Being towards death

How to make yourself better?

Here are 16 timeless principles that I hope will help you.

1 Take responsibility for your actions#

When you find yourself in a bad situation, look more at the reasons within yourself.

There’s a saying that where you are now is determined by the choices you made over the past two years; where you will be in two years is determined by the choices you make in the next two years. I completely agree.

Excellence requires effort, and effort is uncomfortable; to persist in doing uncomfortable things over the long term, you must have sufficient motivation. One of the important sources of this motivation is dissatisfaction with the current situation.

Everyone has this dissatisfaction, but only a few can "turn dissatisfaction into strength."

The bridge connecting "dissatisfaction with reality" and "effort" is taking responsibility for your own actions.

2 Be serious and dedicated#

What does dedication mean? My understanding is to do things wholeheartedly.
"Live in the moment," no matter what you are doing, focus on doing the task at hand well before thinking about anything else. When you are not dedicated, even playing doesn’t feel fulfilling.

3 Being pushed by others to improve#

Of course, there are super talented people who manage themselves from a young age, but most people, especially when they are young, need a little push. After all, improvement is hard work; how many people are naturally inclined to enjoy it? Of course, the person pushing you must also be competent.

4 Clear goals#

Improvement is often painful. Why? Because improvement means change, and change is often uncomfortable.

How do you overcome this discomfort? By pursuing another thing or state.

The clearer the goal, the more this desire for improvement, or the fear of not achieving it, can drive people to overcome the pain of effort.

5 Do a little more than others#

Sometimes you really just need to put in a little more effort than others to see a significant difference.

6 Interest and persistence#

I put these two together because I think it’s hard to persist without interest, and persistence without interest is not very meaningful. Why? Because the meaning of persistence is not just simple repetition.
You may have heard of the 10,000-hour theory, but this theory has a premise:
The difficulty and intensity of practice need to continuously increase; in other words, the person practicing needs to constantly push themselves. If simply mindless repetition for 10,000 hours could make you an expert, then shouldn’t we all become language experts before the age of 20? In fact, simple repetition can improve proficiency but cannot truly enhance skills.
In the long journey of 10,000 hours (about ten years if calculated at three hours a day), you must constantly think about how to challenge and push yourself; without interest, it’s impossible to persist. Or even if you do persist, you are merely going through the motions without truly engaging.
With interest, you can persist, and it becomes a deep, all-encompassing dedication to exploring something... isn’t this the famous principle of 1.01 raised to the power of 365? 1.01^365 = 37.8; 1.02^365 = 1377.4; 1.01^730 = 1427.6... Continuing like this, it’s hard not to excel.

7 Don't be too utilitarian#

When you are too utilitarian, it’s inevitable to be shortsighted. The result of shortsightedness is to put in a little effort, see no return, and want to change direction. Many people have the attitude that unless they can clearly see a return on their efforts, why bother? The problem is that anything that yields immediate results usually has limited value.
If there were truly an opportunity to invest one dollar and guarantee a return of two dollars, wouldn’t that attract everyone? But when everyone pursues the same opportunity, it ceases to be an opportunity.
In fact, to put it simply, there are no shortcuts to getting things done. If you want to achieve something, you still have to put in the hard work.
Hard work doesn’t mean not using your brain, but it means not constantly looking for the easiest way to do things.
Some might ask if this contradicts the fourth principle of having clear goals?
My understanding is that clear goals are from a long-term strategic perspective; utilitarianism refers to the daily mindset. This is also one of the important qualities of excellence, the ability to unify seemingly contradictory aspects.

8 Relying solely on brute force is not enough#

My freshman year at Tsinghua was the time I studied the hardest in my life, yet my grades were almost the worst. Even back then, I felt something was off, but I was too lazy to change or lacked the courage to face the issue.
On one hand, I was working so hard, yet on the other hand, I was lazy? How could that be? It’s very possible.
Laziness is actually directly related to courage. Getting up early and studying late is hard work, but what’s even harder is facing your own weaknesses.
My problem at the time lay in my study methods. I didn’t dare to confront this issue because I felt that questioning my study methods was essentially questioning my entire self and life.
I categorize fatigue into three types: physical fatigue, mental fatigue, and emotional fatigue.
For me, the easiest to overcome was physical fatigue; during my freshman year, my efforts were merely reflected at this level. However, efforts at this level often have very little value.
Don’t try to compensate for mental laziness with tactical diligence. I think it’s the same principle.
To be excellent, relying solely on effort is not enough. So what else do you need?

