Keep Your Grass Longer

DON'T CUT YOUR GRASS TOO OFTEN

Wildlife experts are appealing to gardeners to reduce their mowing and keep grass a little longer for wildlife this summer.

The distant hum of lawnmowers can be heard constantly again with the warmer weather, but it seems that slightly longer lawns are a valuable home and food source for birds and other creatures.
And if you can leave some of the wildflowers that grow in lawns too, these are an additional source of food and nectar for bees.

For those that love a neat lawn, don’t panic. They are not suggesting you never cut the grass, just that you mow it a little less frequently and when you do, you set the blades so the grass isn’t quite so short.

According to experts cutting back on the mowing is one of the easiest and most beneficial actions you can take to help wildlife at this time of year. And you’re even saving yourself a job!

If you do require a shorter lawn for pets or children, then simply leaving a small patch uncut could make a big difference and will likely be populated with worms and insects which will provide food for all sorts of birds.

Many garden favourites will ground feed in long grass, including song thrushes, blackbirds, dunnocks, finches and house sparrows.

For lots of interviews full of fresh ideas and useful advice visit PASSIONforthePLANET.com

Do We Want What JFK Wanted?

In his speech to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 15, 1960 John F. Kennedy famously said, “We stand on the edge of a New Frontier—the frontier of unfulfilled hopes and dreams, a frontier of unknown opportunities and beliefs in peril. Beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered problems of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus.”

Four decades have past, yet Kennedy’s speech is as relevant today at it was on the day it was made. Then, as now, there are men and women that embrace change and choose to boldly go where none have gone before. Then as now, there are men and women who chose to resist change and whom, fearing the unfamiliar, stay within the confines of established boundaries and limits.

The bold can easily criticize the fearful. The change-makers can easily find fault with the change-resistant. Consequently, debates between the two often digress into tit for tat style arguments in which insults are slung to and fro. Sadly, this is the scenario we see all too often when issues including climate change, biodiversity loss, natural habitat destruction, water scarcity and poverty are debated, be it around a dinner party table, on a television debate or in the House of Commons.
Wind the clock back four decades to the day of Kennedy’s New Frontiers speech. Upon giving his speech to the Democratic National Convention, the future president clearly understood that if he wanted to win the hearts and minds of his nation throwing insults at his opponents was not the way to go about it. Kennedy knew that societal-level change is not born of debates. Nor of legislative amendments and bureaucratic reshuffles. Polished his appearance and speech may been, but there was no spin, no hype, no PR machine driving this man.

Kennedy was driven by a vision. A vision of a better future. A vision so big, so bright and so beautiful that it inspired a whole nation. At noon on 20th January 1961 Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States of America. The day marked the start of a paradigm shift with such momentum behind it that it’s still gaining strength today. Kennedy urged the nations of the world to join together to fight the "common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." Many imagined that Kennedy’s assassination would stop this paradigm shift in its tracks. How very wrong they were. Kennedy became an Icon of the 20th Century and a man remembered for many generations to come.

Over the coming days, as the General Election draws closer, we will see the party leaders all attempt to take a leaf out of Kennedy’s book, not least during the final Leaders Debate – it was after all his strong performance in the four televised debates with Nixon that anchored Kennedy’s term of office at the White House. So far we haven’t seen a performance in the league of Kennedy’s from any of the party leaders. Nor have we witnessed any world-changing speeches. However, whatever the outcome of the forthcoming General Election, the paradigm shift triggered by John F. Kennedy’s vision will continue to take hold.

NEW FRONTIERS is the name of the new national sustainable innovation initiative environmental scientist Matt Prescott and I launched in January 2010 with the message New Year, New Decade, New Frontiers. The initiative’s name came to me literally as soon as the concept of creating a catalyst for innovation in sustainable design popped into my head, back in the autumn of 2008. However, it was only in the run up to General Election that the words of John F. Kennedy took on great significance and relevance to the initiative.

Kennedy said, “The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises — it is a set of challenges”. Likewise NEW FRONTIERS, which challenges those working in sustainable design, architecture, engineering, urban planning, chemistry and materials science to work together to stretch the boundaries of possibility. We invite both professionals and students to embark with us on a journey to stimulate truly sustainable design solutions fit for the social and environmental challenges of the 21st Century. We are working with leading universities, professional institutions, NGOs, government agencies and pioneering global brands to embed a strong understanding of sustainability; form new collaborations; and promote the best innovation for this new and fast-moving sector.

