at once gritty and chewy, verging on unpalatable.
It is pretty amazing, considering that Switzerland was a country without colonies or cacao. And yet, they managed to dominate the industry.
Switzerland is a home of a little taste of heaven, the chocolate everyone knows of – Lindt.
#5 Eat quality cheese
Cheese is just cheese. Everyone loves it and it’s easy to understand why because cheese is flavorful, rich, sometimes creamy or crumbly, and always comforting.
One nation in particular has a particularly soft spot for cheese. The world of cheeses in Switzerland is enormous.
Switzerland produces about over 450 varieties of cheese.
Amazing cheeses (mostly made from cow’s milk) are produced especially in the Alpine regions. You’ll find soft and buttery cheeses as well as hard melting versions, perfect for the national dish, fondue.
The cuisine is very much focused on cheese, which is not a bad thing for cheese lovers!
6# Made in…Switzerland
Swiss brands enjoy a great reputation in the world. “Swiss Made” is not only a term to talk about where the products came from, but it’s also a seal of assurance that what you’re buying is of high quality and excellent craftsmanship.
As many as 74% of the surveyed Chinese, Americans and Germans like Swiss brands, because they represent important image dimensions such as “quality”, “prestige”, “trustworthiness” or “environmental protection”.
An example of such dimensions can be found in Schoeller Textiles which specializes in the development and manufacture of functional fabrics and textile technologies for active sports, workwear, lifestyle, fashion, as well as office furniture.
Time to put it on your bucket list
For getting an even stronger feeling of how Switzerland and quality go hand in hand, you should probably visit the country and see it for yourself.
If you haven’t done it yet, this post will give you a glimpse of what the Swiss are doing right, which is pretty much everything.
To sum up, always be on time, go outdoors, take a walk by the lake, eat cheese first and then chocolate, recycle more, try skiing and buy quality products.
