9 Rules to Win Life – Jack Ma

Good morning, everyone.

Today, I want to share something simple but powerful,

nine rules to win in life.

No complicated theories, no overnight success formulas,

just real, practical rules that can change your life.

Too many people spend their lives waiting.

Waiting for the right opportunity, waiting for the right skills,

waiting for the perfect moment when everything falls into place.

But let me tell you something, there is no perfect moment.

There will always be obstacles, always be challenges,

always be reasons to hesitate.

If you keep waiting, you will find that life moves forward

without you.

The most successful people in the world didn't start

because everything was ideal.

They started despite the imperfections.

They started when they were uncertain,

when they had little experience,

when they didn't have all the answers.

What separates winners from the rest

is their willingness to take action,

even when things aren't perfect.

Think about it.

How many times have you told yourself,

I will start tomorrow,

or I will do it when I have more time,

or I'll wait until I feel ready.

And how many times has that tomorrow never come?

The truth is readiness is a myth.

No one is ever 100% ready for anything new.

The only way to become ready is to start.

Every big achievement begins with a small step.

The first step might be messy, it might be uncomfortable,

but that first step is what leads to progress.

If you keep postponing,

you are only delaying your own growth and success.

The difference between people who succeed

and those who don't is not intelligence, luck, or resources.

It's action.

The ones who take risks, who step out of their comfort zones,

who start before they feel ready,

are the ones who eventually win.

So don't waste another moment over thinking

or doubting yourself.

If you have an idea, start working on it.

If you have a dream, take the first step toward it.

If you want to improve, begin today,

stop waiting for permission, for guarantees,

for the perfect conditions, just start now.

And figure things out along the way.

Failure is one of the most misunderstood concepts in life.

People fear it, avoid it,

and sometimes even let it define them.

But the truth is failure is not the opposite of success.

It is a part of success.

Every person who has achieved something great

has failed multiple times before getting it right.

The difference between those who succeed and those who don't

is how they respond to failure.

Most people see failure as a dead end,

but successful people see it as a stepping stone.

Every mistake, every setback, every rejection,

teaches you something valuable.

It gives you lessons that no book, no lecture,

no advice can ever provide.

The real learning happens when you fall,

get back up and try again with more knowledge,

more experience, and more determination.

Think about a child learning to walk.

They don't stand up and start running immediately.

They stumble, they fall, they get up again.

If they gave up after the first fall,

they would never learn to walk.

But they don't stop because failure is natural.

They keep going until they succeed.

That's how life works.

The problem is that as we grow older,

we become more afraid of failure.

Society teaches us that failing is something to be ashamed of,

something to hide.

But in reality, every failure is a lesson.

Every time you fail, you gain wisdom

that helps you make better decisions in the future.

The greatest entrepreneurs, athletes, and leaders in history

have all faced failure.

They have been rejected, criticized, and told they wouldn't succeed.

But they didn't let failure define them.

Instead, they used it as fuel to work harder,

to improve, and to come back stronger.

If you fear failure, you will never take risks,

and if you never take risks, you will never grow.

The key is to see failure not as an obstacle, but as a teacher.

Analyze what went wrong, learn from it,

and move forward with greater knowledge.

Remember, failing does not mean you're not good enough.

It means you are trying.

It means you are pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone,

and that is where real success begins.

So instead of running away from failure, embrace it,

accept that it is part of the journey, and keep moving forward.

Hard work is the foundation of success,

no matter how talented or intelligent you are,

without hard work, nothing great can be achieved.

The world is filled with people who have brilliant ideas,

but never put in the effort to make them a reality.

On the other hand, history is filled with examples

of ordinary people who worked relentlessly,

and achieved extraordinary results.

Hard work separates those who dream

from those who actually accomplish something.

However, hard work alone is not enough.

Many people spend years working tirelessly

without seeing real results,

because they are focused on the wrong things.

That's why working smart is just as important as working hard.

It's not just about putting in long hours.

It's about knowing where to put those hours,

what to prioritize, and how to maximize productivity.

Imagine two people trying to cut down a tree.

One works tirelessly, swinging an old dull axe

for hours, sweating and exhausting themselves.

The other spends a little time

sharpening their axe before starting,

making each strike more effective.