NEW FRONTIERS is focused is on interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building and public discourse in a programme comprising seminars, scholarships, mentoring, a participative digital platform and other planned elements, culminating in a prestigious biennial national prize. We cannot be sure of the outcome of these various endeavors, for to quote Kennedy “We stand on the edge of a New Frontier” and “un-chartered areas of science and space”… and of design, engineering and technology too.

Brown, Cameron and Clegg take note: great political speeches connect not only with the electorate in any given year; instead their message resonates down through the decades, centuries and ages. Great political speeches don’t just win votes; they change the world.


Melissa Sterry, Founding Director of NEW FRONTIERS and Societás.

I ran the marathon – but will I ever do it again?

Well, I did it! In under five hours, but only just.

The first 12 miles believe it or not go very quickly. There was an African band under the bridge at Woolwich that should have it's own record label. They were utterly brilliant and so much of what the runners needed at mile 22 (see below).

I saw one legged runners and runners who looked in their 80s (or perhaps it was just years of running in the sun that made them look that way) who were incredibly humbling. There were others who had photos of their loved ones, usually toddlers, pinned to their shirt backs, who were running because they had lost them for one reason or another.

A wave of deep heat or whatever it’s called washed over the waiting area at the beginning and everyone talked to everyone in the way they do when you are on a particularly rough flight and you think you're going to die.

Up to 18 miles I had managed to jump over all obstacles and smile Cheshire Cat style at the fabulous spectators who I applaud for getting up and being selfless on a Sunday morning. You are all utterly amazing.

I saw sides of London and Londoners I never had before. I only wish we had politicians who deserved us. If they could only capture the positive energy behind that 26 mile run, when everyone seems to be going in the same direction, running through the pain, for the good. They're not the ones that just say they're going to do something, they're doing it.

At mile 14, we were going in one direction when the elite runners were running toward mile 22. Despite the fact they must all be very fit, they all looked like death, as though they were in a lot of pain, which wasn't as reassuring as I'm sure it should be (if THEY are in pain, what the hell are the amateurs gonna be like at mile 22?).

At 18 miles, a red head pushed in front of me and sent me (and her) flying in the air (think Run Fat Boy Run), both of us landing flat on our faces. Thankfully I was wearing knee guards. I got up hoping that the ankles hadn't been twisted but they were fine, it was my nerves that took the most bashing. She was ok, but I've got her number!

At mile 22, I hit what they call 'the wall'. It is not a wall, it is a huge overwhelming slap across the face of common sense when the body tells the mind 'I'm tired, this hurts, this is not fun' and the rest of the organs tell you they don't want to be inside this body any more.

There was also an overwhelming feeling that the body isn't meant to do this. Not run this distance. It's not normal, natural. Not for a SW woman any way who hasn't trained enough!

There were LOTS of casualties. I know because I saw the stretchers and ambulances. Lots of very healthy looking runners with painful cramp, and people falling over water bottles that had been dropped on the road by previous runners. I took round some energy gel which has an intriguing consistency with a belt I bought at the Excel Trade Fair, and I looked like a cowgirl ready with her ammunition. I was covered in Vaseline head to toe which kept me both warm (it rained hard while we were waiting to start) and free from getting sore.

I walked for half a mile, perhaps more, when negative thoughts set in, as they do, one after another, and heard all those hateful voices and negatives that are thrown at me every day - and then focused the mind like I had the body. The body gets you round the first twenty miles, the mind does the last six. It really does.

I saw men and women literally fold like tissue paper as they were running toward the Mall, as though their bodies and legs were made of jelly. Their bodies just gave up. I just kept very focused, kept thinking of all the positives in my life, of which there are many, and all the inspiring people I know.

My son wasn't there to see me at the end - but I was thinking of Tom and his face beaming at me when I crossed the line. I didn't feel elated which I am told some people do when they finish. I felt utter complete relief and really quite tearful. The medal felt heavy.

