Stout recommended, Stout approved

A Tale of Two Leaders: Impact And Insights On Brian Solis’ StoutWorthy New Book Lifescale

Sabrina Cadini, Brain Fitness Coach & Life-Work Balance Strategist and Gregarious Narain, Serial Entrepreneur, Startup Advisor, Growth & Innovation Strategist share their take (and takeaways) from Lifescale with Stout Magazine.

Lifescale author Brian Solis

A creative life is a life of endless possibilities and as you flex your imagination and skills, you unlock new achievements, capabilities and esteem.
— Brian Solis, Author of Lifescale

About the author: Brian Solis is one of the world’s leading digital anthropologists and futurists who has been called “one of the greatest digital analysts of our time.” Brian is also a world-renowned keynote speaker, and an award-winning author of seven bestselling books, including X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, What’s the Future of Business and The End of Business as Usual.
 

Sabrina Cadini is a Brain Fitness Coach and Life-Work Balance Strategist

Sabrina Cadini, Brain Fitness Coach & Life-Work Balance Strategist

Lifescale claims to be “a guide to re-centering our minds and souls, freeing ourselves of the barrage of distractions and rekindling our creativity.” Mission: 100% accomplished on so many different levels. Lifescale is the perfect tool to “reset” our minds, beliefs, strengths, dreams, goals, purpose in life, and to really reclaim our identity. I was blown away by the extensive research and resources that Solis included in the book, from neuroscience to studies and books. At the same time, he provided tips and strategies to create new, healthy habits that can make a big difference in our everyday life. We are the creator of our life, and we can be in control again after reading Lifescale. As Solis says, “A creative life is a life of endless possibilities and as you flex your imagination and skills, you unlock new achievements, capabilities and esteem.” I couldn’t agree more!

1.) What were your thoughts about the topic prior to reading this book?
I was introduced to the book when Brian Solis spoke at Social Media Marketing World 2019, and I felt he was talking directly to me. Throughout his talk I kept thinking, “OMG, that was me, too!”, or “I found myself in the same exact situation!” He went through the same journey that started with realizing how much overwhelm, lack of time, and lack of focus were sabotaging his life and career. He had to work harder to try and concentrate, and anxiety and procrastination took over. Exactly what I experienced a few years ago.

What I really loved about Solis’ talk, though, was that he was providing a clear and detailed solution to the problem, and it was music to my ears. I knew I would love Lifescale, not only because it was presenting an issue that I’m very familiar with (and many people are dealing with nowadays, even without realizing they are in that situation), but because Solis was offering a step-by-step, strategic plan to completely reverse the issue and make our lives better.

2.) What did you discover?
I discovered a very organized and detailed blueprint that allows us to regain control of our life. It’s not a temporary cure, as many books suggest; instead, it’s a way to re-discover how great we are and what we can achieve by tapping into our own resources. Very often we forget about that. People think it’s fairly easy not to fall victim to information overload or distractions, and they just go on a “digital detox” whenever they need to disconnect and reset. However, if they don’t address the underlying causes to the problem (which could eventually result in an addiction), they will always be drawn to the temptation of checking their phones, scrolling on social media, saying yes too often, and really losing touch with their inner selves.

What they should do is, identify what’s preventing them from focusing in their life, from making them productive, and relearn how to manage their time better. How can they make time for what’s important, how can they improve their creativity to better serve themselves and their clients, how can they utilize their talents and skills for maximum results? Lifescale has all the answers.

  Sabrina Cadini’s  
  Lessons From Lifescale  
“Digital Detox” Doesn’t Work – Giving up devices for a limited time is a temporary fix- real change requires digging deep to find root causes to toxic digital habits.
Purpose Is Power – It’s easier to let go of distraction when you have a defined purpose to focus on- Solis’ “Pillars of Purpose” exercise is a perfect way to clarify your goals.

3.) What resonated the most with you?
I remember feeling overwhelmed and hopeless about the way I was living my life years ago: I was always connected, always focusing on things that didn’t really bring the results I was expecting, and I got stuck. I needed to find out why that was happening, because the more I was thinking that something wasn’t working, the more frustrated I was. It took me a while to realize what was interfering (social media was one of the “offenders”), and I was finally able to take action by letting go, reorganizing my daily routines, and adjusting the path.

At that time, I had to figure everything out by myself. Today, we have Lifescale. The book helps identify what’s missing or is being under-utilized in our daily life and in our business, and it shows how we can focus on our skills and talents in order to be in balance and in control of our actions again.

Once we are able to bring that balance back, to be more present, distractions will rarely happen, procrastination will become a thing of the past, creativity will come alive again, and overwhelm will just vanish. Lifescale also explores the psychology of positive thinking, which is part of my daily coaching practice: I find it a key element, necessary to transform my clients’ lives.

4.) How do you think it has helped you in your life?
Even though Lifescale goes through a similar process that I followed years ago, I love how the book takes us by the hand through different steps. Solis pushes us to think, reflect, and really find the best of ourselves in a very interactive way. He included many activities that he completed himself, and they’re very helpful because you’re not only reading the book, you’re implementing what you just learned while reading, and you learn – improve – grow.

The “Purpose” chapter is probably the one I loved the most: Solis invited us to create our Pillars of Purpose by answering some key questions, creating a declarative statement, and visualizing our purpose-driven life. It was such a powerful tool that I never thought of when I needed it years ago!

It’s a way to re-discover how great we are and what we can achieve by tapping into our own resources.
— Sabrina Cadini, Brain Fitness Coach & Life-Work Balance Strategist

5.) Would you recommend this to others and if so, what do you hope they get from it?
Absolutely yes! This book is very timely in our overwhelmed society. We are constantly pulled in different directions, we don’t think we have enough time for ourselves, and our happiness and productivity suffer. My clients are busy professionals who juggle family and work. Many of them make the same excuse: they don’t have time for themselves because they’re too busy. But the reality is, they waste time on unnecessary activities that lower the value of their existence or business. One of these unnecessary activities is their presence on social media. They get interrupted and carried away by updates from friends and family, fun videos, or the latest trends.

