Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life

Rate this book
Somewhere along the way, we got 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.

It’s time to reclaim our lives. It’s time to take control.

Lifescale is a journey of self-discovery and growth. It’s about getting back into balance and remastering our destinies. Author Brian Solis knows first-hand. He struggled with distraction and all of its ill-effects. To get his life back, he developed a set of techniques, exercises, and thought experiments designed to tame the chaos, and positively and productively navigate our day-to-day lives. Instead of falling victim to the never-ending cycle of newsfeeds, Likes, addictive apps, and boredom scrolling (aka the endless scroll), we can learn to manage our time and inspire our own lives in a way that will bring meaning back—without sacrificing the benefits that our devices bring us.

In Lifescale, Brian has done the legwork to pull together scientific findings and practical tools into one book. Readers—especially those who are distracted—will connect with the humor, pathos, and inspiration inside. Using this book’s simple but powerful lessons, we can:

-Identify sources of distraction and turn attention toward creativity and productivity
-Understand and resist the manipulative techniques that turn us into digital addicts
-Find meaning and purpose to guide our time in more meaningful ways
-Visualize future success to successfully 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 ourselves 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 it to life every day
-Smile more and build self-esteem

With the renewed perspective Lifescale offers, we can finally learn to prioritize what matters, and live our digital and physical lives with intention and true happiness.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

119 people are currently reading
963 people want to read

About the author

Brian Solis

47 books97 followers
Brian Solis is principal at Altimeter Group, a research firm focused on disruptive technology. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing, and culture. Solis is also globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. His new book, What's the Future of Business (WTF), explores the landscape of connected consumerism and how business and customer relationships unfold and flourish in four distinct moments of truth. His previous book, The End of Business as Usual, explores the emergence of Generation-C, a new generation of customers and employees and how businesses must adapt to reach them. Prior to End of Business, Solis released Engage, which is regarded as the industry reference guide for businesses to market, sell and service in the social web.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
71 (25%)
4 stars
101 (35%)
3 stars
74 (26%)
2 stars
31 (10%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Maven Reads.
1,067 reviews29 followers
August 23, 2023
Life Scale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life by Brian Solis takes readers on a captivating journey of self-discovery and personal growth. As I began reading this book, I empathized with the author's struggles with distraction and the overwhelming digital world. He mentioned and explained techniques and exercises that people can follow to regain balance in their lives, master their destinies, and rekindle their passion for a purposeful life without sacrificing the benefits of their digital devices. Time, they say, waits for no one. Hence, spending it productively should be the aim of everyone. Brian, in this book, shared his journey of finding himself after several back-and-forths with different factors that almost made him lose his focus in life. Read this book to discover how to bypass life's hurdles and succeed.

One of the most impressive aspects of this book is how the author meticulously blends scientific findings with practical tools. He addressed the sources of distraction and guided the reader toward creativity and productivity. He shed light on the manipulative techniques that turn us into digital addicts and provided strategies to resist them. The book not only addresses the practicality of managing time but also emphasizes the importance of finding meaning and purpose in our daily lives. Brian encouraged people to visualize success, conquer procrastination, and establish effective habits and routines. He explored the importance of positive imagination and creative expression and offered strategies to maximize productivity and focus. The author didn't just offer advice; instead, he inspired readers to foster a strong sense of purpose, smile more, and build self-esteem. With his renewed perspective, I've learned to prioritize what truly matters and live my digital and physical lives with intention and genuine happiness.

Additionally, I love the quotes that were incorporated into the book because they were very inspiring and also made the subject more relatable to me. The pictures added made the text appear more captivating. As young people, we struggle with finding our purpose, maintaining friendships and relationships, keeping up with our social media lifestyle, peer pressure, and so many other things that can make us feel overwhelmed with life. The details in this book will clear up all these worries, so get a copy.

I particularly appreciated the author's personal touch in sharing his struggles. The practical exercises and thought experiments are invaluable, and his writing style kept me engaged throughout the book. In all honesty, I can't say there was anything I disliked about this book. It's a well-crafted guide that addresses the challenges of the digital age effectively. For these reasons, I would give it a rating of five out of five stars. The book is exceptionally edited and has a fantastic flow that enhances readers' reading experiences.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone grappling with distractions and the overwhelming digital world. It should be a must-read for those seeking to regain control of their lives, enhance productivity, and find genuine peace and happiness. Considering that the book is a transformative guide that offers practical solutions to the challenges of the digital age, it will be a valuable resource for them to reclaim their focus, purpose, and happiness in today's fast-paced world.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
Author 8 books35 followers
May 24, 2019
Full disclosure: I’ve been a fan of Solis for a long time and was eager to read this book not only to support him but also because I’ve encountered many of the challenges described in this book within my own career.

