Who doesn’t want to have raging success in life? Let’s learn from one of the best. Discover Tommy Shelby’s rules of success.
Granted, I hope you don’t plan to kill or torture anyone to reach success like Tommy Shelby.
However, even if you use different methods than the Peaky Blinders mastermind, you can still benefit from his rules of success.
Let them inspire and motivate you on your own journey!
1. Don’t let your upbringing hold you back from achieving great things
“I’m not a traitor to my class. I am just an extreme example of what a working man can achieve.”
– Tommy Shelby
There is nothing honorable keeping yourself small to please the society you grew up in. Tommy knows that and gives a f#ck about other peoples’ opinions concerning his outrageous dreams.
He knows he is meant for more than working in a factory day in day out and barely making ends meet.
Your upbringing doesn’t have to define your future if you don’t want it to.
As soon as you realize that and take the first step towards a grander life, you’ve already gone further than most people ever will.
You should also be aware that rising up in society doesn’t mean you have to hide your roots.
Tommy keeps his Gypsy roots alive. He’s even taught his son the language.
So be proud of them and keep the parts of your upbringing that you want to keep because they make you happy and not because others tell you to.
2. Take advantage of unexpected opportunities
“Fortune drops something valuable into your lap; you don’t just dump it on the bank of the cut.”
– Tommy Shelby
So many people nowadays struggle to adapt to unexpected changes.
In their minds, they have this path of their life planned out almost to a T – go to school, finish school with a good GPA, (travel for a year), get into college/uni, finish the degree, get a job, get engaged, marry, buy a house.
Then, when they suddenly stumble upon an opportunity (for example, a business course or mentor) that doesn’t align with their current path, they hurriedly ignore it and stay with what’s safe.
Tommy certainly didn’t plan or even expect to find a ton of guns. But he’s done very well in squeezing all the benefits out of that opportunity.
And to think a bit outside the box, an idea can also be an opportunity.
In the introduction to her MasterClass.com course, Sara Blakely says that every person in their life has had a million-dollar idea.
Why is it then that only a fraction of people realizes those ideas?
Many factors play into that, with the most prominent one being a lack of belief in themselves and too many other limiting beliefs.
However, whatever the underlying reason, it still comes down to people not taking advantage of the opportunity that their idea presents.
If you have a crazy or even just a small business idea, don’t just write it off! Think about it for a while. Take it with you for weeks, months, or even years if necessary.
Tommy Shelby always carefully measures his moves – turning down business ideas included.
3. Be patient and well prepared
“When you plan something well, there’s no need to rush.”
– Tommy Shelby
One of the things that never fails to put me into disbelief is our 21st-century society’s impatience.
Instant gratification is in; delayed gratification is out.
Videos on demand, fast food, ubers, 24h service hotlines, and much more are catering towards a population that wants its needs met ideally the moment they arise.
In their blind search for instant and easy gratification, they buy into get-rich-schemes and lose-weight-over-night-diets.
And when they don’t see the results quick enough, they quit and dabble with something else.
No wonder they say that most blogs die within the first 6 months!
Tommy Shelby knows how to play the long game. He understands that each tiny action is planting a seed that will grow if given enough time and care.
And sure enough, as a reward for all his planning and patience, he is reaping the rewards in masses over the years.
4. Your dreams won’t disappear, so you might as well pursue them
“You can change what you do, but you can’t change what you want.”
– Tommy Shelby
Few people seem to understand that your crazy dreams won’t go away merely by ignoring them for long enough.
They believe their dreams are too far fetched and unrealistic. So instead, they settle with an ordinary life that is reasonably predictable.
They are so scared of getting disappointed or failing that they don’t even try pursuing their dreams.
Don’t fall prey to the what-if-syndrome!
If you never pursue your dreams, you will always ask yourself what could have been.
Read also: 15 Ways To Live A Life You Won´t Regret
Tommy Shelby understands that you should go after it instead of pretending to be ok without it if you want something.
That’s why he is one of the few people who elevated their lifestyle dramatically.
5. Dress to infuse respect
Tommy Shelby is one finely dressed man.
He’s been that way from season 1 when he didn’t have enough money to waste it on expensive suits, all up to him being in politics wearing the most delicate pieces on the market.
This shows, dressing to impress doesn’t have to be reserved for rich people. Nowadays, much less so, with many affordable stores like SheIn.com and Zaful.com selling gorgeous items.
The way you dress can open many doors.
Often times, certain groups of people can be spotted dressed similarly. So if you want to be part of a specific group – in this case, the group of highly successful self-made people – you should dress accordingly.
