'I’m focused on now': Jensen Huang says his best career advice came from a gardener in Kyoto

'I’m focused on now': Jensen Huang says his best career advice came from a gardener in Kyoto

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang recently shared a life lesson that shaped his career from an elderly gardener in Japan.

“Very few people know this. I don’t wear a watch. The reason is simple. Now is the most important time. Just dedicate yourself to now," Huang said.

“Years ago, during a family trip to Kyoto, we visited a temple known for having the largest moss collection in the world. Every patch of moss was immaculate. On that sweltering summer day, we came across an old man crouched down, tending to the moss with a bamboo tweezer. In his basket were just a few dead pieces of moss,” he recalled.

Curious, he asked the man what he was doing.

“I’m taking care of my garden,” the old man replied.

When Huang asked how he managed such a vast garden with such small tools, the gardener simply smiled and said, “I have plenty of time.”

That brief exchange left a deep mark on Huang.

“That was the best career advice I ever got," he said.

Reflecting on the encounter, Huang explained that the gardener’s patience and focus on the present became his guiding principle. “I wait for things to come to me. I don’t chase. I don’t wear a watch. I focus on now. Every day, I give my best, learn something new, and go to bed happy because I did everything I could,” he said.

Despite leading one of the world’s most influential tech companies, Huang insists he isn’t driven by ambition in the conventional sense. “I don’t aspire to do more, I aspire to do better at what I’m currently doing. I wait for the world to come to me.”

He also revealed that Nvidia operates without a rigid long-term strategy. “We don’t have a long-term plan. Our idea of a long-term plan is: What are we doing today?” he said.

“You have plenty of time. Enjoy your work. Keep learning. Do the best you can every single day and good things will come to you," he added.