Category: LLUMI Australia

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Productivity

As busy people, days can often fly by and you think to yourself, “I’ve been SO busy, but I swear I haven’t got anything done!”. I find myself getting all of the small tasks done (repetitively), but my important, game-changing projects remain on my to-do list like hovering sharks. I did some research on being (and feeling) productive today. Here’s what I found:

A feeling of productivity and accomplishment allows our minds to work more smoothly, positively and creatively. 
Therefore, if you FEEL that you have accomplished something, it frees up space in your mind and allows you to accomplish more. I watched a video from the guys as Basic Bananas Marketing today and they have some hot tips that I would like to share with you:

  1. Touch things once – these are the small things in your day, such as emails, bookings, phone calls, quick tidy-ups, etc. If you can deal with something in less than five minutes, deal with it immediately and resolve the issue. This avoids clutter ending up on your to-do list. BEWARE: do not go SEARCHING for these small things, or you could fill up your day very easily with them!
  2. Mentally congratulate yourself when you accomplish something – this creates a pattern in your thinking that reinforces your goal-attaining ability and you get ‘on a roll’ by constantly experiencing victories or ‘wins’. If you don’t congratulate yourself, you may feel down and unappreciated.
  3. Do the hardest task first! Get it done and get it off list and shoulders – more productive and creative. Otherwise,we tend to procrastinate and it grows bigger in our mental space (proportionately). By getting the hardest thing out of the way, you impress yourself, use your best energy to get this task done properly and set yourself up to achieve the ‘easier’ tasks as you ride the happiness wave for the rest of the day.

I hope this helps with your day’s productivity!

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But I don’t FEEL like it. The problem with ‘waiting’ for motivation

Most of us have VERY good intentions to be healthy or successful – to diet, to exercise, to start personal training, to open that savings account, to contact that old friend….
But then when push comes to shove….the huge emotional weight seems to overwhelm us! The bed covers feel extra comfy…it’s so warm inside…you get busy…intentions don’t always get you far.

The emotional attachment that many of us have to exercise and success can be quite extreme. But do we feel the same way about brushing our teeth in the morning? Or making your bed? Not usually! We have divorced the idea from our emotions. I’m betting that your toothbrush and shower don’t get the same death stares from you as your runners whilst you snuggle under the blankets? Or that study book that is positioned with intention on your table? So, what can we do?

DIVORCE emotion. DUMP it. BREAK UP with that nagging sh*t!

Just like personal hygiene, your body NEEDS exercise your mind NEEDS progress. So – exercise and progress in your life must become a habit, not a choice influenced by emotions. Don’t dip your ’emotional thermometer’ in before you get out of bed or jump in the car to get to your gym or schedule that meeting. Don’t even think about it! Because, as we all know, once you’re there you actually find that it isn’t that bad….it’s usually even FUN! And afterwards? You always feel amazing and inspired to do more because you have just CONQUERED something.
Now, LLUMI doesn’t usually tell their clients to NOT think about it, but in the case of pre-exercise and pre-action anxiety, we have really found that this really works.
So, give it a go. For the next seven days at least: don’t think, just do.

We promise that you’ll thank us.

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Are you getting in your own way? Be honest with your EXCUSES

How many times have you wanted to start exercising or eating right and then reasoned yourself out of it, “It’s too time consuming”, “It’s hot/cold/raining/sunny/windy”, “I’d prefer to do it in the afternoon/morning/evening”? Some may call it logic, but sometimes we are simply getting in our own way.

Our brain is programmed to protect us from harm and therefore creates a ‘hard drive’ full of experiences that we have perceived as negative and sends chemical and habitual warning signals to prevent us from entering that same danger or uncomfortable situation. This can certainly be useful – we learn not to pick up burning wood, we learn that we should be careful about choosing to say rude things about people. On the other hand, we also build walls of doubt around our ability and relatively safe (sometimes important) situations. Take joining a new exercise class for example, we hear many people talk about how nervous they are to start/they don’t know anyone/they don’t have the skills.  In itself, joining a new exercise class poses little to no harm or threat to you – but the negative momentum that is surrounding the experience in the mind far outweighs  the actual risk. In situations like these, we need to face our fears both logically and emotionally. Look at your emotions objectively (imagine yourself stepping outside of yourself and watching you do the task that causes you anxiety) and ask:

Why do you think you feel these emotions?
How legitimate are these fears?
What is the real risk that is posed here?
What is the worst that could happen?
What is the likelihood of the ‘worst’ happening?
What would be the positive effects if you completed this task?
How would you feel if you completed it well? (Really give this one some time and imagine yourself just after you have completed the task, celebrating in your own way).

