Customer Reviews

If Success Is a Game, These Are the Rules: Ten Rules for a Fulfilling Life

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found it very difficult to grade this book. It is clearly a five-star implementation of its promise: To give you the rules for achieving success in career and life. That's what my rating above stands for.

On the other hand, I think the book's premise as described in the title is an incomplete one. Let me give you an analogy. We know chess is a game. I can teach you the rules, and that will do you little good unless you develop skill or only play unskilled opponents. Then I can give you the rules of how to succeed at chess, but if you do not develop enough skill, you still will not win at chess unless the opponents are less skillful. Many of the rules in this book are the equivalent of telling a new chess player to think 8 moves ahead before picking the next move. Easily said, but hard to do.

My point is that this book usually gives you very correct information, but at a level of generalization that will only get you started in the direction of where you need to go . . . not give you the skill to get there.

By comparison, I have attended many excellent seminars that emphasized similar material. In those circumstances, working on exercises with a new "buddy" met at the seminar and writing in a journal provided the focus, discipline, and feedback to start making progress. This book also has exercises, but doesn't give you enough direction for how to work on them to make the kind of progress you could be making.

Having said that, this book will be great for people who are already very focused on success and just have a need for a little better direction in how to pursue it. If you are just getting stuck a little now and then, you will probably do very well with this book.

On the other hand, if you cannot seem to make headway at all, this book may not be enough to get you started. I suggest that you do enlist a "buddy" to help you (ideally one who wants you to help her or him, as well), which should enhance your progress.

Let me briefly paraphrase the ten rules for you:

1. The meaning of success does and should differ from person to person.

2. You have to be emotionally committed to progress to get started and sustain the effort.

3. Believe that you can trust yourself to become successful.

4. You need goals to focus your attention.

5. Pick the actions that link you toward your goals.

6. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities that fit your goals.

7. Setbacks provide learning that will help you make better future progress. Keep persevering!

8. Time, relationships, and finances should be carefully developed and employed to give you the best boost.

9. Keep an open mind about what is required next as you make progress, because new challeges present the need for changed directions and methods by you.

10. Success is all about becoming, not arriving, so keep going with new goals!

What I liked least about the book was the definition of success that said: "Clearly, no one definition of success is better than another." That is true if each definition is equally true for the individual who espouses it.

What I liked most about the book was focusing on personal fulfillment: "The true essence of success . . . lies in your own personal sense of satisfaction and fulfillment."

In the latter regard, I wish the book had focused more on its message of "enjoy the journey" because that is what a successful pursuit of any goal should be about.

The book is filled with many wonderful examples, questions to answer, and advice for avoiding pitfalls (especially "stalled" thinking).

I hope the author will come out with a very detailed workbook to complement this book, and help readers to develop more skill in applying its messages. Until that time, I suggest that Life Strategies and The Life Strategies Workbook will probably be more helpful to many readers than this book alone.

Feel free to use the three together though. My suggestion would be to read this book first, then Life Strategies, then the Life Strategies Workbook.

I also suggest that you reread this book at least once every two years, just to keep its messages abour rules fresh in your mind.

May your life be filled with great joy and meaning . . . for you!

One of the best books on success of all time is Think and Grow Rich. Yet as good as it is, that book and others tend to pull their punches. People want to believe there is some secret to being successful that doesn't involve rolling up your sleeves and working. Many success books and schemes pander to that and end up helping no one. The only person that succeeds is the huckster selling the hype to people being told what they want to hear.

What makes this book great is accuracy. It is a clear description of what goes into being successful. Instead of feeding into people's illusions it clearly describes what you really must do to be successful.

It just amazes me how people exist in denial. They blame others instead of simply seeing that they create all aspects of their lives. They want luck to play a major role in their achievements, friendships, love and career success, when really you make your own life.

This book will set you straight. The author is intelligent and a good writer. The bio says she's done seminars with individual coaching for 20 years. I believe it. She's obviously taken the time to learn what works and has written a quality book that made a significant difference for me. If you're ready to bring some effective new ways of thinking, relating and working into your life, things that will make a difference, this book is one of the best you'll find to help you learn how to do that for yourself.

Read IF SUCCESS IS A GAME, THESE ARE THE RULES
by Cherie Scott-Cater . . . this is a wonderful self-help book,
but don't be put of by that description if you're not typically
a fan of such material.

Scott-Carter will make you a convert as she helps you discover
what determine what success means to you . . . and that is
perhaps the key benefit you'll gain from reading her book;
i.e., it enables you to come up with you own definition and
then achieve it via ten simple rules.

I liked her use of examples, as well as probing
questions . . . methinks you will, too, and you'll be surprised
about how inspired you will be to achieve your various goals.

There were many memorable passages; among them:
I notice that many people put off doing this exercise [writing one's ideal obituary] because it confronts them with the reality of their mortality. I have found, conversely, that when you really examine your life head-on, you can be painfully honest about what you want to accomplish throughout your life. It is a bit uncomfortable writing down big dreams because they may sound highly ambitious or self-aggrandized, but unless you allow yourself to imagine your ideal life, you can never begin to make it happen. Imagining yourself at the end of your life looking back is a helpful tool to articulate what it is that you hope to accomplish during your lifetime.

