Why Everything You Know About Success Is Wrong
Let me start with a confession that might make my business school peers cringe: Everything I was taught about success was a lie.
Not a malicious lie. Not even an intentional one. Just a fundamental misunderstanding of how human achievement actually works.
Here's what we're told success looks like: You set a goal. You make a plan. You execute the plan. You achieve the goal. You celebrate. You set a bigger goal. Rinse and repeat until you're a Fortune 500 CEO or a bestselling author or whatever your definition of "making it" might be.
It's clean. It's linear. It's logical.
It's also complete bullshit.
I learned this the hard way in Afghanistan, reinforced it by building Titanium Consulting Group, and now I've proven it with hundreds of organizations worldwide. Success isn't a straight line. It's not even a curved line. It's a cycle—specifically, what I call the Life Cycle of Positive Expansion.
This isn't just another framework. This is a fundamental shift in how we think about growth, achievement, and human potential. And once you see it, you can't unsee it.
Let me prove it to you with a story.
In 2010, I watched a skinny Marine named Jake Light do something impossible. Two years after an IED shattered half his body, doctors telling him he'd never serve again, he was back in Afghanistan, teaching other Marines how to survive. By every traditional success metric, he'd failed. His original career path was destroyed. His body was permanently damaged. His timeline was shattered.
But Jake understood something most people don't: Success isn't about reaching your destination. It's about expanding your capacity to navigate any destination.
The night he died, three days after giving me a mayonnaise-covered birthday cake in a combat zone, I found his notebook. Inside, he'd sketched out his own version of what I would later formalize as the Life Cycle. Seven stages, repeating endlessly, each cycle making him stronger than before.
"Every end is a beginning," he'd written. "Every summit is a basecamp."
It took me a decade to fully understand what he meant. Now, I'm going to show you.
Stage 1-2: From Inspiration to Motivation
Stage 1: Inspiration - The Spark That Changes Everything
Inspiration is neuroscience in action. When you encounter something that inspires you, your brain releases a cocktail of chemicals—dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins—that literally change how you process information. Your focus sharpens. Your energy surges. Possibilities you couldn't see before suddenly become visible.
In combat, inspiration might come from seeing a fellow Marine overcome impossible odds. In business, it might be a competitor's innovation that makes you realize you've been playing small. In life, it could be as simple as watching someone your age run a marathon when you get winded walking up stairs.
But here's what most people get wrong: They think inspiration is rare, random, something that strikes like lightning. Wrong. Inspiration is everywhere if you're actively looking for it. The key is putting yourself in environments where inspiration is likely to find you.
Jake found inspiration in a military hospital, surrounded by amputees who refused to quit. I found it in a makeshift gym in Iraq, watching Marines build strength from nothing. Where will you find yours?
Stage 2: Motivation - The Internal Shift
Motivation is inspiration internalized. It's the moment when "that's amazing" becomes "I could do that" becomes "I will do that."
This is where brain chemistry gets interesting. Motivation activates your prefrontal cortex—your brain's CEO—which starts planning and organizing resources. But it also triggers your amygdala, which starts calculating threats. This is why motivation often comes with a side of anxiety. Your brain is simultaneously saying "go for it" and "watch out."
The mistake most people make is thinking motivation should feel purely positive. It doesn't. Real motivation—the kind that drives transformation—always includes fear. If you're not at least a little scared, you're not motivated; you're just interested.
I see this with executives all the time. They attend a conference, get inspired by a speaker, feel motivated to transform their organization. Then Monday comes, and that motivation meets reality. The fear wins, and they retreat to safety.
But what if fear isn't the enemy? What if it's actually pointing you toward growth?
In Afghanistan, we had a saying: "If you're not scared, you're not paying attention." The same applies to transformation. That fear you feel when truly motivated? That's your brain recognizing you're about to expand beyond your current capacity. It's not a stop sign; it's a growth indicator.
