A local father has written a book on priority and time management that he says will help other fathers simplify their lives and focus on what’s most important.
Brian Scrone, a South Ponte Vedra Beach resident who transformed his life from depressed drug dealer to successful entrepreneur and real estate investor, released “What Matters Most” May 3. In the book, which is co-authored by Zander Robertson, Scrone shares a system of tools and practices called the 5 Fs priorities management system that he credits for his journey to professional success and personal happiness and balance. The 5 Fs – which consist of faith, fitness, family, friends and finance – represent what Scrone believes are the five most critical relationships in a person’s life.
“Everyone can agree we’re touching the 5 Fs on a daily basis,” said Scrone, whose book was the most downloaded on Amazon in the categories of self-help and religion/spirituality in the United States and Canada the week of its release. “The challenge is how do we prioritize them? I try to give the readers very simple but effective tools that are tangible that they can start using immediately and use for the rest of their lives.”
A father of two boys and an avid surfer, Scrone starts the book by revealing his imperfect past – a stage in his life when he said he was not investing his time congruently or appropriately. He recounts the multiple arrests that tarnished his record before his 18th birthday, as well as a day in his early 20s when he nearly was caught with six pounds of marijuana in his Arizona apartment.
Scrone then recalls his rock-bottom life experience when two of his previous girlfriends called to tell him they were pregnant with his child, which ultimately resulted in two abortions. Also throughout the book, he revisits the financial crash of 2008, which transformed him from a multimillionaire real estate investor to broke and on the verge of bankruptcy.
He uses his past as a launching point for discussion about the 5Fs to ultimately show readers that persevering through adversity and achieving professional and personal growth is possible with self-love, forgiveness and an introspective examination into one’s time management.
“I’m at a point in my life where I’m more excited and passionate about helping people than I am worried about being judged or ridiculed,” said Scrone, who is also co-founder of Board Meetings International, an organization that helps busy entrepreneurs re-connect with their kids at family retreats in Ponte Vedra. “The only path out of rock bottom and back to self-love is to focus on priorities day to day.”
Throughout the rest of the book, which is just under 200 pages, Scrone dives into each of the 5 Fs, explains their respective benefits, shares how he approaches them and offers tools to help readers prioritize them for themselves.
Scrone emphasizes that how people prioritize the 5 Fs is completely subjective and personal. But, he does hope that readers of “What Matters Most” will become more conscious and aware of their faith, or as he describes it, their relationships with themselves and also with their higher power.
“If you are at peace with yourself, the other 5 Fs flow a lot easier,” he added.
After releasing the book about a month and a half ago, Scrone said feedback has been extremely positive, with the message resonating with a broad group of people. People are enjoying the exercises, the questions asked and the tools offered, he said.
U.J. Ramdas, the co-creator of The Five Minute Journal, speaks highly of Scrone and “What Matters Most,” which is available on Amazon for $14.99.
“I believe his impact on the world will be to forge and re-connect many loving families and help people find more meaning and connection in their lives,” said Ramdas. “Pick up this book. Connect with the man behind the story. You’ll be glad you did.”