In some respects, this book was tailor made for people like me who went “all in” on the digital revolution in the past ten years, who are now looking around wondering “How did I allow all of this noise to hijack so much of my life?”

Many of us who depend on the output of deep work and thought leadership to make our living are indeed facing the reckoning that those things are often not compatible with our always online, always available, instant-gratification online habits. Solis’ book provides a compass for sailing ourselves of that storm.

This book does an excellent job of giving concrete examples of how our current digital behaviors/habits can be destructive, (and how they adversely affected Solis’ own productivity) as well as exercises for gaining some clarity on our values and purpose and developing a game plan to starting achieving our goals and moving away from the noise.

This book clearly won’t be for everyone. As with some of his other work, Solis outlines a deeper path forward, (one more apt to lead to long-term success) rather than a quick, easy one that will merely produce superficial, short-term gains.

(Personally, I’ve always appreciated that about Solis. Sure, you CAN sell books about the later—many people do and make oodles of money doing it—but does that really serve the reader well?)

It may also not be a book for heavy readers of self-help either. While the first part of Lifescale focuses on digital distractions and Solis’ own story, the “solutions” portion explores broader topics like mindfulness, visualization, etc. that have already been the subject of much prior study and writing. In other words, if you’ve read a lot of self-help, some of these chapters won’t be new information to you. However, I think for a person who tends to gravitate more to business books (which I suspect will be the audience for Lifescale), this part of the book can serve as a great introduction to some new foundational concepts.

Overall, this is a book for people who are ready to make some changes in their life, and I have to give Solis serious props for making a brave editorial choice in how he’s encouraging them to do it.

I’ve read a lot of business books, and most of them employ the same storytelling trope: “I was crushing it. I challenged myself to crush it even harder…and SUCCEEDED BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS. Now I’m going to teach you how to do the same!”

In short, there is no room for vulnerability in any of these stories, (especially when they’re written by men.)

Lifescale, on the other hand, is infused with vulnerability. Instead of hiding behind a cloak of successful swagger, Solis talks transparently about how he lost his way and how he worked his ass off to get back on track, going so far as to share his own goals and benchmarks as examples in exercises. It’s a smart choice that elevates the quality of the entire book and bumps it up to five stars for me.
Profile Image for Dr. Tobias Christian Fischer.
706 reviews37 followers
September 18, 2023
We choose sometimes technology to get distracted. It’s important to take steps actively and thinking about it. Learnings are Pomodoro technique (sprints for 25 minutes). #blinkist
Profile Image for Leo Bottary.
Author 9 books8 followers
April 11, 2019
Wow! The first line of the first chapter of Life Scale, titled Realize, reads, “I’m still not exactly sure when I realized I first had a problem.” As I continued on, I couldn’t help but look at the front cover, imagining for a moment that I was sharing a story about my own life, but had somehow forgotten I wrote about it in a book. I don’t think I’ve ever had a narrative speak to me so pointedly.

Suffice it to say that if you want to correct the problem I shared with Brian Solis, or keep it from occurring in your own life, pick up a copy of Life Scale! Use it as your guidebook for taking your life back and experiencing Happiness (with a capital H)! More importantly, do what I plan to do and buy copies for the people you care about in your life so they can read it, too!
Profile Image for Richard Tubb.
Author 5 books30 followers
April 12, 2019
Life Scaling is a book about freeing up your time and mental energy to live a more creative, productive and ultimately, happier life.

The author offers practical advice on breaking free from distractions and focusing on what gives you joy, both personally and professionally.

The book features a lot of lovely break out boxes with quotes, plus pictures and ideas. It's very visually appealing.