The smiles and 'well dones' very welcome and the jelly sweets in the goody bag at the end eaten with the speed I would have eaten them at five not forty five.

Everyone was stretching and too tired to talk, even to TV reporters who were trying to get sound bites. I am amazed people have enough energy to say anything, let alone a sound bite.

I laughed as I watched others like me attempting to climb the steps at Pall Mall. We all looked very very old. And sitting down was hilarious. Simply couldn't be done. I fell on some steps and slowly bent the legs and talked to a guy called Jamie who was in the same state as me but who wasn't a virgin marathoner and had done it four years before. He still found it tough.

I beat Branson, Princess Bea and Natalie Um...whatever her name is. And I beat the giraffe but not the ice cream cone.

So I seized the day and the day seized me right back and whacked my thighs hard and kicked my ankles and my body is doing what it said it would do as I ran those last four miles. 'I will get you there Sarah Tucker, but I am going to get you back.' It certainly did it the next day; sore feet, knees, legs, thighs, back. As for my organs, I am told they are all bruised, but hey, I've had a broken heart before, so a bruised one, will mend and be stronger (which I'm told actually it will!!!)

Will I do it again? No. Monday it was an 'absolutely not'. Tuesday it's a 'no'. Perhaps running a marathon is like childbirth. Perhaps it will be a 'may be' in a few days time. Perhaps you eventually forget the pain and like after the low of mile 22, you have to focus and think of all the positives in your life. Only with childbirth you run the marathon every day....

Sarah Tucker is a best selling novelist. Her books include “The Control Freak Chronicles” which features PASSION for the PLANET and the highly acclaimed “The Playground Mafia”. See: http://www.passionfortheplanet.com/PftP1053sarahtucker.htm

You can hear more interviews with Sarah Tucker on PASSION for the PLANET www.passionfortheplanet.com

AUDIOBLOG: Search Engine Optimisation [Marc P Summers]

Every Monday, an interview heard on PASSION for the PLANET. This week, Marc P Summers.

Everyone talks about driving visitors to your website, the importance of traffic and search engine optimisation … but how important is it really? Marc P Summers is from Monkey Design House and is author of “How To Get More Visitors To Your Website”.

CLICK FOR INTERVIEW.

You can hear more interviews on air and on demand at www.passionfortheplanet.com

Doing The Right Thing

Do the right thing. That’s a recurring message in Hollywood movies.

Humphrey Bogart walked off into the Casablanca fog with Claude Rains rather than Ingrid Bergman.

Shane wanted to be left alone, but because Van Heflin would get himself killed taking on the bad guys, Alan Ladd did the right thing, and shot them all [it was a western].

In LA Confidential, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce stand up against corruption in the end.

Bruce Willis detonates the bomb in Armageddon so Ben Affleck can marry Liv Tyler.

Serenity’s Captain Nathan Fillion puts his crew in danger rather than let Summer Glau be taken by the sinister Alliance.

And from what I gather, there’s a fair bit of doing the right thing in Avatar. I don’t know for sure, because, despite wanting to, I haven’t seen it yet. It’s out on DVD on Monday (perhaps you’ve come across some advertising about that) but I’ve already been offered two different pirated DVD copies of it. I’ve said no. Hollywood says that’s the right thing to do because DVD pirates are bad for the industry. So I was hacked off when I read this …

Avatar will be re-released this summer with an additional six minutes of footage, its director James Cameron has said in a newspaper interview. "We were sold out of our Imax performances right up to the moment until they were contractually obligated to switch to Alice in Wonderland.
"So we know we left money on the table there," Cameron told the LA Times.


Avatar has grossed more than $2.5 BILLION. Cameron has been working on Avatar since 1994. Everything I’ve read about Cameron and Avatar suggests to me that a great deal of time and an extraordinary amount of money (well over $250million) went into crafting the 162 minute original release. I’m surprised that it suddenly needs an extra 6 minutes.

Bolting on an extra 6 minutes as an excuse to squeeze more money out of the public, doesn’t seem to be the right thing to me. It smacks of greed. It stinks of the ethicless business practices that contributed to the world’s recent/current financial woes. But worse than that, it means everyone who has ever bought or borrowed a pirated DVD has a reason to justify ignoring Hollywood’s calls for crackdowns on copyright infringement – if they don’t care about us, why should we care about them.