9 Actively seek direction and persist#

Any direction will do. You may not study hard, but you should at least have a hobby you are willing to work hard for, right?
You may not work hard, but you should at least have a skill in a certain direction, whether it’s calligraphy or playing the harmonica.
If you are unwilling to work hard on things widely recognized by society, you should at least have a direction you recognize yourself, right?
Excellence is a habit. This phrase has many interpretations.
One interpretation is that mastering a skill excellently through a lot of effort is itself a capability. In other words, becoming an excellent Peking opera performer, an excellent hurdler, or an excellent entrepreneur, there are many similarities among them.
If you truly believe you are excellent, find a space to prove it; don’t make excuses. The excellent habits you accumulate in any direction will often benefit you greatly in other areas.
In the past six years, I have interviewed nearly 1,000 people and hired over a hundred of them. One question I almost always ask is what hobbies you have, how many years you have persisted in them, and what you have learned from them.
Because I firmly believe that once a person has experienced years of continuous improvement in one thing, they can easily transfer that experience to other things. This is an important trait of excellence.
Do you want to become better? Find a direction that interests you, and invest your time and energy into it first. Don’t think about whether this is the best option, whether it maximizes returns, or whether it will definitely yield the best results...

These thoughts are mostly useless; or rather, these thoughts only matter to those who have already put in the effort. Think while you walk, experiment while you ponder, and let facts, actions, and time prove everything.
In 2000, I went to the United States to study abroad to change myself.
Although I hated engineering, it was the only direction where I could possibly get a scholarship, so I had to endure it. I studied hard, and my grades finally improved, but my boredom only increased.

10 No spirit, no success#

Just going through the motions without spirit is meaningless. Coming to America, I truly felt the pressure to survive. Under pressure, I had to do many things I didn’t like; the things I forced myself to do were at best second-rate, hardly excellent.
Where does the problem lie? I believe it lies in interest and passion. What is it like to do things you are interested in and passionate about?
At that time, I found a new job in Indiana, but there were many frustrations.
After much thought, I could only think of pursuing an MBA. So I began the preparation process, putting in unprecedented effort.
I spent a full eight months writing the most famous application essay for Stanford Business School: What matters to you most, and why. I revised it more than 20 times. After the basic draft was finalized, I revised it word by word countless times. A 3,000-word essay, every sentence, every phrase, every word was scrutinized.
By the end of the essay, I felt a sense of relief and calm.
Because I felt that for the first time, I could honestly say I had given it my all. In this case, if Stanford didn’t admit me, it should mean that fate had other plans for me. Of course, it wasn’t just because of this essay.

During the year and a half of preparation, I almost used all my spare time to apply for the MBA. This was not only the first time I worked so hard, but also the first time I worked for so long, and the first time I worked this hard without being forced to.
Because of this effort, I had a quiet confidence. Because I knew that even if I couldn’t get into an MBA program, as long as I applied this level of effort to other areas, I could definitely take control of my own destiny.

My favorite saying at that time was: Grab life by the horns.
I found it particularly vivid.
Many times, fate can be terrifying and uncontrollable. But being afraid is of no use.
Instead of holding your head and letting the horns poke your backside, it’s better to charge forward and fight it out.
After a year and a half of preparation, I finally submitted my application. In the days leading up to the Stanford results announcement, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous. So many expectations, so much effort, so many emotions.
A strange voice came through the microphone, and when I heard "congratulations, you have been admitted to Stanford Business School," my hands went numb. I had never been so excited.
I really wanted to shout out loud and tell the whole world.
The pride, satisfaction, comfort, and excitement of that moment seemed unparalleled.
There’s probably nothing sweeter than the fruits of hard work.