I found it to be an inspiring read with a lot of great ideas on mindfulness, focus, living in the moment and worrying less about the future.
Profile Image for Kristen Syrek.
12 reviews3 followers
August 3, 2019
As a PR/marketing person, I've followed Brian's work for a long time. I saw tweets about this book at the perfect time. I am at a point in my career where I'm ready to give back, and do something meaningful. Lifescale gave me a plan to survive where I am now and add back some creativity ... and gave me the tools to determine what's next. I have recomended this book to almost eveyone. I told a few people they could borrow my copy, but I bought them their own. It's a book you need in physical form to enjoy and refer to again.
1 review1 follower
September 8, 2021
Loved this book. And it could not be more timely given the world we find ourselves in. Lots of great ideas -- from the simple to the profound -- for how to live [and work] well and meaningfully. I like the balance of research and personal sharing. I also like the graphic design. It's a highly visual book that will be an excellent reference to return to down the road. Which I shall do. Thanks to Brian Solis!
1 review1 follower
May 13, 2019
This book was wonderful. I couldn’t put it down after I picked it up! Brian Solis does an amazing job of explicating a problem that we all are dealing with, distraction, and gives wonderful advice and tips to help with it in a distracted world. I would highly recommend reading this book if you need a breath of fresh air!
Profile Image for Shannon Clark.
241 reviews18 followers
March 12, 2019
First - a disclosure Brian Solis is a friend (of the he was invited to my wedding variety), though it has been far too long since we caught up in person but we have large numbers of mutual friends and remain connected across various digital mediums. That said I was delighted to preorder his latest book and set aside time to read (and to review it).

I expect I will revisit this book from time to time - as I check in on myself and my own progress. I actually already do and practice many of the Lifescaling tips and suggestions in this book - but can most definitely improve my productivity and personal (and profession) creativity and success.

As an Atheist I deeply appreciate that he takes a skeptics approach to subjects that frequently get a “spiritual” and often religious context (meditation, visualization etc). Instead Brian approaches this book in a familiar way to anyone who has read his previous books or his online writing and research - he cites sources, he looks for experts and illustrations, digests a lot of sources and then summarizes them.

I would describe Lifescale as part business book, part productivity guide (personal and professional), part guide to avoiding distractions (which are far more than just our digital devices and notifications) and part creativity and imagination inspiration. All packaged in a very thoughtful and well designed form.

Like most of Brian’s books this is one where the physical print edition definitely leverages the print format in creative and innovative ways - with color, illustrations and markup of the pages to literally highlight many sections. I did find the pull quotes which were often positioned adjacent to the paragraphs from which they were pulled a bit distracting (I tend to read very fast) but I see also how they can help emphasize key points via repetition (and serve as visual guides when skimming to refer back to some point).

As well I did find a couple of small typos and a few semi-puzzling layout decisions (the table of contents for example is oddly formatted - appearing to be following a meandering path but it doesn’t do so consistently). In another section a list of terms is spread over two pages but being in multiple columns they are alphabetized as if it were one double sized page. But both are minor quibbles within the larger context of a book that pushes you as the reader to engage with it, to practice along with Brian as you learn new (mostly simple yet also effective) ways to reignite creativity, avoid distractions and spark your imagination.

In the opening of my review I mentioned that I already do practice a lot of the techniques in Lifescale. That said I’m also as many of us are on my phone far too much (heck I’m writing this on my phone) and it is all too easy for me to get distracted. But a few things I do which I think complement Lifescale include running (and occasionally playing) role playing games - while Brian plays guitar as his creative outlet for me running a game of Pathfinder or another RPG for a group of players is my creative outlet - from the planning and preparation to the actual in the moment game play. For years I’ve worked from cafes and/or coworking spaces - I do find the white noice of cafes frequently extremely productive for me - I have for decades. I can largely tune out the conversations around me and find I can more readily focus on being productive.