Something we should all be thinking about. Which reminds me, don't get me started about Ryanair.

NEWSBLOG: All About Money

EU EYES GOLDMAN SACHS
Nina-Maria Potts, Brussels Bureau

The European Commission says it is closely monitoring investigations launched into Goldman Sachs on both sides of the Atlantic. But a brewing political and legal storm has not stopped the group from announcing soaring profits in its first-quarter results, even as civil-fraud charges continue to rock the bank.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO REPORT.

AND FINALLY ...
Olly Barrett, London Bureau

The London bureau had a busy week last week, filing, producing and shooting TV and radio reports on the first ever televised Prime Ministerial debate, and on the volcanic ash cloud. So these two stories will forever be inextricably linked in our minds - and just as Peter Brookes found the hot air metaphor too good to miss, we found his cartoon too good not to share with you here...

FSN is PASSION for the PLANET's award winning news partner, providing global news from bureaus worldwide.

You'll find more world news stories, plus analysis from FSN at FSN REPORTERS BLOG .

To listen to hundreds of interviews go to http://www.passionfortheplanet.com/.

10 tips for building business with the effective use of offline & online networks

You could be forgiven for thinking there was a battle being fought between offline & online networks with some of the messages from organisations in both camps. The reality is that the online networks give us a really effective tool for supporting our offline business networking activities. They only do that, however, if we go about both activities strategically.

Dave Clarke from NRG Business Networks has been an active member of online networks since he discovered them in 2003. Here are his top 10 tips for building business with the effective use of offline & online networks...

1. Get comfortable with how networking works

"All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to those people they know, like and trust." (Bob Burg).

Business Networking is about finding other business people who operate in similar markets to you. Then helping them and building relationships to earn that trust so don’t expect instant results. Like anything worthwhile, networking takes time and application. Take the time to develop relationships and create a network. Don’t expect to walk into a room of strangers or simply post a profile online and come away with business – it just doesn’t work like that!

2. Develop a plan

"It pays to plan ahead it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark"

If you don’t know where you are going with your networking how can others help you?
Answer the following:
- what is your target market?
- what are the problems you solve for them?
- how much business are you looking to generate via word of mouth?
- how much time can you devote to your networking activities?
Identify others likely to have access to your target market
- how do you get to know them?
- how can you help them achieve their goals?

When you can answer these questions you are have the basis of a networking plan which you can begin acting on right away.

3. Identify the people you already know, like & trust

The cornerstone of your networking activities should be the people you have already done business with. Colleagues, Customers and Suppliers. Invest time in these important relationships. Meet up with them and find out if there is anything you can do to support them.

4. Identify the offline networks to join

If your existing network is not big enough to generate enough word of mouth to achieve your plan then find a couple of networks to join. Ask yourself who else is likely to have access to and influence with your target market. Then find where they network and join those groups. Take the time to get to know the members and the ways you can help - support, information & introductions. When asked present your proposition confidently & consistently - your target market, the problems you solve and your stories.

5. Show a genuine interest in other people

"You can close more business in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you." So said Dale Carnegie – and it’s true.

Become an active listener and see how you can help the people you meet. By being aware of their needs you can connect them to people in your network. This will involve asking open questions. People usually find the most interesting subject is themselves! Make it easy for them to expand their answers rather than just replying with a “Yes” or “No”. For example “That’s interesting, how do you do that?” They will remember you for listening attentively to them! Be prepared to talk to strangers and have an interesting story.

6. Always follow up contacts

When you meet someone at an event follow up with a simple e-mail or telephone call confirming where you met and what action, if any, was agreed. Connect them to others & any helpful information. Prompt follow ups are essential! Find out which online networks they use and connect with them if you are also a member.

7. Identify the online networks to join and start a blog.

Your blog is the cornerstone of your online presence & is the place you build your reputation. It can be on your website or a free service like blogger, wordpress or similar. Use your blog to share your stories, hints, tips, & insights and use twitter to share these too. Find out which online networks your influencers and target market use and join a couple. Use the network tools to find the people you already know and connect with them online. Post a profile that is consistent with your personal brand and contribute.