Who do you think will finish first?

The one who works smarter, not just harder.

Smart work means using your time wisely.

It means identifying the tasks

that actually bring results and focusing on those.

Many people waste time on things that don't matter,

endless meetings, unnecessary tasks,

or trying to do everything themselves

instead of delegating.

Working smart means understanding which efforts

bring the highest returns and concentrating on those.

It also means leveraging technology,

learning from experts, and continuously improving your methods.

The most successful people don't just work hard.

They analyze what's working and what's not.

Adjust their strategies and always look

for better ways to do things.

Working smart also involves managing your energy.

If you burn yourself out by working nonstop

without a strategy, your productivity will drop.

Rest and recovery are also part of working smart

because a tired mind makes poor decisions.

Taking breaks, staying healthy,

and keeping your mind sharp will help you perform at your best.

So don't just work hard blindly.

Work like crazy, but make sure your efforts

are directed toward the right goals.

Find ways to make your work more efficient.

Stay focused on what truly matters

and never stop improving.

The combination of hard work and smart work

is what leads to real success.

The people you surround yourself with

have a massive influence on your mindset,

your decisions, and ultimately your success in life.

Whether you realize it or not,

the people you spend the most time with shape your thoughts,

attitudes, and habits.

If you are constantly around negative, lazy,

or unmotivated individuals,

it's only a matter of time

before their mindset rubs off on you.

But if you surround yourself with ambitious, positive,

and driven people,

they will push you to grow and become better every day.

Think about a plant.

No matter how strong the seed is,

if it is planted in poor soil,

it will struggle to grow.

But if the same seed is placed in fertile,

nutrient-rich soil, it will thrive.

The same principle applies to people.

Your environment and the company you keep

play a crucial role in determining

how far you go in life.

Successful people understand this.

They actively seek out mentors, friends,

and colleagues who challenge them, inspire them,

and bring out their best qualities.

They know that being in the right environment

can make the difference between success and failure.

If you spend time with people

who are constantly improving themselves,

who think big and who have a positive attitude,

you will naturally adopt those same qualities.

On the other hand, negative people drain your energy.

They complain, make excuses,

and criticize those who are trying to achieve something great.

If you spend too much time around them,

they will pull you down to their level.

They will plant doubts in your mind,

discourage you from taking risks,

and make you feel like your dreams are impossible.

That's why it's so important to distance yourself

from toxic influences.

Surrounding yourself with good people

doesn't mean only looking for successful or rich friends.

It means choosing people who are honest, supportive,

and have the right mindset.

It means building relationships with those who encourage you,

push you to improve and celebrate your successes

instead of feeling jealous or envious.

Sometimes making the right choices

about who you spend time with requires letting go

of certain relationships.

If someone constantly brings negativity, drama,

or discouragement into your life,

it may be time to step away.

It's not about being rude or unkind.

It's about protecting your energy

and focusing on your personal growth.

At the same time be the kind of person

others want to be around.

Support and uplift those in your circle.

Success is not just about finding the right people.

It's also about being the right person.

If you surround yourself with great people

and contribute positively to those relationships,

you will create an environment where everyone thrives.

Your network is your net worth,

not just in terms of money,

but in terms of knowledge, wisdom, and personal growth.

Choose your circle wisely,

because in the end the people around you

will either push you toward your goals

or pull you away from them.

The moment you think you know everything

is the moment you stop growing.

Life is constantly changing, industries evolve,

and new opportunities appear every day.

The people who succeed in the long run

are not necessarily the smartest or the most talented.

They are the ones who stay curious,

keep learning, and never become too comfortable

with what they already know.

Staying hungry means having the drive

to keep pushing forward even after achieving success.

Staying foolish means having the courage to take risks,

ask questions, and embrace the unknown.

Too many people reach a certain level of success

and then stop learning.

They assume they have figured it all out,

and that's where they start to decline.

The world does not wait for anyone.

The most successful people never stop seeking new knowledge,

new skills, and new ideas.

They remain students of life,

no matter how much they have accomplished.

They understand that every experience

with a successor failure has something to teach them.

Think about the greatest innovators,

entrepreneurs, and visionaries.

They were never satisfied

with just doing what everyone else was doing.

They were constantly curious, always questioning,

always pushing the boundaries of what was possible.

