[IOTD][#8] Having lunch alone | Kent Nguyen's Lab

Originally published on Medium on September 13, 2018 · Written by hand, Pre-AI era.

Common wisdom says otherwise.

Having lunch alone in Saigon — very Saigon

Master networkers think eating alone might not be the best use of time and we can use that time isntead to grow our network & networth. We are conditioned to think that doing ‘enjoyful’ activities alone means something is wrong with us. Eating alone, drinking alone fits that classification.

I don’t dislike networking. I just choose to be not proactive about that. Building relationships is a 2-way street, you get something and the other benefits too. Whether commercially, emotionally or spiritually, we establish relationships to grow ourselves. The other party should be beneficial as well. If we got to think or forced ourselves into meeting someone all the time, there might be more chances than not it becomes work to actually call someone and arrange that lunch meeting.

So I go against the wisdom and define my own. When going out for lunch with colleagues became a chore, I’d take a break and spend that time strolling down the street looking for new restaurants, shops or just exploring a new routine. By myself. More often than not, an unexpected turn into a small alley gave me completely new perspective into a different world, discovering a small cluster of boutique shops and how people live their lives. That is a huge return on my time investment, I believe. Besides, pacing is my favorite light exercise to clear the mind, do self reflection and focus on ideation for the next big thing.

How do you do valuation on life experiences anyway :)