8. Make online contacts and build relationships first

Contribute to online conversations and share your knowledge and connections. Make contact with like minded professionals. Networking is not about selling – it’s about building relationships. The best business is developed when both parties know, like and trust each other. So take the time to get to know them and establish rapport.

9. Arrange contact meetings

You’ve established rapport with someone you’ve met at a networking meeting or had good online interactions. It looks as though they might know your target market. How do you take things forward? Simple, meet with them for a coffee and start getting to know them. What makes them tick, what are their successes, their aspirations, their skills and experiences. what they are looking for? See if you can connect them to one of your contacts?

10. Develop Networking Advocates

A networking advocate goes out of their way to recommend your goods and services without being asked or expecting anything in return. Take time to develop the relationships with key members of your network. Go out of your way to connect them to key members of your network and introduce them to people who might benefit from their services. Become an advocate for them. And, guess what? What goes round comes round. People will eventually become advocates for you – and this is where the networking dividend really pays out!

Finally, in the immortal words of Woody Allen: “80% of success is showing up!”

Good Networking!



Dave Clarke is a Director of NRG Business Networks.

You can hear Dave talking about more ways to get the most of out of networking on PASSION for the PLANET

Time for Rubber, Gloves That Is

TOP TIPS FOR A THOROUGH SPRING CLEAN

With the better weather, longer evenings and bank holidays looming, it’s a great opportunity to tackle all of those jobs you usually put off - in particular the big spring clean.

Ambi Pur recently sent me these tops tips and I’ve chosen a few to include here:

1. Invest in a good pair of rubber gloves. Doing this will protect your hands and encourage you to clean a little more vigorously!

2. Keep things close to hand – pop all your cleaning materials into a handy basket or carrier to transport easily from room to room.

3. When cleaning anything work from the top down, moving from the inside to the outside. That way you’ll avoid dirtying what you have just cleaned.

4. Make small ongoing repairs around the house so things don‘t get worse – stick down peeling paper and paint out ceiling stains etc. If you're not the handy type then don’t just let your home fall into disarray – get someone in and keep your home well maintained.

5. For sparkling-clean windows, use a smear free cleaner and then buff to a perfect shine. Or try your Granny’s idea of newspaper and vinegar.

6. Don’t let the bedbugs bite! Steam-clean or vigorously vacuum your mattress, keeping your bedroom windows open to let everything properly air. Flip over your mattress (top to bottom and side to side) every time you make the bed with fresh linen.

7. Clear your closet - swap your summer and winter wardrobes over and vacuum pack your unseasonal clothes away for next year. Be ruthless - if you didn’t wear it this year and you won’t fit into it again, give it to charity and free up valuable storage space.

8. Sort your drawers! Empty out each one, wipe with a damp cloth and examine the contents – throw away odd socks etc and use drawer organisers for underwear.

9. If possible steam-clean your carpets, or simply vacuum but pay special attention to corners and under furnishings as well as open traffic areas. Make sure your vacuum is clean before you start to avoid that dirty vacuum smell.

10. Drag a damp cloth along the point where carpets touch skirting boards to pick up the hard to vacuum grit and grime which even the most determined vacuum cleaner often leaves behind.

11. It’s time for the annual kitchen drawer marathon! Grab a bin bag and ditch all the useless things you’ve collected over the last twelve months such as out of date vouchers and old take away menus.

12. Clean the inside of your microwave with a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar.

13. Wipe down the inside of your fridge with lemon juice to keep it spic and span and smelling fresh.

14.Clean teapots and stained mugs with a Bicarbonate of Soda paste.
It may not be your favourite way to spend a weekend but just think how virtuous (and clean) you’ll feel!



For lots of interviews full of fresh ideas and useful advice visit PASSION for the PLANET

AUDIOBLOG: Colour Therapy [Lynne McTaggart]

Every Monday, an interview heard on PASSION for the PLANET. This week, Lynne McTaggart. Can colour be used to help healing? The ancient Egyptians and Greeks thought so. Lynne McTaggart has been looking at contemporary research into Colour Therapy.

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You can hear more interviews on air and on demand at www.passionfortheplanet.com

Eyelash extensions – do they work, are they worth it?