I’ll probably write up my thoughts on Lifescale in a longer form elsewhere but my TLDR summary - this is a wonderful, timely, physically engaging, and most importantly impactful book which I will be recommending to family and friends.
1 review1 follower
July 31, 2022
I have always been fascinated with human productivity. In more than 30 years as a "career salesman" I have also observed that happy co-workers are nearly always more productive than their peers who struggle with finding happiness. Does that mean that I, as a manager, am responsible for the happiness of my team? This is tricky territory starting with, "what is the definition of happiness? Everyone could possibly have a slightly different definition. Also, my team and co-workers have a life outside of work that has a tremendous impact on their sense of happiness. There are many books written on these topics but Brian Solis' "Lifescale" is the only one I have seen that bravely dares to not only define "happiness" but also provides incredibly smart tools on how to achieve this state and then accelerate well beyond personal happiness and into a "flow state" (reference Michael Jordan in the first half of game 1 of the NBA finals in 1992 against the Portland Trailblazers. 32 points in the first half and a record breaking 6 three pointers all before halftime. Total zen. Total "flow". And completely unstoppable). Brian Solis bravely calls truth to power over certain "big tech" companies who knowingly built algorithms to manipulate human brains, all in the name of profits. I believe Brian's background and training as an anthropologist is a huge part that enabled him to gather totally original thoughts and methods on how to stay sane, calm, totally happy, and achieve the highest levels of human productivity by achieving the "flow state" no matter who you are, no matter what your career is, no matter what your personal situation is. This book is profoundly applicable to anyone seeking to stay sane (and happy and calm) in an increasingly noisy and messy world. I give this book my very highest endorsement!
Profile Image for Zibby Owens.
Author 8 books24.2k followers
May 1, 2021
This book talks about the impacts of technology on everyday life. It also gives tools on how to figure out how to live life in a time where distractions and technology are normal. Each part of the book is broken out into stages of a journey. When you open the book, a little person is running through a board game, which makes the book fun and less overwhelming. In the early stages, you have to learn to recognize when you or your loved one or your kids are distracted. In the next stage, you do productivity hacks (The Pomodoro Technique) to teach yourself how to focus for one minute, twenty-five minutes, and sixty minutes. Every time we allow ourselves to be distracted, it takes 20 minutes to get back into the zone. Then as you get further into the book, essentially, you build skills through specific exercises. The later stages of the book are about resetting the definition of happiness.

The design of this book was one of the coolest I've seen. I loved the little sticky notes, the pieces of cardboard that looked like they're taped inside the book, and certain passages that were highlighted. It was a user-friendly book, especially for people whose mind wanders; this book is attention-grabbing.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/bri...
Profile Image for Tim Hughes.
Author 2 books77 followers
December 23, 2019
There seems to be a number of these books around at the moment; In 2016, Jill Konrath wrote “More Sales - Less Time” in 2019, Nir Eyal came out with “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life”. Both, these books about the distractions in our work today and what to do about them. Such as turn off the bells and whistles of apps. Nir’s book has some real-life actions you can take in your life with distractions, such as betting yourself. He did a deal with a friend that if he didn’t finish that book to a deadline he set he had to pay that friend $10,000. Nir, said it certainly focused the mind.

Brian has taken a different approach, while he too is concerned with the distractions of social media, email, he has taken a far more spiritual approach. Using a methodology based on Realise, awake, refocus, believe, rekindle, reconsider, value, reorient, energise, purpose, liberate, silence, visualise and dive. Some of you may recognise this around the teachings of Tony Robins, etc.

Brian puts his own spin, on what is a web argued and great structure if you are looking to achieve things in life. Brain gives examples from is own life, the mistakes he has made and the structure he now has to put it right. Even the writing of the book.
Profile Image for Omar M. Khateeb.
121 reviews17 followers
June 2, 2019
Although we love our devices, deep down we know we’re depressed, distracted, and full of self-doubt in the age of digital distraction.

Technology has shifted paradigms in how we live but nobody was prepared for the negative side effects.

The book of the week is one of the first guides on how to live a fulfilled and happy life where technology works for you vs the other way around.

Digital analyst and futurist Brian Solis takes us on a personal journey as he spent a year coming to terms with the dangers of technology/productivity addiction and how to build better habits.

The result was a roadmap on how to live with a strong sense of purpose in our technology-driven world.

One fascinating thing- he took the design techniques that make apps addictive and applied them to the experience of the book!