11 Dare to take risks, Dream Big#

Don’t be satisfied with the status quo, dare to take risks, and dream big. Applying for an MBA taught me a lot:

1. When consulting with some seniors, they all advised me not to apply to Stanford because my qualifications were not good enough, and the admission rate was too low (always below 10%). But I thought, I just love everything this school represents, so I have to give it a try. At most, I wouldn’t get admitted; what’s the worst that could happen?

2. During the preparation, I wrote about my journey on my blog. A good friend said, aren’t you afraid of losing face if you don’t succeed? I said, I just don’t want to leave myself any way out.

3. Looking back, the Stanford experience was a turning point in my life. If I could live my life over ten times, I would still make the same choice.

To be excellent, you must first dare to reach for those higher fruits. Many times, just reaching out and standing on tiptoes has already defeated 90% of people.

Those who are afraid to reach out are often not afraid of failure itself, but of losing face. The problem is, who is watching you? For each of us, the person we care about most is still ourselves. Those who take pleasure in mocking others’ failures are almost certainly losers.

Those who are afraid to reach out often have many excuses: What if I fail, and my efforts go to waste?
My experience is that as long as you put in the effort, it won’t be in vain. Even if you don’t achieve the most immediate goal, these efforts will yield interest someday in the future.
Moreover, many times, even if we don’t work hard, the energy saved is not spent on more meaningful things, but scattered in social media, watching TV, and chatting online, leaving no trace.

Another common reason for not daring to reach out is: I haven’t figured out my goals/methods/direction yet; once I figure it out, I’ll start.
The more complex things are, the less you can rely on empty thinking; the more important things are, the more you need to think while doing. On one hand, empty thoughts often don’t hold up; on the other hand, getting things done will give us a lot of inspiration.
Sometimes, Good is the enemy of great. When you already have something in hand, it’s easy to be hindered and to worry about gains and losses. Reaching for higher fruits certainly carries risks. But where is the path that has high returns without risk?

What’s more critical is that this time in school is completely different from before.

This is something I voluntarily chose, so I am very clear about why I am here. When the purpose is clear, things become organized. The school offers many opportunities, from excellent professors to interesting clubs, to daily lectures...

Although it’s overwhelming, when I calm down, I can still do things according to my own ideas. For example, for courses I am interested in (Organizational Behavior), I choose them with all my might; for courses I am not interested in, I only aim to pass.

Because it’s a conscious choice, I have no complaints, no matter how hard or tiring it gets. After the hardship, there is more satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

Because it’s a conscious choice, I have less of a comparative mindset with others, and I compare more with my own goals. Moreover, while pursuing my own goals, I can also enjoy the entire process.

Because it’s a conscious choice, I will be more dedicated. This is in stark contrast to my freshman year. Back then, I dragged my exhausted body to and from school every day, but my mind wasn’t truly engaged. During these two years of MBA, I have genuinely focused on the courses I am interested in.

The most obvious example is Stanford Business School’s "Odd Course": Interpersonal Dynamics.

Because of my dedication, my heart, and my willingness, this course gave me a transformative experience. It’s no exaggeration to say this course changed the trajectory of my life.

The two years of study allowed me to gain knowledge and friends; more importantly, it opened my eyes. I realized how rich and colorful this world is and learned that there are so many ways to live.

As career development progresses, the importance of knowledge and skills decreases, while the importance of vision and insight increases.

Knowledge and skills can often be acquired through hard work, while vision and insight cannot be expanded by one person’s efforts alone; they also require surrounding environments and many other factors.

12 A frog in a well? Change wells#

Everyone is inevitably a frog in a well, but we can often change wells to see more.

The most terrifying thing is not that our views are limited, but that we are unaware of our limitations.

How can we become aware of our limitations and be less constrained by them? Learn to look at problems from different angles.

However, it’s difficult to change perspectives because the only viewpoint we have of the world is our own subjective perspective. What to do?
Spend more time with excellent people. Being around excellent people will expose your limitations:

You may find that in areas you thought you understood, there are mountains beyond mountains; things you thought were simple can be quite profound in others’ hands; beliefs you held firmly may not be absolute truths; theories you dismissed may actually stem from misunderstanding...