Eyelash extensions – do they work, are they worth it?

Look at the adverts with celebrities like Eva Longoria and others – their eyelashes look fabulous and the adverts claim it’s all due to some amazing new mascara that somehow miraculously extends, curls, thickens or whatever your lashes.

But take a moment to read the small print – in many cases hidden away, in type you can hardly read, are words to the effect that “false eyelash inserts have also been used to add more volume”. Surprise, surprise. It’s not really the magic mascara after all.
So what are these false lashes? Can mere mortals have them? The answer is yes.

I recently tried out a set of Jinny Lashes. http://www.jinnylash.com/ They are individual eyelash extensions that are applied by hand. Each individual lash extension is glued (using a medical grade surgical glue) to your own individual lashes. About 75 are added for a full set, taking just over an hour and costing around £150.

It’s a pain free, relaxing treatment and the result is stunning!

I’ve never been too bothered about my lashes – they seem to be Ok, nothing special, but OK. However, one look in the mirror with my new longer, thicker, curlier lashes and I was, to my surprise, amazed. They transformed my face and for the next few weeks I didn’t need any makeup on my eyes. It was the perfect “get out of bed looking like you’ve got a make up on” treatment.
I got a large number of comments on them, from both men and women. They all said what amazing lashes I had and none realised they were false. I was tempted to claim them as my own, but decided that honesty was the best policy or they’d expect me to look like that for ever!

The lashes gradually fall out over 3-4 weeks as your own lashes shed. You can go back for in-fills (a bit like nail extensions), but if you can’t afford a second set just now, then you can use a trick I discovered – but you need to be very careful! As they were beginning to look sparse and a little odd (at about the 6-7 week mark) I very carefully trimmed the extensions to just a little longer than my natural lashes – this meant they no longer looked sparse and I now had a second lease of life out of them as they made my existing lashes look thicker. Eventually they all dropped out naturally and, like a hair colour that fades rather than grows out, there was no awkward “in between” phase.

You need to care for them carefully and avoid oily makeup remover and fiddling and pulling at them, but other than that it’s a case of “get them glued on and leave them alone”.

As a child I always used to blow a wish on an eyelash that fell out – I wonder if you can have bigger wishes and bigger results with longer lashes? Must be worth a try.

More information about Jinny Lashes. http://www.jinnylash.com/

You can also hear an interview with Lucy Dartford from Jinny Lashes on PASSION for the PLANET
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You can hear interviews with many of the UKs leading conservation organisations on PASSION for the PLANET

NEWSBLOG: Spot The Difference - UK Election Manifestos

UK MANIFESTOS LAUNCHED
Olly Barrett, London Bureau
Britain's three main political parties have released their manifestos ahead of the country's general election. But new polls suggest the UK may be heading for coalition government, with neither the governing Labour Party nor the opposition Conservatives heading for outright victory. Polls also show disdain for the parties' campaigning so far - and for politics in general. So, analysts are trying to predict how voter disenchantment may affect the outcome of the May 6th election.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO REPORT.

FSN is PASSION for the PLANET's award winning news partner, providing global news from bureaus worldwide.

You'll find more world news stories, plus analysis from FSN at FSN REPORTERS BLOG .

To listen to hundreds of interviews go to http://www.passionfortheplanet.com/.

Taking ideas out of the dream box & onto the path to success

We all have dreams. Things that we would like to do or have in our lives; from losing weight, to buying our dream house or setting up our own business.

As children we spent hours every day dreaming about all the things that we would be, do and see. Maybe you wanted to play football for England, become a film star or travel the world. The possibilities were endless, what happened to those dreams?

As an adult you start to think that if those childhood dreams didn't become a reality, then why should the ones you have today? Cynicism takes over. The gulf between the pictures in your head and the routine of everyday life seems too large to cross. So the ideas flowing through your mind like an endless river of potential happiness are halted abruptly by the daily 6am alarm clock and the bridge to possibilities is never crossed.

Turning a mental picture of your goal into the physical reality, whatever your desire, is made more difficult by believing that the transformation needs to happen overnight. When the results are not immediate we tend to put the idea safely back in the dream box and tell ourselves that we have failed.

