Book Review: If Success Is a Game, These Are the Rules, Part 1

Part 1 of an interview with author Cherie Carter-Scott, PhD, and book review of If Success Is a Game, These Are the Rules

For many of us, the road to success is strewn with potholes. Motivational speaker Cherie Carter-Scott, PhD, has learned to successfully navigate those dips in the road to reach a desired end. In this first part of our interview with Dr. Carter-Scott, she shares her simple yet profound wisdom on how to begin the journey.

What’s the definition of success?
The first rule is that each person has to define success in his or her own terms. My definition wouldn’t necessarily work for anyone else; it’s my own definition. Success for me is having lived a life that fulfilled my potential and I felt was worth living. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with fame, fortune or prestige; it has a lot to do with my soul and the fulfillment of my existence. My sense of fulfillment is to honor what is speaking to me in my inner wisdom. It’s what beckons to me, whether it’s helping people in their life transitions, or living my own dreams, such as learning how to fly a plane. My definition of success is to listen to the inner wisdom that beckons and stretches us to be all of who we are.

Why do you think self-trust is essential to success?
Self-trust is essential because if you don’t trust yourself you’ll constantly second-guess yourself. You’ll question your choices and decisions. You might say “Maybe this isn’t the right thing to do” or “Maybe I shouldn’t do that.” Any time you reach for success in any capacity it usually means you need to listen to what your inner guide is telling you, and then honor it. But if you don’t trust yourself, you probably won’t do that.

What are some stepping stones along the path to success?
The process goes like this: You first define success for yourself, and then work on really wanting it. (Does it really ignite the fire in your belly so you’ll want to go for it?) The next step is to trust yourself and define your goals. Your goals are somewhere between where you are at the present time and where you ultimately want to be. You define your own goals no one can do that for you. Goals are reasonable, realistic, attainable steps that take you beyond where you are presently and make you move forward in the direction you want to go.

Each step should be specific, measurable, tangible and attainable so that you can see if you’ve actually reached your goal. For instance, if my goal is to drive from Los Angeles to Chicago, I’ll know I’ve reached my goal when I see a sign at the city limits that reads “Welcome to Chicago.” Make your stepping stones tangible so you can see that you’re there, and acknowledge it. But even if you don’t achieve the goal, there’s something to learn from that process.

How do actions affect outcomes?
You might think that everybody says they want to be successful, and that’s true on a general level. But a lot of people say things like “I would like to make X amount of dollars,” or “I’d like to be in a profession I truly love” or “I’d like to find my soul mate” -- but then they don’t do anything about it.

You have to get off the couch. You have to actually get out there and do something before your desired outcome will happen. Your actions are terribly important. It isn’t that the action itself will produce the outcome you wish, but that action sends a message to the universe that you’re not just wishing and hoping something will happen. You’re actively doing something to cause it to happen.

Read the conclusion of this book review in the next post.