Inspiration Blog

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‘Zero Budgeting’ Life Application- Get things under control!

In finance there is a practice called ‘zero budgeting’ – basically, it is the allocation of your income to all of the necessities in your life (repayments, bills, hobbies, charity, etc.) as well as other important elements of your finances (such as savings, holidays, superannuation, dinners out, new clothes, etc.) planned out COMPLETELY down to the last cent. The philosophy behind this is that by allocating ALL of your income to concrete locations you:
1. Always have the money to pay for your bills as you have set these amounts aside in preparation.

2. You are conscious of your incoming and outgoing costs, not oblivious. Are less likely to make impulsive ‘splurges’ that you will later regret as you are conscious that you will be taking money away from other areas and causing problems.

3. You start to build great habits of saving and paying any debts and it will become almost ‘automatic’, as you direct debit money into the necessary places as SOON as you receive your income.

4. By not having ‘spare money’ left over after your budget, you are more likely to be purposeful with your money, rather than wasteful and ‘carefree’. This is one of the most important mindsets when it comes to financial management – the unconscious or avoidance of knowing the reality of your financial situation.

This principle is not only useful for financial positions, but also any other situation in life. If you work from home and find that you are not as effective as you would like to be – you can zero-budget your TIME into specific tasks, for example:
9:00am -09:10am Check emails and respond to ‘quick’ emails. Make a list of ‘to-do’s from the email and general tasks for the day.
9:10am-9:20am Write blog post for website/first draft of presentation/proposal etc.
In this way, you will have all of your tasks allocated to a space of time and before you know it, your to-do list will be shrinking before your eyes.

This is a great principle to apply to workouts, also – if you have a tendency to walk around the gym and waste time, allocate your exercises to minute or minute-and-a-half rounds in order to get the most out of your allocated time at the gym.

Feel free to share your experiments with zero-budgeting this week below!

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“I can’t” VS “Maybe” – reshaping your identity is the key to success

Working with LLUMI, you will hear a lot about the power of shaping your identity. It is because the way you see yourself is a precedent in the way that others perceive you. The messages that you communicate in the way that you think ‘to’ yourself (such as, “I’ve never been good at…) are layering rows of bricks in the wall of obstacles in your mind.

Do a simple test now. Get on the floor and do some push ups. Notice the difference when you think (or even say out loud) to yourself “I can’t”. Your body will instantly feel like giving up and you most likely will drop to the floor and thank your lucky stars that its over. Try it again and instead of “I can’t”, think “maybe I can” – 9 times out of 10, you will be able to do more than you did in the first round, even though you are tired from the push ups you did previously! This ‘self-talk’ is recognised not only in elite athletes, but business circles, relationship circles and basically every area where progress is needed or wanted.

For a real-life example. We have a client who is struggling with his business. He often says “I just can’t stand feeling like this anymore”. Imagine the effect that this sentence has on his physiology and the limiting ability that this would have on his attitude and efforts to put forward effective steps to rescue his business! We have been training to say “Maybe I could…” in exactly the same situations, and he has turned around many stressful and frustrating episodes into some of his greatest successes.

Try doing this in the most frustrating areas of your life – “Maybe I could… be kind to that person that I’m a rival with at work….get up 20 minutes earlier to make a healthy breakfast….go to that networking function to gain new contacts…make the phone call to my boss/wife/husband/friend….Maybe…” and then DO it! You’ll be surprised how empowered you feel.

Just try it. Maybe.

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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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Can I Take Care of My Health and Fitness Myself?

Let’s face it – with the internet these days, we have so much information about how to be fit and healthy. We’ve got fresh and healthy recipes at the touch of a button, little exercise routines at the tap of a phone screen and a million sources of images and articles that are meant to ‘keep you going’. But still, we want more.

Many of us are time-poor (or simply see ourselves that way) and don’t want to spend what could end up as hours creating meal plans, workout guides and progressions – you may not even be confident in how to sift through what is the latest fad and what has a strong basis in proven facts.

Having someone else who is qualified and focused on doing this for you is a based on a simple and successful trend that we are seeing a lot of these days – outsourcing. This, believe it or not, is actually a very smart move. Most successful business men and women are masters of finding suitable professionals to channel their energies into perfecting a system that suits their lifestyle and their business to a point that it actually increases their business or life worth. It is in the paradigm of ‘investing’ to gain more rewards.

Now, if we were to apply that to a fitness context – hiring someone like a personal trainer to tailor a program and nutrition guide to support and enable you to perform at a peak mentally, physically and, with all the time that you save building or guessing at your own ‘program’, probably socially, too. You might start to see why so many people are getting involved with Personal Training, whether it be online or face to face.

Before you sign up to your nearest trainer, let us clarify – this does not mean putting blind faith into someone who simply calls themselves a ‘trainer’ and gives you your program without explanation and you simply go through the motions. The hallmark of a good trainer is someone who is so passionate and knowledgeable about what they are doing with you that they are teaching you the principles as they help you to apply them. So, as time progresses, you are building your own understanding and defining your health and fitness paradigm, not blindly following someone else’s. If you understand the reasons behind your training, you are more likely to push your own personal barriers and appreciate the value of the workout or nutrition plan.

Here at LLUMI, we really aim to keep our clients informed in a relevant and meaningful way – your body is our business, but it is also primarily yours. Health and fitness knowledge-sharing is a key value that we stand by. We know that a healthy body is at the basis of a successful life, and we employ trainers and support trainers that equip you in the best way possible.

What do you think is the most important thing that a Personal Trainer should do for you?

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HIIT ME – High Intensity Interval Training, the busy person’s workout!

Do you really have to spend ages working out to get an amazing body? Recent scientific studies suggest that no, you don’t! In fact, it has been suggested by a number of recent studies over the last two decades that HIIT training is much more effective than longer sessions of sustained exercise!

SO, WHAT IS HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and it has become popular among many trainers and gyms. It is based on around 30 seconds of “all out” effort, followed by a variable amount of recovery time and only need to last for about 20 minutes!

WHY IS IT EFFECTIVE?
Without boring you with too much science-talk, the high intensity of the workouts, coupled with the rest periods, increases the efficiency with which your skeletal muscles transport and use oxygen. This leads to benefits in fat burning, cardiovascular fitness, reduced build up of lactate (less burn-out during exercise), improved exercise performance and a better use of stored glucose around the liver.

WHERE CAN I GET A HIIT WORKOUT?
You can contact us for a free HIIT workout and use these principles to design your own at home!

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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