Stage 3-4: Action and the Wall of Self-Limiting Beliefs
Stage 3: Action - Where Dreams Meet Reality
Action is where the rubber meets the road, where inspiration and motivation transform into kinetic energy. It's also where 90% of people fail.
Why? Because action requires what psychologists call "behavioral activation"—overcoming the inertia of your current state to create a new state. Your brain, which uses 20% of your body's energy despite being 2% of your body weight, is designed to conserve energy. Action threatens that conservation.
This is why the first step is always the hardest. Starting that business. Making that phone call. Signing up for that class. Your brain throws up every possible objection because change requires energy expenditure.
But here's what Jake taught me: Action doesn't have to be massive to be effective. In combat, we called it "violence of action"—decisive movement, even if small, that changes the dynamic. In transformation, I call it "minimum viable progress."
You don't have to quit your job to start your business. You don't have to run a marathon to become a runner. You don't have to transform overnight. You just have to act, however small the action might be.
The neuroscience backs this up. Any action toward your goal, no matter how tiny, triggers the same reward pathways as achieving the goal itself. Your brain starts building new neural pathways immediately. The key is consistency, not intensity.
Stage 4: Self-Limiting Beliefs - The Graveyard of Dreams
This is where it gets ugly. You've taken action, and suddenly your brain's defense mechanisms kick into overdrive. Every doubt, fear, and insecurity you've ever had shows up to the party.
"Who do you think you are?" "You're not smart enough for this." "People like you don't succeed at things like this." "You're going to embarrass yourself." "Remember what happened last time you tried?"
During my TEDx talk, I mentioned running past a graveyard and wondering how many ideas were buried there. This is the stage where those ideas die. Not because they weren't viable, but because the person couldn't push through their self-limiting beliefs.
Here's the truth about self-limiting beliefs: They're not character flaws. They're protection mechanisms. Your brain creates them to keep you safe from perceived threats. The problem is, your brain can't tell the difference between the threat of being eaten by a predator and the threat of giving a presentation.
In combat, we called this "target fixation"—becoming so focused on a threat that you create the very outcome you're trying to avoid. Pilots who fixate on obstacles often fly straight into them. Leaders who fixate on their limitations often confirm them.
The solution isn't to ignore these beliefs or pretend they don't exist. It's to recognize them for what they are: outdated software running on your mental hardware. They might have protected you in the past, but now they're preventing your growth.
Stage 5-6: The Transformation Through Community
Stage 5: Coaching and Learning - The Force Multiplier
This is where everything changes. This is where cycles become spirals, where failure becomes feedback, where individuals become leaders.
Remember when I talked about calling Master Sergeant Williams at 4:17 AM? That was my Stage 5 moment. The recognition that transformation isn't a solo sport.
Your brain is a prediction machine, constantly using past experience to anticipate future outcomes. When you're trying to grow beyond your experience, your brain literally doesn't have the data to guide you. This is why coaching and learning from others isn't just helpful—it's neurologically necessary.
When you engage with coaches, mentors, or peer learners, you're borrowing their neural patterns. Through mirror neurons—cells that fire both when you act and when you observe others acting—you literally download new possibilities into your brain.
But here's the key: Not all learning is created equal. Passive learning—reading, watching, listening—creates weak neural pathways. Active learning—discussing, practicing, teaching—creates strong ones. This is why the best military training involves doing, not just studying. It's why the best business transformations involve workshops, not just seminars.
In building Titanium Consulting Group, my breakthrough came when I stopped trying to figure everything out myself and started learning from:
- Other veteran entrepreneurs who'd made the transition
- Successful consultants who'd built practices
- Clients who taught me what they actually needed
- Team members who brought different perspectives
Each person added neural pathways I couldn't create alone. Each conversation expanded my capacity. Each lesson learned from others saved me months of trial and error.
Stage 6: Implementation - From Knowledge to Capability
Implementation is where learning transforms into skill. It's the difference between knowing about leadership and being a leader, between understanding fitness and being fit, between studying business and running one.