Experiencing such things often makes one more humble. My understanding of humility is not just being willing to learn when encountering excellent people, but being cautious about jumping to conclusions at all times, knowing one’s limitations.

With a respect for the diversity of the world and an awareness of one’s limitations, accepting different viewpoints becomes less of a barrier, and the willingness to change wells to view the sky will be much stronger. Although ultimately we can only see a small patch of sky above us, at least we can hold in our hearts the vastness we cannot see.

The two years at Stanford were joyful and fulfilling. These two years were actually quite luxurious. As an adult, to give up work and spend two years solely learning new things, thinking about the future, and trying different things. Whenever I look back, I am grateful for having had such an experience.

Studying for an MBA, the most important consideration may be career choice. Because the vast majority of people pursue an MBA either to change industries or to change functions. In a sense, the MBA reshuffles everyone’s starting line, so everyone faces many choices and opportunities.

At that time, I had only three requirements for my career choice: 1) Return to China, 2) Management, 3) Global pay.

With several offers in hand, I quickly chose Danaher because I felt it aligned most closely with my path.
The opportunity at Danaher was to participate in a General Management Development Program at a dental medical device company.

Just thinking about how I could become a general manager in a few years, and during the rotation, I could fill in my gaps in sales and marketing, all while receiving pay comparable to consulting firms (plus stock options), I chose Danaher.

There were other subsidiaries to choose from at Danaher, but I ultimately chose dental. There were two reasons:

1. Dentistry is a new industry in the medical field in China;

2. At that time, this company was one of the top two globally, but still small in China, so I felt there was an opportunity. As it turned out, both of my judgments were correct.

After working at the U.S. headquarters for two years, overall it was quite uneventful, except for my time in sales. This company is sales-driven, and as soon as I joined, I was told that the biggest shortcoming of the dental business was sales. Although I was extremely reluctant, I had no choice.

One day, the president asked me how sales were progressing. I said, um, working hard. He smiled and said, when you sell your first order, you can go back to China.

13 What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger#

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Sitting in front of the computer reminiscing about the awkward moments of the past, I find it amusing. If I were to do those things again today, while I can’t say I would do them effortlessly, I certainly wouldn’t feel as miserable. Why? Because I’ve been through it.

Many times, the obstacles we can’t overcome are merely mental barriers.

No one likes to be hung up on a call, but so what if it happens?

No one likes to do things they are not good at, but so what if they fall a few times?

The source of excellence is progress, and the essence of progress is difference. Only by doing different things and doing things differently can there be progress.

And when you first do something different or do it in a different way, you will definitely not be good at it; how could you be good at something you’ve never done before?

Everyone knows they should push themselves out of their comfort zone, but why do so few people do it?

I think the most important reason is the fear of failure, the fear of being denied, the fear of being laughed at. But if you think about it carefully, the laughter of others can only hurt you if you allow it.

I’m not saying it’s easy to ignore others’ laughter; even today, I can’t completely do it.

However, being afraid of failure, being laughed at, and losing face is probably the biggest enemy of excellence.

If you want to become better, you must actively do those things that make you uncomfortable.
Jack Ma said that a man’s heart is expanded by grievances. I say that a person’s courage is expanded by awkward situations. Without courage, true excellence is impossible.

Having sold my first order, it was almost time to return to China. In early 2010, I was officially sent back.

At that time, the company was in its infancy. The company had just been established for a few months, and there was almost nothing apart from the office. I had only been back for two months when the general manager was fired due to a disagreement with the U.S. headquarters, leading to further chaos, and I became the temporary head. In the following months, I truly experienced what it was like to be both a father and a mother.

For the company to grow, the first step was to hire people. At that time, I was dealing with four or five headhunters simultaneously, screening resumes, arranging interviews, and managing the process; several headhunters even thought I was the company’s HR manager.

To sell products, the first step was to stock up. I was the most knowledgeable about the products, so I had to grit my teeth and select those items among tens of thousands that were most likely to sell well in China. If I ordered too much, I was afraid of being scolded by the American boss for high inventory; if I ordered too little, I was afraid of being scolded by agents for stockouts.

