Jensen Huang: “The best career advice I got was from a gardener”
“Very few people know this but I don’t wear a watch,” Nvidia founder Jensen Huang begins. “And the reason I don’t wear a watch is because now is the most important time. Just dedicate yourself to now.”
Jensen explains by telling a story:
“The best career advice I got was from a gardener. I was on a family trip in Kyoto, and we went to the temple that had the largest moss collection in the world . . . All of the moss is perfect, and every species of the world’s moss is there. It was a hot summer day — anybody who’s been to Kyoto knows how incredibly hot it is during the summer — and my family walked by this old man who was squatted down working on the moss with a bamboo tweezer. His bamboo basket was nearly empty with only two or three small pieces of dead moss.”
“What are you doing?” Jensen asked the old man.
“I am taking care of my garden,” the old man replied.
The old man told Jensen that he has been working on the garden for almost 30 years.
“But this garden is so big and your tweezer and basket are so small. How can you take care of the whole garden?” Jensen asked.
“I have plenty of time,” said the old man.
Jensen reflects:
“That’s the best career advice I can give you. Most of the time I wait for things to come to me. I’m rarely chasing things. I don’t have a watch. I’m focused on now. I’m enjoying my job. I’m the longest-running tech CEO in the world . . . Dedicate yourself to learning all the time, doing the best possible work you can, and leave everything on the field. By the time I go to bed I’m exhausted, and I’m happy about my day because I did everything I could . . . You’ll be surprised. I’m not at all ambitious. I don’t aspire to do more. I aspire to do better at what I’m currently doing. I’m not reaching for more. I wait for the world to come to me.“
He continues:
“People who know me also know that Nvidia doesn’t have a long-term strategy. We have no long-term plan. Our definition of a long-term plan is, ‘What are we doing today?’ . . . You have plenty of time. Enjoy your work. Do the best you possibly can. Just keep learning every day, and good things will come to you.”
Jensen Huang's advice to students is to learn how to suffer
If I was in my early 20s, I would listen to this over and over again until it really sticks
Too many people are chasing success, but not enough people are willing to sacrifice their comfort to have it
Four beer company CEOs walk into a bar.
The CEO of Budweiser orders a Bud Light.
The CEO of Miller orders a Miller Lite.
The CEO of Coors orders a Coors Light.
The CEO of Guinness orders a Coke.
The other three look at him and ask, “Why aren’t you drinking a Guinness?”
The CEO of Guinness says, “Well, I figured if you three weren’t ordering beer, it would be rude if I did.”
Squats are hard...until you have to get up from a chair at 60.
Eating healthy is hard...until you realize your body is insulin resistant.
Doing cardio is hard...until you can't walk up stairs without being out of breath.
Want an easy life? Commit yourself to doing the hard stuff.
INSTEAD OF WATCHING AN HOUR OF NETFLIX TONIGHT.
This 1 hour Stanford lecture by Joel Peterson will teach you more about negotiation and getting what you want than most people learn in years.
Bookmark it and give it an hour, no matter what.
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