To turn your dreams into reality you must think of them as goals that are there for you to achieve, just waiting for you to successfully harness them. Your goals do not need to be achieved in one blind leap; instead imagine a series of carefully positioned stepping stones.

The Stepping Stones

Step 1) Know your goal: Lenin said "The people who will win are those with a clear idea of where they want to go". Have a clear understanding of what you want and why.

Ask yourself “What will this goal bring to my life? What will happen if I don't achieve this goal? What has stopped me from achieving this goal so far?”

Write it all down! It's important to have a record of your thought process so that you can remind yourself of where you're heading and what you've achieved so far.

Step 2) Sanity check: Your goals may be hard to achieve and involve a lot of effort, so before you set about trying to reach them you need to sanity check how much you want them in your life.

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you want to reach this goal? If it's less than a 9, you're going to struggle to find the motivation to complete the steps.

Question your motivations, “If I could have it today would I take it? If my goal involves a move of location or job who else will be impacted? Do my parents/partner/children need to be in agreement?”

Step 3) Be self aware: Does this goal suit you?

This may sound ridiculous but if the goal does not meet with your own values and beliefs, your internal conflict will prevent you from completing the path to success.

Does this goal fit in with who you are fundamentally? Does it fit with your core beliefs? What personal needs are at the root of wanting this goal, for example flexibility, security or respect etc?

The core need could be achieved by something else which is simpler.

Step 4) Plan to make it a priority: Treat achieving your personal goals as a priority.

Just as you meet deadlines for work, paying the bills, etc. so should you meet your personal deadlines. Put it in your diary! Plan the steps that you need to take by a specific date and check up on yourself. Set yourself up to succeed.

Perhaps it's a few pounds that you want to lose or a new job that you're looking for. Ask yourself, “What do I need to do to make this happen?” Make a note of the date that you want to achieve it by, list all the steps that need to happen before then and put a deadline next to each step. Remember to plan time to plan!

Step 5) Build your support network: No man is an island!

You have to accept that you will sometimes need the support of some trusted advisors to keep you on track. Who do you know that can help you? Who can you learn from? Who has achieved something similar? How did they do it?

The key focus with your support network is to find people who really understand what you want to achieve and are prepared to be there for you. Sometimes your partner or closest friends can be those who can unwittingly sabotage your success. Pick your confidants wisely.

Step 6) Overcome obstacles: You may have to accept that you won't meet every deadline, or that busy times at work or a hectic social life may prevent you from hitting every milestone date in the diary.

This is not an excuse to give up, throw in the towel and exclaim that the goal is impossible.

Gather your thoughts and then go back to Step 1 in the Stepping Stones and follow the process again. The goal may be delayed but by following the course, you will get to the finish line.

Step 7) Enjoy the journey: Sometimes we're so focused on the end destination that we forget how enjoyable the road trip can be.

You will face challenges that you will overcome, you will discover much about yourself and those closest to you and you will grow with the process. So have fun on your journey to success.

Let's face it, when you realise that you've achieved the first goal, you'll just keep setting yourself more!





Jo Geraghty is managing Director of “Beyond the Ladder” and is one of the UK’s leading coaches for executives and entrepreneurs.

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Royal Mail Stamps, Endangered Mammals and Conservation in London – all in one blog!

Conservation and rescue efforts are helping several of the animals featured on Royal Mail’s set of ten Mammals stamps issued on 13 April. They include otters, water voles, hedgehogs and bats.

“Mammals” is Royal Mail’s fourth Action for Species stamps series. It turns the spotlight on the UK’s mammal population and their struggle for survival in a changing world.

All 10 featured mammals, including the seemingly prevalent hedgehog, are the subject of conservation programmes. Their decline has caused by pollution, the growth in roads and housing developments, and in some cases, the introduction of non-native species. The UK has become increasingly aware of the threats to our mammal populations. Many now benefit from legal protection including otters, bats, polecats and since 2008 water voles too. Together with active conservation measures endangered mammals are showing encouraging signs of recovery.
By 1990 water vole populations had declined by 90 per cent. This was one of the most rapid and dramatic declines of any British wild mammal and occurred across the country. This huge decline over the last 50 years has been due to damage caused to riversides and predation by the American mink – a species that was introduced to this country for its fur. Nowadays, though, mink control and improved management of waterside habitats are encouraging their survival.