When sales representatives were hired, no one did the training, so I did. From products to concepts, from company culture to rules and regulations.

Without IT support, I stepped in. The U.S. headquarters wanted financial data, and since we didn’t have a finance manager, I took on that role.

I cobbled together a few Excel spreadsheets that were barely usable. Fortunately, the U.S. finance team saw our situation and didn’t push us too hard.

The CEO of the parent company wanted a strategic plan, but we didn’t even have a general manager, so I took that on too.

With two colleagues, I stayed up for two days to put together a PPT to get by, and it surprisingly received good reviews. Unable to sign agents, I teamed up with the sales manager, painting grand visions, drinking, and buddying up to them.

Anything that had value and no one was doing, I would try my best to do.

And so the team was built, and the performance improved...

Until the company hired a new general manager, and I was moved from the temporary head position to the marketing manager position. I felt a bit disappointed, but I had no regrets because I learned a lot during that time.

I graduated from college and went abroad, having no work experience in China. I knew very little about the dental industry in China, starting almost from scratch. In fact, if the company hadn’t been in such chaos, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make many decisions.

Perhaps some people would have made different choices in that situation: with the changing tides, shouldn’t one wait to see the direction before putting in effort, lest they end up on the wrong side?

Or should one negotiate terms before contributing, to avoid ending up empty-handed? Indeed, some people advised me that I didn’t need to be so serious, as it was just a job and not my own business.
But I still have no regrets.

I fought hard for an opportunity that could reflect my value, and I didn’t want to waste it. I had already spent enough time being mediocre; I wanted to shine. I wanted to unleash all my energy and see what I could achieve.

Moreover, from a purely utilitarian perspective, this experience allowed me to quickly understand the significance and methods of various functional departments in the company, and it also helped me establish relationships with various departments at the U.S. headquarters. Only by doing more can one learn more; only by caring can one reap rewards. Life is fair in this regard.

In fact, my later resignation was largely related to the loss of this state.

14 Don’t be too attached to gains and losses#

If you don’t care who gains what, your achievements will have no limits.

To be honest, it’s hard not to care. However, we ultimately have to make choices. Without taking on responsibilities, there is no learning.

The more you take on, the more you naturally give. I have a theory: if you cannot make a decision, or if you cannot bear the consequences of a decision after making it, you cannot truly learn.

In fact, coasting in a big company is very similar to riding a bike with training wheels and someone holding you up.

The better the company, the more refined the processes and systems. Processes and systems are like training wheels; their greatest significance is to prevent us from making mistakes or to minimize errors. The highest realm of processes is actually "fool-proofing."

What does fool-proofing mean? It means even a fool wouldn’t make a mistake. So let’s think about it: when we work in such a system every day, how much stimulation does our brain receive, and how much progress do we make?

If you have a boss who manages every detail, what can you learn? Because such a boss is like the person who always holds you up while riding a bike. Your chances of falling indeed decrease, but you also lose the opportunity to learn.

What’s even scarier is that you might think you’ve achieved a lot. Working on an excellent platform, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish what is your contribution and what is the platform’s contribution. Most people tend to believe it’s their own contribution at such times. Worse than not learning skills is thinking you’re great when you haven’t learned anything.

The first three years after returning to China were the most exhausting but also the happiest. Watching the team grow day by day, seeing the business I was responsible for grow, and witnessing the brand I managed become more well-known, I could feel my understanding of the industry, management, and business gradually deepening.

However, as the company grew, many things began to change.

The first change was that when the company had more than 100 employees, not every new employee could be called by name; secondly, with the establishment of various rules and processes, a sense of bureaucracy began to emerge; thirdly, as the company expanded, levels increased, structures became more complex, and political dynamics began to appear.

In fact, these phenomena are difficult to avoid, even necessary. After all, a large foreign enterprise cannot operate too casually. To ensure the company doesn’t make basic mistakes, various constraints must be put in place to prevent one person’s carelessness from causing significant damage.

