What They Don’t Teach You in School About Real Success (But Should)

The top methods that separate the Winners from Whiners

Let’s Talk About the Real Game

You want success? Cool.

But let’s make something painfully clear right now:
Success isn’t sexy. It’s not a hashtag.
It’s not a “mood” or a vision board or a meditation playlist.

Success is a choice. Over and over. Made with discipline, grit, and relentless personal responsibility.

This isn’t theory.

This is what the greats do—from entrepreneurs to pro athletes to the leaders who built something real from nothing but sweat and stubborn belief.

Below are  principles I teach in my no-nonsense, real-world system, that is based on principles I have learned from carious sources, including The Success Principles by Jack Canfield.

Consider this your introduction into methods that are flipping the script for business leaders, high performers, and coaches ready to dominate their inner game and outer results.

🔥 1. Stop Whining. Everything’s Your Fault Now.

Back when William Farrell was spiraling out in depression and booze, he had two options: keep playing victim, or grab the wheel. His job sucked, his health was trash, and his bank account looked like a cruel joke. Most people in that situation double down on excuses and stay there for years, sometimes decades. But William did the thing most won’t—he got radically honest. He asked himself, “What if I’m the reason this isn’t working?”

Boom. That question shifted everything. He stopped blaming the system, his upbringing, and the economy. He started learning, reading, getting coached. Six months later, he had launched his coaching practice. A year in, he had clients, confidence, and cashflow. His life didn’t change because of luck. It changed because he owned every inch of it. That’s the power of 100% responsibility—it’s not sexy, but it works every damn time.

⚡️ 2. Figure Out Why You’re on This Planet… or Stay Lost Forever.

Julie Marie Carrier used to wake up every day feeling like she was wearing someone else’s shoes—successful on paper, but off-track inside. She was working in corporate D.C., clocking in, smiling for the meetings, but deep down she knew this wasn’t it. One day she finally asked herself: What am I actually here to do?

The answer wasn’t immediate, but she kept asking, kept listening. Eventually, she realized her mission was to empower young women to step into leadership. That clarity lit a fire in her gut. She left her cushy job and dove into work that mattered to her. Now, she's one of the top speakers for young women in the country. The world didn't give her clarity—she demanded it. And when it came, she ran with it like her life depended on it—because it did.

🎯 3. Get Specific or Stay Broke.

You wanna know why most people stay stuck? Because they’re afraid to get specific. They’re scared to say what they really want. Enter Miriam Laundry—wife, mother, "normal person" by most standards. But she had one wild idea: she wanted to make a difference in children’s lives. Not just “someday,” not just “in theory.” She decided she would impact 100,000 kids.

Did she have a plan? Nope. A massive platform? Not at first. But she got clear, wrote a book, and rallied people around a cause. That clarity and conviction led to her setting a freakin' Guinness World Record for the largest online reading event for children. Over 100,000 kids reached. Boom. Done. That’s what happens when you decide instead of wish. She went from “average mom” to record-breaking author and speaker—not because she hoped for it, but because she chose it.

💥 4. If You Don’t Believe It’s Possible, Just Quit Now.

Mike Pate was like most people: grinding hard, stuck in a rut, and quietly doubting whether things could actually change. Then he started applying success principles. But here’s the kicker: they didn’t work until he actually believed they could. Once that switch flipped in his mind, the dominoes started falling fast. He doubled his income in one year. Then did it again. He bought a freakin’ vacation home in Hawaii. He went from surviving to thriving, not because the world got easier, but because he started believing he could win—and that belief infected everything he touched.

Let me make this brutally clear: You can’t outperform your beliefs. If you don’t think it’s possible, it won’t be. Period. Your belief system is either your rocket fuel or your emergency brake. Choose wisely.

🎯 5. Goals Are for Winners. Wishes Are for Losers. Choose a Side.

You know this one. Jack Canfield didn’t just wake up and “hope” to become a bestselling author. He wrote down a specific, measurable goal: I will sell 1 million copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Not “someday.” Not “maybe.” That was the mission. And he chased it like a dog after a steak truck. He visualized it, planned it, and kept going through 144 rejections until one publisher finally said yes.