This stage is where most corporate transformations fail. Companies invest millions in training, send executives to prestigious programs, hire expensive consultants. Then everyone goes back to doing exactly what they did before. Knowledge without implementation is just expensive entertainment.
The military gets this right. We don't just teach combat tactics; we drill them until they become automatic. We don't just explain leadership principles; we put people in leadership positions and let them practice. Implementation isn't an afterthought; it's the point.
When you implement based on coaching and learning rather than just motivation, something powerful happens. You're not just trying harder; you're trying smarter. You're applying proven patterns rather than inventing from scratch. You're standing on the shoulders of giants rather than starting from ground level.
But implementation requires something most people avoid: the willingness to be bad at something before you're good at it. Every Marine remembers their first time leading PT, their first time calling in air support, their first time making a critical decision. We sucked. But we sucked in a controlled environment where sucking was safe and learning was guaranteed.
Create your own implementation laboratory. Start small. Practice in low-stakes environments. Build confidence through repetition. Remember: Every expert was once a disaster. The difference is they kept implementing until disaster became mastery.
Stage 7: Practiced Discipline and the New You
Stage 7: Practiced Discipline - Your New Operating System
This is where magic becomes method. Where extraordinary becomes ordinary. Where transformation becomes identity.
Practiced discipline isn't about willpower or forcing yourself to do things you hate. It's about rewiring your neural pathways so thoroughly that new behaviors become your default setting. It's not that you have to try to be better; it's that you can't help but operate at this new level.
Think about driving. Remember when it required total concentration? Every mirror check, every turn signal, every lane change demanded conscious effort. Now? You probably drove to work this morning while simultaneously planning your day, listening to a podcast, and drinking coffee. What once required all your mental resources now happens automatically.
That's practiced discipline. Your new capabilities have become so integrated into your neural architecture that they require minimal conscious effort. You've literally become a different person—not through willpower, but through rewiring.
In combat, we called this "unconscious competence." The ability to perform complex tasks under extreme stress without conscious thought. In business, I call it "embedded excellence." The point where high performance isn't something you do; it's something you are.
But here's the beautiful paradox: Reaching practiced discipline in one area doesn't create an endpoint. It creates a launching pad. Your new comfort zone becomes the foundation for the next cycle. What was once your ceiling becomes your floor.
This is why Jake could face recovery from catastrophic injury with the same methodology he'd used to become a martial arts expert. The discipline was practiced. The cycle was proven. He just applied it to a new challenge.
Implementing the Life Cycle in Your Organization
Now that you understand the seven stages, let's talk application. How do you take this from concept to culture? How do you embed the Life Cycle of Positive Expansion into your organization's DNA?
Team Applications: Making Growth Contagious
Individual transformation is powerful. Collective transformation is unstoppable. When you implement the Life Cycle at the team level, you create what I call "expansion culture"—an environment where continuous growth isn't just encouraged; it's expected.
Here's how to start:
- Inspiration Mapping: Have teams identify what inspires them collectively. What achievements, innovations, or possibilities light them up? Create regular exposure to these inspiration sources.
- Motivation Circles: Form small groups where people share what they're motivated to achieve. Public declaration creates accountability and support.
- Action Partnerships: Pair people for mutual action support. When one person hits Stage 4 (self-limiting beliefs), their partner helps them push through.
- Learning Networks: Create formal coaching and mentoring relationships. Make learning from others a recognized part of everyone's role.
- Implementation Labs: Designate safe spaces for practicing new skills. Celebrate intelligent failures as learning opportunities.
- Discipline Recognition: Acknowledge when team members achieve new levels of practiced discipline. Make it visible. Create role models.
- Cycle Celebration: When someone completes a full cycle, celebrate both the achievement and the readiness for the next challenge.
