Focus plays an important role in the success of every individual and business. Jack Ma knows this and tries to be very determined about what he wants from his company. He has made Alibaba into one of biggest tech companies in the world and his iconic journey is an inspiration for all the wannabe entrepreneurs.

There’s a lot to learn from Ma’s life, the road to the peak wasn’t that smooth and he has faced so many failures. His vision is something that has contributed big to the company and every word of his holds big value.

Speaking at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Ma shared how he remains focused in his pursuit of success.

“I keep asking myself these three questions,” he said. “What do you have? What do you want? What will you give up?”

Many people usually fail to ask themselves what they are willing to give up because they tend to think they don’t have much to start with, Ma said. But it’s inevitable that sacrifices must be made in the long run, said the teacher and entrepreneur. And recognizing that helps people to commit to their ambitions over the long term, which is often what’s needed to produce results, he added.

Also Read: From Teaching To Running A Billion Dollar Company: Here’sA Look At Jack Ma’s Empire“

Don’t think you will succeed next year, you have to prepare for 10 years,” he believes. Ma shared that in the early days. he didn’t have much money, knowledge nor industry contacts. But working hard and everyone’s believe in the positive future and vision to improve helped the company to break all the barriers.

To keep those beliefs alive, one has to ask those three questions frequently, Ma said.

“Always think about these questions and then you’ll be fearless, you’ll be optimistic, you will know what you want,” he said. “When you’re going on that, you’ll never get lost.”