Now? 500+ million copies sold. Global brand. Legacy secured. That’s not a fairytale. That’s what happens when you use goals like GPS coordinates for your life. If you don’t know exactly where you're going, don’t be surprised when you end up nowhere worth being.

🧹 6. Cut the Crybabies Out of Your Life Before They Infect You.

Toni Signature was buried in $65,000 of debt, hating her job, and living a life that felt like a slow-motion panic attack. Every conversation around her was the same tired soundtrack: “Ain’t it awful? The economy sucks. Life is unfair.” She realized one day that this club she was in—the complainer’s club—had no perks and no exits unless she made one. So she bailed. She stopped entertaining whiny conversations and started investing in herself.

Fast forward: she's debt-free, working in her ideal job, and on pace to retire early. The change didn’t come from wishing. It came from cutting out the dead weight. Let me say this loud for the people in the back: If your crew sucks, your life will too. You are not required to attend every pity party you're invited to.

⚔️ 7. Take the Damn Shot—Perfect Plans Are Killing Your Dreams.

You’ve probably heard of Jia Jiang—the guy who intentionally sought out 100 days of rejection to crush his fear. He’d walk into Krispy Kreme and ask them to make him donuts in the shape of the Olympic rings. (They did it.) He’d ask strangers for $100 “just because.” (Sometimes they gave it.) His point? He wanted to prove that action—especially uncomfortable action—kills fear better than any motivational quote ever could.

Here’s the truth: most people aren’t failing because of bad plans. They’re failing because they never start. You want to build confidence? Move your damn feet. Take messy action. Success rewards the bold—not the perfect.

📈 8. Get Better Every Day… or Get Buried by Someone Who Is.

Kathleen Seeley was making $3K/month and coasting on autopilot. Comfortable, but far from fulfilled. She decided to flip the switch and go all-in on her growth. Books. Coaching. Masterminds. The whole nine. Six months later? $25K/month and a totally upgraded life. Not just financially, but in her identity, her relationships, her leadership.

Here’s the part most people miss: mastery is boring. It’s repetition. It’s showing up when the novelty wears off. But that’s the game. Constant improvement isn’t glamorous—it’s gritty. But it’s also the fastest path to becoming dangerously good at what you do.

🔗 9. Your Inner Circle Is Either Fuel or Poison. Pick Carefully.

You can trace almost every major leap in someone’s life back to a shift in who they spent time with. Tim Ferriss openly says that his success didn’t just come from hustle—it came from curating his circle like his life depended on it. He made it a non-negotiable to only surround himself with people who stretched his thinking, raised his standards, and had no tolerance for mediocrity.

If you hang with complainers, guess what you become? A pro complainer. Hang with builders, leaders, and action-takers? You either rise up—or tap out. Want to change your life fast? Change your room. Upgrade your circle before you upgrade your goals.

🧠 10. Do What You Said You’d Do—Especially When No One’s Watching.

You want to build unshakable self-confidence? Here’s the secret weapon: keep your damn word. To others, sure—but especially to yourself.

Warren Buffett doesn’t over-promise. But when he gives his word? It’s done. No reminders needed. That reputation has made him one of the most trusted names in business. But even on the micro level, this principle is life-changing. Every time you say “I’ll get up at 6,” and then snooze till 7? You just told your subconscious: “I’m not someone who follows through.” Stack enough broken promises to yourself, and your self-trust tanks. But flip that? Start keeping even the tiniest agreements? You become unstoppable. Confidence isn’t built from hype. It’s built from integrity in the dark.

👇 Ready to Stop Dipping Your Toe and Actually GO ALL IN?

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This is the kind of straight-shooting, action-driving, inner-game dominating fire we I bring to each and every person.

I am not about “feel-good” sessions or information. I am about hard-hitting transformation.

It’s a no-excuses transformation experience designed to:

• Blow up old patterns
• Install elite habits
• Make you the kind of person who gets what they want — in life, business, and legacy
  
  

👉 Learn more at www.tonyschmaltz.com

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Let’s go and always remember...to Be Schmaltzy

— Tony Schmaltz

High-Performance Coach, No-BS Leadership Whisperer, & Founder of The Upgrade Community