It is important to give weight and recognition to the role that the mind plays in task avoidance. Writing down the answers to these questions and really giving yourself some time to imagine yourself completing your task leads to a replacement of the negative emotions that surround the experience and builds your motivation to complete or face it. Give this a go one day this week – even if it a very small thing that you find yourself hesitating to do.
I even did it when I was about to write this blog post – so easy to doubt yourself and avoid doing it! C’mon – get into the habit of achieving small victories everyday! Post your progress when you’ve done something you would usually hesitate to do!

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Step 1 – The 6 Basic Principles of ‘Live Like U Mean It’

When you are thinking about taking the steps to live your life at an optimum, there are some primary basics that must be covered to enable you to progress through the rest of your journey. Each of these principles have extraordinarily beneficial side effects which may also contribute to your over-arching goals anyway. They are non-negotiables and are scientifically-backed in improving emotional and physical health and wellbeing.

1. Move Yourself – A minimum of 30 moderate-high intensity exercise. Again, this is a MINIMUM and, yes, you do have time. There are a lot of people who are just as busy (or busier) than you who exercise A LOT. You just have to prioritise this. If you have trouble keeping up a habit – join a local running club or community team for free. If you have money at your disposal, hire a trainer, join a regular class. Movement wakes your body and gives you important seratonin and endorphins, fights off cortisol (a destructive side-effect of stress), improves your cardiovascular capacity and kick-starts your metabolism. If any of your goals are weight/health/fitness related – this will also help you to achieve these specifically. This principle is number 1 for a reason: It is simply important.

2. Nutrition – A diet that is high in processed foods and sugars as well as saturated fats will rob you of your vitality, impede your body functions and become a barrier to your energy levels and success. This is another non-negotiable. You may sit there and dream up your goal life, but I guarantee you that three McDonald’s trips later you will have zero passion and will be happy to sit on your couch and waste your life. If you would like help with this – there are plenty of companies that deliver groceries and recipes for you to learn to cook your own meals (they are usually healthy, fresh and quite simple recipes).

3. Sleep – 8 hours. Going to bed early is the new black. You don’t have time NOT to sleep – if you cut back on this, you will experience ‘burn out’ and start to believe that you are not cut out for the extraordinary life that you absolutely can achieve. 8 hours of sleep has been shown to contribute significantly to the reduction of depression and increase the individual perception of happiness significantly in less than 2 weeks. All of these basics feed into each other. As you exercise, eat better food and limit screen time, you will also sleep better. When you have slept well, you have more energy to exercise, be purposeful, eat well and achieve your goals. It’s a really cool cycle.

4. Screen Time – We are always connected, it’s the world that we live in. Be mindful about how long you are spending with a screen in your face (be that a phone, television, computer, iPad, Tablet, etc.), as heavy use of these devices has been linked with listlessness, depression, anti-social behaviour and a perceived sense of social isolation. I particularly have a beef with reality TV (live your own life, instead of watching others!) and games (what did Candy Crush EVER add to your life?). You have one life, one go at EACH day – don’t flush it by mindlessly scrolling down endless selfies, recipes that you will never cook, cat videos, etc. Limit your notifications to certain times of day dedicated to mindful and purposeful use of screen time (we all have to check emails, work, keep in contact with people). Don’t let it creep into things that are more important – keep social and family time ‘phone free’ and talk to each other.

We have a small baby and have noticed that he tries to destroy/take anything away from us that we pay attention to. Food/phones/keys/remotes/computers. It’s been very enlightening to look at it from his point of view and realise how important it is to spend quality time with those who are physically in our presence, instead of being ‘half’ there and looking through Facebook.

5. Self Talk – Replace “I need to” with “I want to” – your body physiologically responds much more positively to thoughts that include your ‘wants’. For example, “I want to go to the shops to get some fresh ingredients for dinner” feels much better than “I need to go to the shops to buy some fresh ingredients for dinner” – try it, practice it, make it a habit. If you constantly tell yourself and others that you ‘need’ to do things, inside a small resistance builds and you simply do not want to do it anymore.

6. Keep record – whether you write a journal, keep notes in your phone or discuss your progress over dinner with someone, you have to make sure that you are accountable. Are you spending your time doing things that actually ACHIEVE what it is that you want? How much ‘busy’ work do you do that isn’t getting you anywhere? What adjustments should you make? How will your daily habits add up over time – physically, financially, spiritually, mentally, socially, etc.? These are important questions that should be asked on a daily or weekly basis and reviewed every two weeks to ensure that you are moving FORWARD in your progress.

