Graham Milton

The problem with Problem Solvers…

• Not all problems need to be solved.
• Some problems solve themselves without a Problem Solvers causing problems. 
• There are too many problems.
• Problem solvers like problems. 
• Problems find their way to Problems Solvers. 
• It troubles Problem Solvers to leave a problem unsolved. There are lots of unsolved problems.
• There is a fine line between finding problems and creating then. 
• Problem Solvers find problems.

When was the last time you enjoyed photos and videos of an experience with friends, offline, in the same room?

How many photos make you laugh or smile when you are sat next to someone enjoying them together versus them popping up on an algorithm controlled newsfeed? Why did the same photo make you smile when you were sat next to someone?

I’d been pondering taking BV off social media for months when it came to our end of week media nights over the summer. We pile all the kids into a small dark room and play videos and photos take during the week.

The whoops, cheers, laughs, silliness, jokes and general good times fill the room instantly. And it lasts until we stop.

I’ve never experienced this with online social media.

Fleshing out a simple idea that arrived today.

After reading the second article in as many days about how schools & parents are struggling with the current….

‘Adventure Grant’

Teachers can apply for a grant for any of their pupils who are struggling to pay for the trip.

• They can apply for 5% of the total number of kids on the trip IE a trip of 40, up to 2 kids could get the grant
• Grants cover up to 50% of the trip.
• Simple application procedure – teachers just email me and explain the situation.

I like the simplicity and ease of implementation.

I trust teachers not to take advantage of it.

I hate the idea of 1 or 2 pupils missing out when the rest of their peers are away with us.

All grant will be anonymously made public for transparency

Is it better to offer 1 100% or 2 50% grants?

Are there more effective way to spend the money to fo more ‘good’?

I think I’ve nailed the relationship between workload a stress.

High work load = Easy decisions to make. Deadlines. Easy hard.

Low work load = Hard decisions to make. Hard hard.

I’ve always thought of kindness of more of a personality trait before.

Until recently I have never appreciated the braveness associated with an act of kindness. In fact, I feel it’s the biggest barrier to kindness.

If a nice act requires braveness, is that what makes it kindness rather than mere politeness?

I think all the opportunities for kindness that I have let slip by are due to being a little cowardly.

I’d like to appreciate this along side all the ‘adventurous brave’ things do on trip. Can conquering fear of climbing a cliffs help people appreciate conquer the bravery of kindness? I’ll be watching.

As small travel company grappling with impact of our customers travel and what best to do about it, I was filled with rage when I first saw this (image below) in The Economist. What a bunch of greenwashing rubbish. Flying more sustainably? Sort your language out Google. And take control of Greenwashing in your mag The economist.

I have since calmed down and *trying* to see the other side. Maybe there is some logic in it? Maybe it helps the airlines see a demand for LESS TERRIBLE fuel. If sustainable aviation fuel is going to be a thing then the airlines need confidence to invest?

After a quick play with Google Flights….

1. I couldn’t seem an example of a lower carbon travel option that wasn’t the cheepest/best anyway. Does that make it useless?
2. Nothing about off setting or similar
3. It DIDNT SUGGEST getting the train for flights from London to Birmingham or Geneva to Paris.

I am still calling greenwashing BS on it. Anyone got any thoughts?

Below is copied and pasted from https://support.google.com/travel/answer/9671620?p=co2_emissions&hl=en&visit_id=637780056604581563-406802540&rd=1#zippy=how-we-estimate-emissions

Why some flights have lower emissions
Carbon emission estimates consider the origin, destination, aircraft type, and the number of seats in each seating class.

Factors such as fuel-efficient aircraft and shorter routes usually result in lower carbon emissions.

The emission estimates are higher for premium economy, business, and first seating classes because the seats in these sections take up more space. They’ll account for a larger share of the flight’s total emissions.

Traveling by train
When a train is available on your route, you’ll find it listed on your Google Flights search results.