Leadership Development Programs: Building Titanium Leaders
Traditional leadership development treats growth as an event—attend a workshop, get a certificate, you're developed. The Life Cycle treats it as a continuous process. Here's how to restructure your leadership development:
Quarter 1: Inspiration and Motivation
- Expose emerging leaders to inspiring examples
- Help them identify personal growth aspirations
- Create vision boards for leadership journey
Quarter 2: Action and Belief Breaking
- Assign stretch projects that trigger growth
- Provide coaching through self-limiting beliefs
- Normalize discomfort as growth indicator
Quarter 3: Learning and Implementation
- Pair with experienced leaders as mentors
- Create real-world application opportunities
- Focus on skill building through practice
Quarter 4: Discipline and Next Cycle
- Assess new baseline capabilities
- Identify next growth edge
- Prepare for expanded challenges
Measuring Transformation: Beyond Traditional Metrics
How do you measure cyclical growth? Traditional metrics focus on endpoints—goals achieved, boxes checked, milestones reached. The Life Cycle requires different measurements:
- Cycle Velocity: How quickly do people move through complete cycles?
- Expansion Rate: How much does capacity increase with each cycle?
- Resilience Index: How well do people push through Stage 4?
- Learning Transfer: How effectively do people apply coaching to implementation?
- Discipline Sustainability: How well do new capabilities stick?
The Compound Effect: Why This Changes Everything
Here's what happens when you embed the Life Cycle into your organization: Growth becomes exponential, not linear.
Each person cycling creates ripple effects. Their expansion inspires others. Their learning becomes organizational knowledge. Their discipline raises the bar for everyone. Soon, you have an organization that doesn't just adapt to change—it creates change.
I've seen companies transform their entire cultures using this approach. Teams that were stuck in survival mode become innovation engines. Leaders who were managing decline start creating growth. Organizations that were industry followers become market makers.
But it all starts with understanding this fundamental truth: Success isn't a destination you reach. It's a cycle you ride. And the more you ride it, the further it takes you.
Your Next Cycle Starts Now
As I write this, it's been over a decade since Jake Light drew his version of this cycle in a notebook in Afghanistan. He never got to see it fully developed, never got to watch it transform hundreds of organizations, never got to know that his midnight musings would become a movement.
But he knew the truth that matters most: Every end is a beginning. Every summit is a basecamp. Every comfort zone is a launching pad.
You've read about the seven stages. You understand the neuroscience. You've seen the applications. Now comes the only question that matters:
What cycle will you begin today?
Maybe it's finally starting that business. Maybe it's transforming your leadership style. Maybe it's rebuilding your organization's culture. Maybe it's something I can't even imagine.
Whatever it is, remember this: The graveyard I ran past during my TEDx talk is full of people who understood the Life Cycle intellectually but never lived it actually. Don't be another buried idea. Don't be another unrealized potential.
Your inspiration is out there waiting. Your motivation is ready to activate. Your action is one decision away. Yes, you'll hit self-limiting beliefs. Yes, you'll need others to help you through. Yes, implementation will be messy and discipline will take time.
But on the other side of that complete cycle? A version of you that makes current you look like a rough draft. An organization that makes your current one look like a prototype. A life that makes your current one look like a warm-up.
The Life Cycle of Positive Expansion isn't just a framework. It's a promise: If you're willing to ride the cycle, the cycle will take you places you can't currently imagine.
Jake Light knew this. Now you know it too.
The only question left is: Will you live it?
Your next cycle starts now. Let's ride.
Find a combat leadership expert with a proven record of transforming lives and organizations. Dr. Travis Hearne is a Marine Corps veteran, founder and CEO of Titanium Consulting Group, and an acclaimed voice on leadership transformation and resilience. His journey from combat to corporate leadership has inspired thousands to turn their own ground zeros into launching pads for success.
To explore leadership development programs or book Travis for details speaking engagements, visit www.thearnespeaks.com or www.titaniumconsultinggroup.com. Connect with Travis and join a community of leaders turning adversity into advantage at @travis.hearne on Instagram and LinkedIn.