These are our 6 BASIC principles. These need to be aligned in your life before we start tackling your big picture goals. These are STANDARDS  that are part of a rich and fulfilling lifestyle – do not rob yourself of the opportunity to be feeling your best!

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Getting Through the Silly Season Without Compromising Your Goals

First of all – HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! We hope that this year has been great for you – if not, we hope that you are setting your goals high for next year and making action plans!
The festive season is always a bit tricky for those who are maintaining a finance, training and eating regime – lots of parties out, celebrations and a bigger squeeze on your wallet and time! The lucky ones have a holiday break right now – but this can turn into a bit more of a curse than a blessing!
OUR TOP 5 TIPS
More snacking and impulse eating is something that may be coming your way. The best way to counteract this?
1. Work out a new  HOLIDAY routine (yes that’s right) that allows you more of a sleep-in (if you want it) but has regular exercise sessions included so they don’t get lost in the craziness!

2. If you are attending events or parties, you can always take a plate that looks great, but is a healthy option. Now, I know you probably won’t want to take a plate of broccoli and cauliflower – simply use it as inspiration! Then, at least, you know that you will have a healthy component even if you do splurge and have a few different items. If you are hosting, you can go all out and even inspire some of your friends to eat well and avoid the Christmas guilt by preparing a great gourmet feast full of healthy ingredients that taste and look great! Email us if you are stuck for ideas, but we will post some up in the coming days!

3. It is still important to plan your meals ahead – failure to plan is a plan to fail! This will be your best friend during this time as the number of unhealthy and goal-delaying meals will be drastically reduced!

4. Remember that alcoholic beverages are stacked full of sugars and carbs and often lead to unwise food (and sometimes other) choices. Plan the amount of beverages that you will have and stick to it! Your body will be grateful!

5. Don’t give up an wait until New Years to re-start your regime….starting is always the hardest part, so the best thing to do is to NOT STOP! While rest days are important, habits can be lost easily! If you are thinking about starting a new health regime, don’t wait until after Christmas, starting while times are tough and temptation is high is a great way to ensure that you have a solid foundation and a lot of willpower! You will thank yourself when you’re already a couple of weeks in by the New Year!

We hope that you have a wonderful and healthy Christmas and New Year – stay safe and keep your priorities in order!!
Anna and Thiago – LLUMI Australia

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Motivation VS. Determination

Today, people will pay from thousands to tens of thousands dollars a year to employ people to ‘motivate’ them. From personal trainers, to life coaches, to accountability partners and a plethora of other websites that promise to have the key to give you the right amount of ‘motivation’ to get you where you want to be.
Motivation: a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way – (Oxford English Dictionary)
Determination: the quality of being determined; firmness of purpose – (Oxford English Dictionary)

Determination 2

Having spent years upon years examining and experiencing individuals’ reasons for trying to achieve, I believe that it is time for an important line in the sand to be drawn. There is a difference between motivation and determination – and there is a huge difference in the effectiveness of people who are continually motivated, and those who are determined. Motivation relies on external reasons and a continual reminder of those reasons to push someone forward – that is why you feel you need continual input – seminars, appointments, sessions, YouTube videos, hours on Tumblr and Instagram, looking at inspirational quotes, etc. Yes, many people have wonderful results due to these things, but if you remove the support person/group/prompts – where does motivation go?

Those who are determined are not powered simply by REASONS…it is a quality of a person…something that comes from within and doesn’t change – it is simply nurtured and strengthened in one’s character. If someone is determined, it is a character that is universal in areas of priority in their lives. Whilst some people are motivated to lose weight, they find that they often have to solely focus on that one thing in order to achieve. If someone is determined, you often see a similar amount of discipline applied to a number of different areas with a sense of control and confidence in what they are doing.

We believe in cultivating determination, rather than creating a continuing reliance on us for motivation – we will not always be here…we are human, too and have a small amount of time on the earth. Determination is a personality trait that is passed on through example – from trainer to client, from father and mother to son and daughter, from friend to friend, co-worker to co-worker and also up the ladder….student to teacher, children to parents and so on. Determination is something that people cannot help to admire – a steadiness in purpose, character, belief and action that gives those around you the permission to cultivate it in themselves. To be a certain type of person, a new breed of human. Determination is what empowers an individual to be in charge, not continually paying out for borrowed conviction that runs out of fuel. So, next time you are lying in bed, scrolling through Tumblr for inspiration – think…what actions must I do to be determined and practice this character of determination today?

Determination