A chic style will earn you respect from those you want to be respected by and intimidates those you don’t want too close and personal.
Fashion is a mighty weapon that you should add to your arsenal.
Read also: 11 Fashion Hacks For Stylish Women
6. Don’t let people believe they can screw you over – Don’t be a people pleaser
“The only way to guarantee peace is by making the prospect of war seem hopeless.”
– Tommy Shelby
Many people nowadays, especially women, are people pleasers. I get it. I am guilty of this myself.
We always try to be extra polite and don’t want to bother others by voicing any extra wishes. So we coat our words with fluff and flattery or even hold our tongue entirely.
The hard truth about this behavior is that while it might keep us out of uncomfortable confrontations, it also gets us walked and stamped over repeatedly.
I’m sure you can think of at least one instance where some drama could have been avoided by you speaking up sooner or at all.
Not only do we end up being walked over by others, but they also get encouraged to do so again and again.
They’ll think, “Oh, she/he won’t mind” because you never complained before.
Tommy Shelby knows that you need to make it very clear to others how you expect to be treated.
From the getgo, he makes it clear that he won’t take people going against him. And he also repeatedly reminds everyone of that by setting clear (brutal) boundaries.
It’s time to set your boundaries as well (though less bloody)!
Learn how to speak up and share your opinion and feelings. Stop being afraid to be a bother to waiters, stewardesses, or friends.
Those people want to make you happy, so tell them what you need! If they don’t like it, it’s either their problem, or you can compromise afterward.
But stand your ground confidently and respectfully first!
7. Create your own path to success
“You have to get what you want your own way.”
– Tommy Shelby
No two paths to success – even the same kind of success – are the same.
Most people don’t even believe other people’s success is possible for them. Of those who think they can achieve great things, many get frustrated about not managing to do it in the same way as others.
Success leaves clues and should be modeled, yes.
However, you can’t expect to have the exact same path as others had since the circumstances never are precisely the same.
With that being said, you should also stop listening to people telling you things have to be done one specific way.
Listen to their advice and take it with a grain of salt.
But ultimately, go and get what you want the way that seems most reasonable and aligned with you. Even if nobody else believes that this is the way to go.
8. Master your body language
“Walk like a king or like you don’t give a fuck who’s the king.”
– Tommy Shelby
Body language can make a huge difference. And the fascinating part is that most people don’t even consciously notice how someone’s body language affects them.
Tommy Shelby has mastered his body language.
He is very unreactive in most confrontations. He doesn’t flinch, fidgets, or scratches himself. All of these are signs of unease and insecurity and therefore destroy any appearance of dominance you are trying to build.
He also looks people directly in the eye and moves in slow and precise manners.
He doesn’t cross his arms in front of his body as an unconscious move of protection.
Overall, Tommy owns every room he steps in and every interaction he has within a few short moments.
To do the same, you have to start out by learning the basics of body language.
You need to understand what actions are in your favor and which aren’t. Then you can practice them in real life as Tommy Shelby does.
9. Sometimes, you’ve got to stop overthinking and trust you intuition
“If they want you, you will feel it, not question it.”
– Tommy Shelby
Your intuition is sometimes far wiser than your mind. It notices things that you don’t consciously pick up on and therefore makes better decisions.
Especially within human interactions, your intuition can be strong guidance.
If you practice being more perceptive towards your gut feeling instead of the annoying voice in your head, you’ll easily be able to tell someone’s intentions.
You’ll notice whether they want to scam you, whether they are genuinely interested in you, or whether they are trying to flatter you.
Trust your instinct.
10. Ignore judgment from the masses; they’re just jealous
“Good taste is for people who can’t afford sapphires.”
– Tommy Shelby
Living your dream life and achieving great things will trigger people who haven’t accomplished their own dreams yet.
They will project their disappointment, frustration, and embarrassment on you, and if they haven’t learned to deal with their emotions, they will go and judge you.
Tommy Shelby knows you’d be a fool to let such small-minded people’s judgment stop you from doing what you want to do.
11. There is no point dwelling on the past
You can’t change the past, but you can make sure to learn from it and create a better future out of it.
Tommy Shelby has experienced more than once challenging and traumatizing events in his life.
If he’d continuously be dwelling on them, he’d never get anywhere and run himself insane. In fact, he does at a few points.
But then he stands back up again and keeps moving on.
So should you.
Stop blaming your past for your current life. Instead, make sure you won’t lead the same life tomorrow.
I hope these 11 rules of success gave you some ideas on what to work on in the future.
Acting in the ways mentioned above will bring you rapidly closer to the success that you are craving.
So start bending time and space as soon as possible!
Sophie