Traveling by train may result in significantly lower carbon emissions compared to flying. Carbon emissions for trains are compared to the typical flight for that route. As such, train options are mostly marked with a badge indicating lower emissions.

A person just starting to learn a skill or take part in an activity.

A Beginner. Dictionary definITION

A beginner. Normally associated with being a novice. A newbie. One just at the start of the journey with little experience. I don’t think this is a very helpful definition.

One who begins things.

A better definiTION OF A BEGINNER ?

A beginner. Someone who starts things. Get’s things going. Begins things. One who thrives in the early stages where learning is strife and the path is more unknown.

One who is constantly beginning things.

A cereal beginner

A cereal beginner. One who is always learning. Always getting things off the ground. Thrives in uncertainty. Thirsty for more. Realises that to teach, you must be also be a beginner.

Adventure sports provide many opportunities to enjoy being a beginner in the traditional sense. They can also be used in the tweaked definitions put forward. In adventure education for school groups for example, adventure can be used to allow young people to just enjoy being a beginner when they don’t have to worry about outcomes (necessarily!) They are also a very visual and experimental way of displaying that everyone is a beginner at something!

I used to attach bungee cords around by kayak to create resistance whilst training for canoe slalom (admittedly not for long!)

When I took them off, the first blast through the water felt like the boat was filled with helium and that I could take-off (for the first few seconds at least). It was exhilarating.

I am trying to liken navigating BeVenturesome through these through times like having bungees wrapped around my mind, or at least the part of it that thrives growing an enterprise. They will be coming off very soon. And I’ll be stronger as a result.

‘2020 vision’ definition: ‘denoting vision of normal sharpness.’

My ‘2021 vision’: ‘Be comfortable with abnormality and softness in any vision I may have‘

I’ve been learning about mountain safety now I am living in Morzine so I can get more into backcountry skiing. Partly (ok mostly) for my own benefit but also because I am looking to create a winter trip for kids that is not just about getting 6 days skiing in without appreciating the mountains – more on this later.

It’s been fascinating seeing what I can apply from various other sports to winter mountain safety and I have literally only scratched the surface.

This poem from the legendary Semi-rad came at just the right time…

The Avalanche Doesn’t Care — A Poem

I’ve been working on a new business initiative and I’d really appreciate some feedback – there is a form at the bottom of the webpage.

https://beventuresometrips.co.uk/test-page/

Incidentally, I can’t recommend enough the process of just rushing into creating a webpage to flesh out a business idea. I can (and have) scribble on pieces of paper and Googled things for eternity for (many) of my ideas. I am sure they are also countless frameworks, apps, websites, processes but what’s better than trying to articulate your vision in the medium your customers will see it?

Now, more than ever, hibernation might be the best choice.

How can you hibernate innovatively?

Is hibernation the best form of innovation?

Hibernation, at its core, conserves energy, energy that could be best utilised another time.

What projects have their to hibernate and what project have there time innovate?

I am trying to make ‘zoom out & chill out’ a near instant reaction to any tough news. As soon as you zoom out your can see perspective and even opportunity very quickly before the tough news festers and appears worse than it actually is.

I like to take the ‘Minimal Viable Product’ methodology which is popular in the start-up world and apply it to everything I can.

Get the easiest simplest version of anything live and in use ASAP.

THEN start to see how you / others use it.

It has comical implications for DIY but I am sticking by it.

Are plane tickets prices going to double?

Could the ‘new normal’ see companies offer Biennial Holiday Allowance?

This could allow for:

– Longer more meaningful holidays

– More holidaying at home

– Less flights

– Less carbon emissions

– Smaller more robust airline industry

– Only the smash and grab travel companies will suffer or the ones that can’t change.

Someone else can do the details…

Being you.

It can still take a life to get there, or at least feel like it.

As BeVenturesome navigates these challenging times I realise some of the best decisions I made weren’t really decisions at the time.

With the hardest decisions, I can only remember the anguish rather than the options.

Worth trying to list the best decisions you didn’t make.

Can this help with the tough ones?