However, for me, these orderly days became increasingly difficult to endure. Handling 200 emails a day no longer made me feel like I was creating value; instead, it felt increasingly formal, as too many emails were about seeking or granting approvals; spending the whole year making PPTs no longer felt like realizing my ideas, but rather like just going through the motions.

As I became more familiar with the company’s business, and as the results of the past few years began to show effectiveness in the market, and as the team structure became more established, my days became easier.

With experienced national sales managers helping with sales, and several department managers in the marketing department handling execution details, I seemed to have more and more time to do what I wanted. But still, something felt off...

For the first time, I felt reluctant to go to work on a Monday morning; in the past, I would feel excited about the projects I wanted to design and the tasks I needed to complete.

In fact, that year was the easiest year since I returned to China; performance was good, relationships were good, and career development was good. After four years back, I was promoted three times and was identified as a key training target by the headquarters;

I often attended training and meetings aimed at general manager level, and I was usually the youngest and lowest-ranked person there. I knew that if I just persevered for another year or two, I would become a general manager of some company.

But suddenly, I felt I didn’t want to endure anymore. Because I recalled a quote from Steve Jobs’ speech at Stanford University.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: If you live each day as if it was your last day, someday you'll most certainly be right.

It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself:

If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

At that time, my state was no longer about "if this were the last day of your life, would you want to do these things"; it was fundamentally about not wanting to do it for even one more day, regardless of how many days I had left.

The essence of the problem was that I could no longer accept this way of working.

Even if I changed companies, the situation wouldn’t change; in fact, it might be worse. After realizing this, I understood that entrepreneurship was my only path.

Speaking of entrepreneurship, I must mention my Stanford alumnus Chen Ou.

He was a year below me, so we didn’t interact much while at school. We had a few meals together, chatted a few times, and he even called me once about course selection, but that was about it.

So at that time, he didn’t leave a deep impression on me. The next time I heard about him was at a class reunion when someone mentioned he was running a cosmetics website.

At that time, the general opinion was: a big man with no e-commerce experience, how could he succeed in running a cosmetics website? I thought everyone’s analysis made sense.

The next time I heard, it was about how his website became popular, making tens of millions in a day. Then everyone was envious, and I was no exception.

The subsequent story can basically be found on Baidu. In short, he took a cosmetics website public on the NYSE in three years, becoming the youngest CEO in the 220-year history of the NYSE.

He suddenly became the most well-known alumnus among Stanford graduates. If you asked me to describe a typical pinnacle of success, it would probably look like this.

Such stories happening around me had a significant impact on me. I suddenly felt a bit disdainful of what I had been doing. I felt that compared to him, the business I managed seemed trivial.

Compared to his achievements, what I was doing felt so insignificant. What’s more frightening is that based on the trend of my work at that time, if I were to extend the line, five years later, I still wouldn’t be able to compare with him. This thought deeply shook me.

Comparing oneself to others is the source of all suffering. I understand this principle. However, when faced with such a comparable person, the contrast is so stark that it’s hard to remain calm.

Entrepreneurship was almost the only choice. However, when it came time to make a decision, I still felt quite uncertain.

Both of my parents are teachers, and I grew up in a school environment. Going to college, studying abroad, and working were all very conventional paths.

Now suddenly resigning to start a business, facing the enormous unknown, this transition felt too big. I was scared.

When I talked to my close friends and family about this, they surprisingly all supported me.

When I told my wife about my entrepreneurial idea, she said: I definitely support you. Because I understand how much you want to do this, and if I don’t support you, you will resent me for life, hahaha...

At that time, we had just bought a house and were preparing for our second child; entrepreneurship meant taking a salary that was less than 20% of my previous one, and our standard of living would definitely decline; and this decline was uncertain in duration... In this situation, she still supported me, and I was very grateful.

When my parents found out, they were worried but still supportive. They had been teachers all their lives and had no savings, but they were ready to give me everything they had.

This is what parents are like, always thinking of their children. Even at over 70, they are still worried about their child in their 30s. Writing this brings tears to my eyes.

What moved me the most was my father-in-law. He is usually not very talkative.

After he learned about my thoughts, he specifically told me: My life has been like this, plain and ordinary, with no achievements. But I support you in starting a business; young people should take risks.

