Synopses & Reviews
Most people think talent is genetically determined. Either you can sing or you can't. You get calculus or it's beyond you. You have what it takes to succeed -- or you don't.
The truth about human performance is far more encouraging, says Dr. Bob Rotella in Life Is Not a Game of Perfect. Dr. Rotella, the bestselling author of Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect and Golf Is a Game of Confidence, believes that talent, as conventionally defined and measured, plays a secondary role in determining one's fate. Far more important is real talent, a combination of character, attitude, and devotion, which makes greatness possible. And the good news is that anyone can develop real talent.
As always, Dr. Bob Rotella speaks from experience. He has made a career of helping people chase and catch their dreams. His authority as a sports psychologist is well known. Golfers from Tom Kite to David Duval to Pat Bradley have relied on him to help them break through to triumphs on the PGA Tour. But Bob Rotella's practice extends beyond the sports world. He is a consultant on performance enhancement to leading businesses such as Merrill Lynch, General Electric, and PepsiCo. He has worked with successful people in businesses ranging from law to entertainment.
From hundreds of clients and countless students, Dr. Bob Rotella has learned what works. In Life Is Not a Game of Perfect, he shares what he has learned and what he teaches his clients. Real talent, he explains, is "brilliance of a different sort." It is the nerve to choose a career doing something you love or the ability to learn to love what you do. It is courage, persistence, and determination. It is the ability to handle failure and honor commitments.
Whether you think so or not, real talent is within your grasp. In Life Is Not a Game of Perfect, Dr. Bob Rotella will help you make it a decisive element in your life. He can show you how to identify and cultivate the qualities that lead to success, prosperity, and happiness.
Review
Tom CousinsCEO, Cousins Property IncorporatedWe all have far more real talent than most of us realize. We lock it away within ourselves. Bob Rotella shows us how to liberate it, to put it to work in our lives so we can get the most out of ourselves and give the give the most to those around us.
Review
Gary GershCEO, Capitol and Blue Note RecordsI called Dr. Bob after continually reading how numerous golfers whom I respected had worked with him to reach new levels of success. What I learned from Doc was that my goal of becoming a better golfer would actually unlock a better person. I now relate his teachings to all aspects of my business and it continues to reap rewards on a daily basis.
Review
Bernie ButlerPresident, Pizza Huts of Eastern North CarolinaAfter reading Bob Rotella's books and attending several of his seminars, I've become his fan, friend, and disciple. His seminars about positive thinking in golf inspire similar thinking in business. We can apply to business the sports-related attitudes about winning, positive thinking, and opportunity. These attitudes breed the same success in both sports and business.
Review
Tom ScottCo-President, Nantucket NectarsWe all have the ability to succeed -- we're born with it. Too often, that ability is hidden behind fear and misplaced reliance on traditional theories and paths. Doctor Bob teaches us how to re-find that ability and how to use it. I apply it to work, to sports -- to all aspects of life.
About the Author
Dr. Bob Rotella is the nation's premier sports psychologist and performance enhancement consultant. His clients in professional golf include Tom Kite, Davis Love III, David Duval, Brad Faxon, Billy Mayfair, and many other tournament winners. He consults with baseball's Texas Rangers, Hendrick Motorsports of the NASCAR circuit, and the New Jersey Nets of the NBA. In the business world, his clients include Merrill Lynch and PepsiCo. For two decades, he was director of sports psychology at the University of Virginia. He lives with his wife, Darlene, and their daughter, Casey, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Table of Contents
ContentsIntroduction
1. Brilliance of a Different Sort
2. What I Learned in Rutland
3. Do What You Love or Love What You Do
4. Chasing Dreams and Setting Goals
5. The Success Process
6. Honoring Your Commitments
7. There Is No Such Thing as Overconfidence
8. How Real Talent Responds to Failure
9. Following a Blazed Trail
10. The People Who Support You
11. Hitting Your Prime After Fifty
12. Recruiting Real Talent
13. Unleashing Real Talent
14. Writing Your Autobiography
Appendix: Rotella's Rules
Acknowledgments