At the end of the day, they find themselves tackling all the remaining to-dos in a multitasking frenzy trying to make up for the time they wasted on their phones. However, the results are usually mediocre, and they get frustrated, disappointed, they are very nervous and unhappy at home. Relationships suffer, low self-esteem increases, plus they experience migraines, tension and aches in their body, digestive issues. I added Lifescale to my Library for my coaching practice. I’ve been encouraging my clients to read the book in order to learn more about themselves, to get more inspired, to redefine their purpose and success, and to love their life even more.

Sabrina Cadini is a Brain Fitness Coach and Life-Work Balance Strategist for busy professionals who want to improve their well-being while doing what they love without sacrificing their precious time. Her clients are mostly female entrepreneurs who juggle their personal life, family, and work. Her mission is to change the lives of other business owners who want a thriving business without sacrificing their personal life.

Gregarious “Greg” Narain, Serial Entrepreneur, Startup Advisor, Growth & Innovation Strategist, Former CTO & co-founder of Chute

Gregarious Narain, Serial Entrepreneur, Startup Advisor, Growth & Innovation Strategist

I believe that we are at a critical inflection point in society as we grapple with technology on 3 fronts: the economic impact this revolution presents for industry, the social impact on culture and norms, and the individual impact on our sense of self and well-being. LifeScale is deceiving in its simplicity – it that it serves as a mirror to hold ourselves to, even if we have to squint to see our true, former selves.

1.) What were your thoughts about the topic prior to reading this book?
Before the book, I was fairly aware that digital distraction and social self-obsession was creeping more and more into our lives, and not in a good way. I have grown concerned about the impact, especially that this is having on our children and the younger generations who are growing up natively with this frame of mind. It’s troubling as this kind of obsession/distraction is a terrible foundation for our own self-worth and value.

2.) What did you discover?
There were really two big discoveries that I had while going through the book:
First, LifeScale forces you to confront just how distracted you are. For many, much like me, even cracking open a book and making meaningful progress through it is a rarity these days. In reading LifeScale, you quickly become aware that something you always thought was there but didn’t impact you actually is both pervasive and persuasive in your own life.

Second, Brian’s framework is logical, methodical, and not prescriptive. Instead, it sketches out a journey that any of us can take part in, choosing the parts that work best for us, when they work for us. While it’s best to go in order and follow the process, I can clearly see that even if one were to jump around and borrow the parts that were most appealing you will still gain a significant benefit.

3.) What resonated the most with you?
The entire book has instilled a great deal in me, however, I will say that the one practice I have leveraged the most is the creative sprints. For such an incredibly simple technique, scheduling time to do something, anything, in a meaningful manner has helped me move the needle on a great deal or tasks, responsibilities, and projects that have been languishing. I have already suggested the technique to dozens of friends who I find equally stranded with their intentions and inaction.

LifeScale is deceiving in its simplicity – it that it serves as a mirror to hold ourselves to, even if we have to squint to see our true, former selves.— Gregarious Narain, Founder of Founder Craft, Serial Entrepreneur, Startup Advisor, Growth & Innovation Strategist

  Gregarious Narain’s  
  Lessons From Lifescale  
Confront Distraction – Take a hard look at your habits-you may be surprised how pervasive it is and how much it’s getting in your way.
Creative Sprints Work – Timed sessions for single task focus can both kick-start your creativity AND boost your productivity.

4.) How do you think it has helped you in your life?
I recently moved to Denver from San Francisco. In a lot of ways, that was a significant step in removing distraction from my life. However, as a full-grown adult, the process of re-establishing myself in a new city is both daunting and, at times, daring. Succeeding here has given me a blank canvas to fill and fill I have. LifeScale was the first book I have read cover to cover in years. It is also the first book I read upon arriving here. I have turned the blank canvas into a creative one. I’ve found myself bursting with creativity on a number of fronts, from my health to my work to my family.

I think that leveraging some of the techniques and tools Brian outlines has provided a conscious framework to imagine the challenges I want to conquer and then to start building bridges to cross them. It’s still early, but my productivity is up, my creativity is at an all-time high, and most importantly to me, I am leveraging all the parts of me that previously were not being put to use in new and interesting ways.

5.) Would you recommend this to others and if so, what do you hope they get from it?
Without a doubt! I have always been an advocate for people to imagine the best version of themselves and helped them to see their own potential. LifeScale has provided me with a tome to reference, the tools to train, and the thoughts to inspire many people already and I am fully looking forward to expanding on that as much as possible.

Gregarious “Greg” Narain has been at the forefront of social media marketing, influencer marketing, and product marketing for more than 20 years. Most recently, Greg was the CTO and co-founder of Chute, a visual marketing platform serving the Fortune 500 that helped drive influencer engagement with brand connecting with passionate fans and customers. Prior to Chute, Greg was the first employee and vice-president of product at Klout, the startup that defined influencer marketing with its social influence platform.

Lifescale by Brian Solis

Get Your Copy of Lifescale

Escape from the dark side of distractions to live a better life. What is lifescaling? “It’s a process for achieving an intentional state of happiness, creativity, and mastery in the face of distraction”.
Reading Lifescale is like holding up a mirror, and revealing a new you, as your obsessive relationship with distractions melts away. From simple first steps to reclaiming your attention, to becoming more satisfied, inspired, and creative, this book will lead you through your own journey of lifescaling: redefining success on your own terms.

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