You go ahead and work hard; we will fully support you from behind! I was particularly moved at that moment, so much so that I couldn’t speak. This sounded like something from an old-fashioned drama, but I knew the feelings behind it.

However, what ultimately pushed me to take that step was my brother, my biological brother. He is 14 years older than me and very accomplished. Since childhood, he has been my role model: studying abroad, returning to China, and doing management; I have followed in his footsteps.

On my path of growth, he has been more like a mentor, always standing at a higher vantage point, providing ideas and advice.

When the idea of entrepreneurship first emerged, I told my brother first. To my surprise, he was even more excited than I was. He said, "You must do it; such a great market, why not? And your personality and characteristics are very suitable for this."

When my entrepreneurial idea began to take shape, he said, "If I were ten years younger, I would resign and do it with you. Even if others don’t invest, I would invest in you."

I have to admit, my brother’s enthusiasm influenced me.

I was initially very hesitant, sometimes feeling unprepared, sometimes thinking it was a pity to give up everything I had, sometimes doubting the reliability of entrepreneurship, and sometimes wondering why I should work so hard when I could live comfortably... But his enthusiasm suddenly made me feel like I didn’t need to hesitate anymore.

Three months after the idea of entrepreneurship emerged, I officially submitted my resignation letter.

15 People are products of their environment#

Although we all like to think of ourselves as unique, the influence of our environment is enormous.

When your classmates take scoring 90 points as a given, and when your classmates take scoring 60 points as the highest requirement, how will you set your goals?

When your colleagues complain and blame laziness every day, and when your colleagues study, think, and improve every day, what will your state be like?

Warren Buffett said that the most important decision in your career development is who you choose as your spouse.

I couldn’t agree more. I think the reasoning is simple: because your spouse spends more time with you than anyone else, they are the most important factor in your environment.

Your spouse’s worldview, values, and approach to life will have a significant impact on you, either positively or negatively.

There’s another saying that your wealth is the average wealth of your five closest friends, which is quite chilling when you think about it.

But it’s still the same principle.

If someone among your classmates becomes a billionaire, it will prompt most people to rethink how to define success in terms of wealth. At least it did for me.

Is it that one must enter a good environment to excel, or is it that one must excel to enter a good environment?

I believe they are mutually causal.

The more excellent you are, the more likely you are to encounter excellent people; the more excellent people you meet, the more likely you are to become excellent.
What does this mean for us?

1. Work hard to improve; 2) Carefully choose the people around you.

Entrepreneurship is difficult; this phrase is not just a saying.

The first day after leaving the company felt quite strange. On one hand, I was eager to try, feeling like I could soar high; on the other hand, I still felt somewhat uncertain.

After all, I was about to embark on something with an overall success rate of less than 95%;

After all, I had no entrepreneurial experience whatsoever;

After all, at over thirty, I was giving up a stable job and an opportunity envied by many.

Building a team, determining direction, finding funding, and getting started... In the blink of an eye, it has been over a year.

I never thought entrepreneurship would be easy, but I certainly didn’t anticipate the difficulties I would face. Only by doing it myself did I realize that all the hardships of entrepreneurship that had been mentioned a hundred times were indeed real.

1. No safety net, only challenges ahead.

In a big company, facing clients is the challenge, but returning to the company is the safety net. In entrepreneurship, especially in the early stages, there is no safety net at all. Looking around, there are problems everywhere. If you want to solve a problem, you find you have nothing.

2. Starting from scratch, everything is in its infancy.

I used to rely on company resources, my team, and personal accumulation; in a startup, there is nothing. If you want something to happen, you better ensure it happens directly.

3. Freedom.

There’s a saying I particularly agree with: "Entrepreneurship gives you freedom, and entrepreneurship gives you the freedom to dedicate all your time and energy to work," and that’s indeed the case. However, what’s even more exhausting is not the work, but the anxiety.