They were willing to take risks even when others doubted them.

They were not afraid of looking foolish

because they knew that every great breakthrough

starts with an idea that seems crazy at first,

fear of looking foolish holds many people back.

Many people enter the world of business, careers,

or personal development with one primary goal,

to make money.

They chase financial success,

believing that once they earn enough,

everything else will fall into place.

But the truth is, real success doesn't start with money.

It starts with service.

The most successful individuals and companies in the world

did not begin by focusing on how much they could earn.

They started by focusing on how much value they could provide.

If you serve first, the rewards will always follow.

Think about the most respected entrepreneurs, leaders,

and innovators.

They all built their success on solving problems,

meeting needs and improving lives.

Money was a byproduct of their service.

If you look at the greatest businesses in the world,

you'll see that they didn't become great

just by selling a product.

They became great by offering something valuable

that genuinely helped people.

Serving before earning means shifting your mindset

from what can I get to what can I give.

When you focus on helping others,

whether through a product, a service,

or simply adding value to someone's life,

you create trust, loyalty, and long-term success.

People don't just buy products, they buy solutions.

They don't just follow leaders.

They follow those who inspire and support them.

The more people you serve, the more opportunities

will come your way.

This principle applies not just in business,

but in every aspect of life.

If you want to grow in your career,

don't just look for promotions,

look for ways to contribute.

Be the person who solves problems,

takes initiative, and makes life easier for others.

If you want strong relationships,

don't just think about what you can gain,

think about how you can support,

encourage, and uplift others.

When you give more than you take,

success becomes a natural result.

Unfortunately, many people look for shortcuts.

They want to earn without putting in the effort,

they seek quick money without delivering value,

but those who take this approach

rarely achieve lasting success.

The market rewards those who create impact,

not those who chase profits without purpose.

Serving first also builds your reputation.

When people see that you genuinely care,

they will trust you, support you,

and even recommend you to others.

Word of mouth and strong relationships

are more powerful than any marketing strategy.

When you consistently provide value,

people will want to do business with you,

work with you, and help you succeed.

No matter what you do in life,

there will always be people who criticize doubt

and try to bring you down.

The moment you start chasing a dream,

taking risks or doing something different,

you will attract negativity.

Some people will tell you that you're not good enough.

Others will mock your ideas

or say you're wasting your time,

but here's the truth.

No one who is doing better than you

will ever waste their energy trying to tear you down.

The people who criticize the loudest

are often the ones who are too afraid to take risks themselves.

Haters exist in every field,

whether you're starting a business,

pursuing a creative passion,

or simply trying to improve yourself,

there will always be people who doubt you.

Some of them will try to discourage you out of jealousy,

while others might genuinely believe that you will fail,

but their opinions do not define your success.

If you listen to negativity,

you will start to question yourself

and self-doubt as the biggest killer of dreams.

Think about the most successful people

in the world, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, innovators.

They all had critics, they all faced rejection,

but the reason they succeeded

is that they didn't let the negativity stop them.

They kept going, kept improving,

and let their results speak for themselves.

If they had listened to the doubters,

they would have never achieved anything great.

The key to dealing with haters is to develop thick skin.

Understand that criticism is a part of life.

Not everyone will support you and that's okay.

Your goal is not to please everyone.

Your goal is to succeed.

The more you achieve, the more criticism you will attract.

In fact, if no one is doubting or criticizing you,

you're probably not aiming high enough.

Instead of wasting time arguing with people

who don't believe in you,

focus on proving them wrong through action.

Success is the best response to negativity.

Let your work, your growth,

and your achievement silence the doubters.

Remember, haters thrive on attention.

The more you engage with them, the more power you give them.

But if you ignore them and keep moving forward,

their words will lose meaning.

Success is not an overnight event.

It is a journey that requires patience,

persistence, and continuous effort.

Many people give up too soon

because they expect immediate results.

When they don't see success right away,

they become frustrated and start doubting themselves.

But the truth is, anything meaningful in life takes time.

Whether you are building a career, starting a business,

learning a new skill,

or working on personal growth, patience is essential.

However, patience does not mean waiting passively.

It means trusting the process while continuously taking action.

Think about a tree.

When you plan to seed, you don't see results immediately.