To learn more about Brian's mission, check out Lifescale
Profile Image for Stacey  Soleil.
1 review
December 4, 2024
Truthful, Poignant & Practical for All!
This is actually my 2nd read of the book, due to my decision earlier in the year to revisit my books with a wee bit of dust, to see what I can relearn, newly discover or perhaps missed the first go around. When I was younger I wouldn't have DARED reread a book, however maturity has taught me that my focus shifts, my priorities change and therefore the filter that I use when I receive new information is always different.
So now I LOVE REREADING books...and this one is a GREAT book that has that wonderful "Evergreen" practicality to it. Especially this time of year when so many of us are business planning for next year and rethinking our priorities etc.
Lifescale is based on Brian's own experiences, yet they are very relatable regardless of your views on social media or tech. He shares fact based truths, warns you of what to consider carefully, and provides a practical roadmap to allow you to maximize the new horizons while not depleting your most precious resources. I love it so much I'm buying numerous copies to gift and hosting a bookclub with Lifescale as the focus. Thank you Brian Solis for pouring your heart into this piece and for allowing us to see that vulerability is a superpower for those that truly care about the generations to come.
Profile Image for Peter Abraham.
Author 6 books2 followers
October 17, 2021
I started reading lifescale before the pandemic hit. I'd come to similar understanding that looking at your phone and social media  blocks creative thinking time.
It's an easy to read and follow book with lots of tips and a roadmap with thirteen categories. It's full of quotes and Brian's observations such as
"There's a direct path to happiness and it's through creativity; the benefits of that relationship are incredible."
As you read it you'll have moments of "oh that's me" which I guess is what Brain was sharing as his own experiences.
"It's not just what you create but why you create".

Definitely worth reading!!
Profile Image for Abdullah Ag.
9 reviews2 followers
August 3, 2019
A life teacher

In the beginning of my journey in entrepreneurship I struggled to balance work and fun. It was tough to formulate a new way of working after long on corporate life. Yet after couple of years in the business I am focusing more on what matters and my family. This book is a good guide that i use some the teachings for my employees orientation at TRIGGERS. (Wintriggers.com) We help businesses transform into digital. And we need focus and creativity all the way. Thanks Brian Solis for this piece of art.
Profile Image for Wulan Suci Maria.
148 reviews7 followers
February 5, 2023
A fun book to read!
I picked this book to be inspired by how the author scalling his life, probably to the direction that I have never thought about. Voila, the book did just that!
Entertaining, easy to follow, with many interesting insight. In the author definitions, lifescaling is a process for achieving an intentional state of happiness, creativity, and mastery in the face of distraction. He started with vision board with clear goal, clear steps required to get into the goal, and clear what to do in each steps. Fun way to start a book #wulsread
Profile Image for Diana.
22 reviews
August 10, 2020
Loved the book! Easy read, great practical tools that can be put in practice right away. Also full of valuable references of other books, Ted talks, Youtube speeches from actors / famous people. Fun and in the same time a true eye opener on self awareness, personal values, day to day distractions, ways to view and improve life.
Profile Image for Vassilena.
314 reviews112 followers
August 31, 2021
Maybe it's just that I've read too many productivity books by now. It's communicating things we've already heard a bunch of times before, and the structure brings too little intrinsic value. It's actionable, though, so if you've never ventured into productivity it might give you some nice ideas. It's just not for me.
Profile Image for Chris Lynch.
5 reviews
January 22, 2023
I borrowed this from the library as it was available while I was looking for something to read. It is a very quick read. In many ways it felt like a collection of blog posts. It also referenced a lot of other books and techniques I was already familiar with. If I hadn’t set a reading challenge for the year, I probably would have stopped reading this rather than getting to the end.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,847 reviews90 followers
October 26, 2019
Lifescale is a book about revisiting how you're living your life so you can free up your time and energy to live a life that's more aligned with your values and be happier and more fulfilled. There are a lot of references to other fantastic books/ideas and several different exercises you can do to help get started. There weren't too many super-new-to-me ideas in this book but I liked the way it was organized, concise and actionable.
Profile Image for Carol Anne Shaw.
Author 15 books89 followers
October 9, 2024
These days, there are a lot of self-help books out there about reclaiming focus in a distracted world. This one was brilliant. It is part Cal Newport, part Julia Cameron and part Dr. Wayne Dyer. Short and very inspiring!
Profile Image for Brenda.
226 reviews
January 18, 2020
This will join “Essentialism,” “Big Magic,” and “Do Your Om Thing” on my desk as a book to refer back to over and over again.
Profile Image for KT.
542 reviews5 followers
September 7, 2020
Basically a repackaging of lots of other books on the topic. But a quick read.
Profile Image for Joshua.
4 reviews
November 5, 2020
Not bad. Not great. There are pieces I was interested to read.
Profile Image for Ozgun.
55 reviews
December 26, 2020
Very simple and like any other productivity book - nothing special
Profile Image for Abby Epplett.
267 reviews1 follower
January 18, 2022
This self-help book seems to have been written by a rich white guy who never had any real world problems. Must be nice, buddy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.