The formula to find your path to fulfillment is astonishingly simple: Follow your preferences, and they will lead you to your path. Find what brings you joy and satisfaction, and trust that it will also bring you prosperity. Find what makes your blood boil, and trust that it will also fuel your existence. Discover what makes your heart sing, and trust that it will create music in your life. In other words, find what matters to you, and trust that it is the signpost you have been looking for.

One of the things that my clients and friends both love and hate me for is the fact that upon hearing them express a vision, I immediately ask, "When would you like to do that?" I do this because I am eager to see them have what they want. I know the only way this happens is through commitment.

Cherie Carter-Scott has a way of causing you to say, "I knew that, why haven't I done it?" The essential element of the book is simple. It's like the old saying, "if you don't know where you're going, then any path will take you there." The rules she gives you aren't difficult, but they make you not only THINK about where you are, but also to do the work of getting in touch with how you FEEL about success -- as you define it for yourself. She isn't on a soapbox. She writes using such great examples of people, and I'll bet they aren't out of her imagination, either. I'd recommend this book to just about anyone at any phase of their life, because life is about change and she wants to make this a bit easier for each of us. With me, she succeeded.

This book supplies a lot of great information, but at a level of generalization that will only get you started in the direction of where you really need to go . . . it will not teach you the skills you need to get there. Perhaps that's too obvious to even mention! Nevertheless, I found this book very helpful and I recommend it. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold. Excellent!

The author did a great job of laying the fundamental rules of achieving success on a high level. If you are starting out on a journey of success, this is a great book.

The author makes an enlightening attempt to define the true definition of success. She claims, contrary to popular belief, success is not only about becoming rich, powerful or famous, rather it's about a combination of those achievement and inner fulfillment. Success is unique to everyone.

Here are the 10 Rules:

1. Every Person Has Their Own Unique Definition Of Success - It is only us who can determine what deeply satisfies
us. It may be a retiring at 40 or being able to take our dogs to work or to buy a house for our parents that
makes us content. The definition is unique for each of us.

2. Wanting Success Is The First Step Towards Attaining It - Desire is the starting point. Admitting, you want
something without buts, if and excuses releases the energy to attain the desire.

3. Self-Trust is Essential - To keep taking continuous action, we need to believe in ourself and have a good idea
of who we are.

4. Goals Are the Stepping Stones - Vision is the canvas and Goals are the strokes. SMART goals.

5. Your Action Affects Your Outcomes - Your reality is directly proportionate to the action you take.

6. Opportunities Will Be Presented - We will encounter both obvious and hidden opportunities as we make the journey
of success. We should be prepared to take risks as necessary.

7. Each Setback Provides Valuable Lessons - Failure is feedback. We learn and we move on.

8. Managing Your Resources Maximizes Your Efforts - Your time, energy, relationships and finances are your most
valuable resources. Handling them wisely enhances your chances of success.

9. Every Level of Success Brings New Challenge - Keep the balance.

10. Success Is A Process That Never Ends - It's like climbing a mountain. There is going to be another higher
peak after you reach one.


I have rated the book 4 star. Even though the author does a great job of giving a general overview of the fundamentals, I feel like there is a lack of details for many of the rules. Nevertheless, this is still a worthy read.

Cherie Scott-Carter was exceptionally inspirational in this book. Completely uplifting, relevant material, and completely new; it didn't feel like a repetition of her other books. Helped me so much with my life coaching practice! Highly recommended.

Sincerely,
Life Coach Lauren Marie Owen
(Fiction Pen Name: Lauren Lion)

This is also another book that has some great advice for living your everyday life!

"If Success Is a Game, These Are the Rules by Cherie Carter-Scott, Ph.D. provides a thoroughly researched, thoughtful account outlining the ten rules for achieving success alongside fulfillment. Her interview subjects convey compelling life stories with sometimes shockingly unexpected outcomes. Through her insightful research, she reveals the mindset and the heart necessary for achieving a fulfilled life. In the acknowledgements of Kirby Thibeault's book titled Wealth, he highlights how "societies are built on the underlying values they instill in their peoples, which seem to change from time to time. However, what does not ever change is the beauty of the human spirit and all that it can accomplish when realized." Cherie Carter-Scott, Ph.D., like Kirby Thibeault, understands with clarity that success is something beyond mere materialism and common convention. As taught by Kirby Thibeault, the greatest conceivable success is personal achievement for the betterment of all humanity."

-Susanne Cardwell, owner/operator of Advert Marketing Solutions and avid supporter of the spiritual views of Kirby Thibeault, author of Wealth-

Have you ever found a book that can serve and satisfy all criterias?

Strentghs: simple, easy to read, great examples.
I agree with the reader from San Francisco, CA USA
In a way it has much better explanation of success than in UP. Each book has its own strengths and weaknesses. They may not suit all your criterias.

Weaknesses:???

For specific cases you don't understand and are unsure, you just have to consult with the expert or buy another book that fills the gap or ask somebody who may be able to help.