You water it every day, nurture it and give it sunlight,

but for weeks or even months, it may seem like nothing is happening.

But underground, the roots are growing.

The foundation is being built.

Then one day, the first shoots appear, and over time,

that small seed grows into a strong, towering tree.

This is how success works.

Being the efforts you put in today may not show results right away,

but that doesn't mean they are wasted.

Everything you do is building a foundation for the future.

The key is to keep moving forward while being patient.

Many people either give up too soon

or wait too long without taking action.

Patience is not about sitting still

and hoping for things to happen.

It's about consistently working towards your goals,

even when progress seems slow.

Keep learning, keep improving, and keep pushing yourself,

because every small step you take brings you closer to success.

There will be times when things don't go as planned.

You might face setbacks, delays, and disappointments.

This is where patience becomes powerful.

Instead of getting discouraged, you setbacks as learning experiences.

Every challenge teaches you something valuable.

Every failure brings you one step closer to success.

The people who achieve greatness are not the ones who never face obstacles,

but the ones who keep going despite them.

At the same time, never fall into the trap of waiting forever.

Some people keep preparing, keep thinking, keep planning.

But they never take real action.

They tell themselves, I'll start when the time is right

or I'll wait for the perfect opportunity,

but there is no perfect time.

The right time is now.

Even if you are not fully ready, start moving.

Take small steps, learn as you go.

Adjust your strategy, but never stop progressing.

Patience is knowing that success will come,

but persistence is making sure you keep working for it.

The most successful people are those who understand

the balance between these two.

They don't rush blindly, but they also don't stand still.

They take consistent action, trust the process,

and remain patient enough to see the results unfold.

Every great achievement in the world started with a dream.

Behind every successful company, every revolutionary idea,

and every inspiring leader,

there was once a simple thought,

a vision of something bigger than what existed at the time.

Dreaming big is what pushes humanity forward.

It fuels innovation, creates breakthroughs,

and turns the impossible into reality.

If you want to achieve greatness,

you must first allow yourself to dream beyond your current circumstances.

But dreaming alone is not enough.

Many people have big dreams, yet few actually achieve them.

Why?

Because they get overwhelmed by the size of their ambitions

and never take the first step.

They wait for the perfect moment,

the perfect opportunity,

or the perfect resources,

and in doing so, they never get started.

This is why the second part of the equation

is just as important as the first.

Start small.

No matter how big your vision is,

every journey begins with a single step.

Look at the most successful people in the world.

None of them started at the top.

They started where they were, with what they had.

They took small but consistent actions every day,

slowly building momentum.

Over time, those small steps added up to something extraordinary.

Take the example of a massive tree.

It starts as a tiny seed.

No one looks at a seed and sees a giant tree immediately.

But with time, water, sunlight, and care,

it grows steadily.

The same applies to your dreams.

They may seem far away, almost impossible at times,

but if you nurture them,

take action and remain consistent,

they will grow into something incredible.

Starting small doesn't mean thinking small.

It means breaking your dream down into manageable steps.

If your goal is to build a successful business,

don't wait until you have millions in funding.

Start by learning the skills,

testing ideas, and taking small actions.

If you dream of becoming an expert in a field,

don't wait for the perfect time.

Start reading, practicing, and learning a little bit every day.

Small progress is still progress.

One of the biggest mistakes people make

is underestimating the power of small beginnings.

They think that if they can't make a massive impact immediately,

it's not worth starting.

But history has proven time and time again

that even the most legendary figures and companies

began with humble origins.

The key is consistency.

The small things you do daily over time

will compound into massive success.

It's also important to remember that big dreams take time.

If you expect instant results, you will get discouraged.

But if you commit to steady small improvements,

you will build a strong foundation

that will support your long-term success.

Growth happens step by step, not all at once.

So don't be afraid to dream big.

Envision the life you want, the success you crave

and the impact you wish to make.

But at the same time, be smart enough to start small.

Take the first step today, no matter how small it may seem.

Because one day, when you look back,

you'll realize that those small steps

were the foundation of something far greater than you ever imagined.

Winning in life is not about luck.

It's about taking action, staying resilient

and always moving forward.

Now, don't just listen to these rules.

Use them.

Your time starts now.

Thank you.