Halftime: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance

Bob Buford believes the second half of your life can be better than the first. Much better. But first, you need time to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. So he recommends that a reader call 'halftime' to reflect not only on where he's going, but why. In Halftime, Buford focuses on this important time of transition--the time when, as he says, a person moves beyond the first half of the game of life. It's halftime, a time of revitalization and for catching new vision for living the second, most rewarding half of life. As Buford explains, 'My passion is to multiply all that God has given me, and in the process, give it back.' That requires asking important questions: What am I really good at? What do I want to do? What is most important to me? What do I want to be remembered for? If my life were absolutely perfect, what would it look like? Buford fills Halftime with a blend of personal insight, true-life examples, and quotes from those who have successfully navigated the exhilarating and potentially dangerous shoals of midlife. Complete with a discussion guide, Halftime provides the encouragement and wisdom to propel your life on a new course away from mere success to true significance--and the best years of your life.

According to Bob Burford, broaching midlife doesn't have to be a crisis. In fact, in Half Time, Burford insists that it is actually an opportunity to begin the better half of life. The first half is busy with "getting and gaining, earning and learning," doing what you can to survive, while clawing your way up the ladder of success. The second half of life should be about regaining control, calling your own shots, and enjoying "God's desire ... for you to serve him just by being who you are, by using what he gave you to work with." What lies between the two is "halftime." Buford argues that whether you are a millionaire, a manager, or a teacher, you will one day have to transition from the struggle for success to the quest for significance. Halftime, then, is a quiet time of deliberate decision-making, restructuring, and passionate contemplation of your heart's deepest desires. Buford's writing is grounded in the real-life experience of success and failure, and most poignantly, the death of his son. While he has led a very successful life in the eyes of the world, Buford's personal stories reveal that his faith in Christ is his central priority. Instead of a transition to be feared, Buford makes midlife an introspective journey of abundance that will unleash God's best for you. --Jill Heatherly