4. 24x7 anxiety.
   After starting a business, the boundaries between work and life become blurred; no matter the time or place, as soon as I have a moment of free time, my mind automatically starts considering work-related matters.
   It’s completely involuntary, and I’m basically uninterested in everything else. Half the time is spent thinking about various possibilities, and the other half is spent in anxiety, worrying about direction, team, business, funding, or even not knowing what I’m anxious about...

I am an inherently optimistic person, but in entrepreneurship, I began to understand what "depression" means.

I believe depression is unexplainable anxiety. Anxiety has become the norm. When I was in a company, as long as I clocked out, I could usually set work aside if I wanted to.

Because fundamentally, in a big company, nothing is truly catastrophic. If it really doesn’t work out, I can find another job. However, entrepreneurship is different because of the responsibility.

5. Responsibility.

As the founder, I must bear the responsibility.

Family: I am earning less than one-fifth of my previous salary, and I am so busy that I can’t take care of my family, which greatly affects the quality of life for everyone; and I can’t guarantee how long this situation will last, nor what the outcome will be after several years. So I must consider what entrepreneurship means for them.

Team: Several of them left good companies, giving up a lot to start this venture with me. Although we are all adults and make our own decisions, I must live up to their trust.

Investors: Without the support of investors, our business cannot start. I must be responsible for this support.

Clients: Clients trust us, and since we provide medical services, we must do things right. The word "excuse" cannot exist in a founder’s dictionary. Because that word is meaningless.

If, due to this entrepreneurship, my family suffers in vain, the team wastes their time, energy, and youth, investors waste their money, and clients’ interests are harmed; no matter how good my excuses are, all of this is still caused by me. I must take responsibility.
Such thorough responsibility greatly affects one’s mindset. Besides the pressure, the biggest difference is that I no longer blame others. Because blaming is worthless here. Entrepreneurship is my own choice, so no matter what happens, I have no other path but to find a way to solve it. If I must blame someone, I can only blame myself.

I am certain that the difficulties I encounter in the future will only increase and become greater. However, I have no regrets at all. If I had to do it all over again, I would still choose entrepreneurship. Because this is the life I want.

16 If you want it, go do it!#

If you want it, take action.

One of the biggest realizations since starting my business is that "good ideas are worth nothing," and they can even be detrimental. How so?

Do you have people around you who always have many "good ideas"?

When they describe their ideas, they are always full of enthusiasm, vividly painting a picture, combining current international situations and the latest technological trends, with all sorts of cleverness and innovation; yet they always remain at the idea stage.

In fact, this is true for most people, as it’s easiest to dabble.

Coming up with ideas is merely the simplest step in making something happen.

When imagining scenarios in your mind, you don’t have to be responsible for the consequences of those scenarios.

When ideas are flying in your head, many details seem unimportant under the brilliance of a "good idea."

However, in reality, it’s the details that determine success or failure.

Every person you hire, every decision you make, every supplier you choose, every penny you spend, every strategy you formulate; a business is built from countless such details.

When we don’t take action, our "ideas" can change at any time.

These "good ideas" can make us feel excellent and full of ideas. Thus, we become more complacent or more inclined to critique others.

However, until we take the first step, these ideas are all empty. Someone once said that no business plan has survived to Series A.

This means that all business directions are gradually explored through practice.

Most people who think they can succeed in entrepreneurship with just an idea have likely never ventured into the business world or done anything with high uncertainty.

But once you take that first step, even if it’s a small step or a wobbly one, real learning begins, and real progress becomes possible.

Like a girl you like?

Don’t get caught up in whether she likes you, don’t worry about the best way to approach her. Just take action and pursue her! Many things can only be understood by doing.

Want to change jobs?

Don’t hesitate over the unknowns, don’t worry about the risks. Pull out your resume and start revising it now; find a headhunter’s number and talk to them; check job opportunities on recruitment websites. It’s not too late to consider whether to switch after you have an offer in hand.

Want to become excellent?

Start taking action immediately. Reading is fine, writing articles is fine, running is fine, traveling is fine. Do anything, just don’t be idle. We only live once. Do something. Anything. If not you, who? If not now, when?

Finally, I’d like to share my motto, and I hope you like it.

"Work like you don’t need money, dance like no one is watching, love like you’ve never been hurt."