136: Brian Solis—Break Your Bad Habits So You Can Achieve Your Goals

Brian Solis explains how to minimize distraction and maximize productivity!

I could tell you all about Brian Solis in the past. And I will. But our podcast is not about what he was doing before he couldn’t do it anymore. Our talk is all about how he found himself again and wrote an amazing book, “Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life,“ to help others transform their own lives. Brian loved to write. He wrote easily. And then something happened. He stalled. He couldn’t focus, couldn’t find his thoughts. He had to change his own life to find it again. And that is what we want to share with you in our podcast. Don’t miss this!

Helping organizations understand and embrace the rise of digital transformation

Brian has developed his professional life around the study of Silicon Valley and disruptive technology. His many books, “X: The Experience When Business Meets Design,” “The End of Business as Usual” and “What’s the Future of Business,” among others, focus on the dramatic changes that technology has brought to our society and to business. In his reports, articles and books, Brian humanizes technology and its impact on our lives in order to help executives gain new perspectives and insights.

However, his newest book, “Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life,” is an entirely different discussion, exhorting each of us to reclaim our lives.

Finding balance, remastering your destiny

As Brian writes:

“Somewhere along the way, we get distracted. As much as we multitask, love our devices and feel like we’re in control, deep down we know that something is off. Shortened attention spans, declines in critical thinking, lack of sleep, self-doubt and decreased creativity are just some of the effects coming to light in an age of digital distraction.

“’Lifescale‘ is a journey of self-discovery and growth. It’s about getting back into balance and remastering our destinies.”

In his latest book, Brian talks about how he struggled with his inability to focus, to slow down his brain, to move from one thing to the next. He grappled with distraction and all of its ill-effects. To get his life back on track, he developed a set of techniques, exercises and thought experiments designed to tame the chaos, and positively and productively help him navigate his day-to-day life, which by the way, applies to all of us.

In our podcast, we discuss how Brian found his way, again

Instead of falling victim to the never-ending cycle of news feeds, Likes, addictive apps and boredom scrolling (aka the endless scroll), Brian found a better way to manage his life. What he lost, and what many of us have lost as well, was the meaning, purpose and spirituality that was always part of him but had gotten eaten up by his addiction to today’s technologies. Sound familiar?

So what did he do? Brilliantly, he pulled together scientific findings and practical tools into one amazing book which readers—especially those who have become distracted—will connect with. They will love the loose style and readability of the format, then will truly be moved by the humor, pathos and inspiration.

Brian’s story is strong and simple, and its message is very actionable. I invite you to listen to our conversation and start all over again to build a better life for you and those around you.

Brian’s list of how-to’s that you can do

Identify sources of distraction and then turn your attention to creativity and productivity
Understand and resist the manipulative techniques that turn us into digital addicts
Find meaning and purpose to guide your time in more meaningful ways
Visualize future success so you can dive into deep work and stop procrastinating
Break bad habits, establish rituals and establish routines that help you achieve goals
Nurture imagination and learn to express yourself more artistically
Maximize productivity with simple but effective strategies
Focus for extended periods and make breaks more restorative
Foster a strong sense of purpose in life and identify the steps needed to bring this to life every day
Smile more and build self-esteem

With the renewed perspective “Lifescale” offers, we can all finally learn to prioritize what matters so we can live our digital and physical lives with intention and true happiness. I’m ready! Are you?

Who is Brian Solis?

Brian is a principal analyst at Altimeter Group, and is also an award-winning author, prominent blogger/writer and keynote speaker. A digital analyst, anthropologist and futurist, Brian has studied and influenced the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing and culture. His research and books help executives and others better understand the relationship between the evolution of technology and its impact on business and society, as well as the role we each play in it. Brian also helps leading brands, celebrities and startups develop digital transformation, culture 2.0 and innovation strategies that enable them to adapt to connected markets from the inside out.

Connect with Brian

You can find Brian on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook-TheBrianSolis, Facebook-BrianSolis and Instagram.

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