The Biodiversity Action Plan for London includes the water vole as a key species. The London Wildlife Trust's Water Vole Project started in March 2001 and is dedicated to the conservation of this species throughout Greater London. This project has had initial success and has contributed to London being a stronghold for this rare mammal.

In Greater London water vole distribution is sparse, however the project has identified a number of important locations where water voles still thrive. The most significant populations can be found in dykes in the marshes at Rainham and Crayford to the east of London. Other healthy populations live on rivers such as the Ingrebourne and Beam in the Havering area, the Crane, Colne and Frays in West London and waterways in the Lea Valley, North London.

The RSPB Reserve at Rainham, Wennington and Aveley Marshes is a key national site for the water vole. A united effort between the London Wildlife Trust and RSPB Rainham has helped to arrest the decline of the water vole population at Rainham.

In 2001, 147 voles bred in captivity at Wildwood, Kent were released by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) at their wetland centre in Barnes. Two further releases were subsequently carried out in order to mimic a natural immigration and diversify the gene pool. The water vole population at the London Wetland Centre has expanded successfully and the ultimate aim is to connect this population with others across London to ensure the species’ long-term survival in the region.

London Wildlife Trust’s London Water Vole Project also involves working with landowners, developers and relevant authorities throughout London to protect, enhance or create water-side habitat where water voles are living. Education is also important to help people recognise differences between water voles and rats to avoid the accidental destruction of colonies through pest control.

Otters, also featured on a stamp, are a rare site in London because of farming chemical seepage and road and housing developments. However during water vole surveys the London Wildlife Trust has found recent evidence of an otter at the River Wraysbury at Harmondsworth Moor, near Heathrow and at Denham Lock Woods, on the River Colne, Denham. The only two other fairly recent sightings in London were at Redbridge in 2002 and Enfield in 2003.

Featured on the new Royal Mail stamps are two types of bat; the brown long-eared bat and greater horseshoe bat. Over the last 50 years, Britain’s bats have suffered severely from disturbance to vital breeding and hibernating places as well as from a lack of insect food caused by changes in land management and pesticides.

Conservation efforts to protect and increase roosting sites, appropriate habitat management and raising public awareness are helping to stabilise and increase bat numbers. Bats can be seen in all of the London Boroughs, especially the tiny pipistrelle which manages to hang on even in the more built up areas of central London.

The sculptural Berkeley bat house opened last year at WWT’s London Wetland Centre in Barnes. The architects, Jorgen Tandberg and Yo Murata were chosen from an open competition to design a building of aesthetic and environmental excellence, using sustainable materials, which offers a home to bats and an educational visitor attraction for people.

The bat house offers a dry roosting area for pipistrelles and a damper area underneath the building for Daubenton’s bats - the species also known as the water bat – which only roost above water. Water is crucial for providing food for bats. The London Wetland Centre is important for the number of different bat species found there and also for the sheer number of soprano pipistrelles – the newest species of mammal to be identified in the UK.

More than 100 local ‘bat groups’ have been formed throughout Britain. These groups assist with the monitoring of existing bat colonies and the discovery and protection of new ones. Special bat boxes have been put up to provide secure roosting sites. Underground hibernation sites, including caves and old mine tunnels, are also being protected from disturbances by fitting steel grilles over the entrance. These activities are all co-ordinated by the Bat Conservation Trust, which runs various projects and initiatives, as well as operating the National Bat Helpline.

Many people do not realise that hedgehogs are in significant decline which is why that mammal is also featured on the stamps and has been included in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The number of urban hedgehogs is falling with more gardens covered over for parking, or flower beds and lawns replaced with low maintenance decking and patios, and with every green space that is developed for housing or commercial use. Urban hedgehogs have fewer places to forage, and their routes are blocked by fences, new and busier roads and denser housing.

So as you place your stamp on your next letter – appreciate the beauty of the wildlife pictured and the need to ensure we don’t lose these mammals for ever.


You can hear interviews with many of the UKs leading conservation organisations on PASSION for the PLANET

AUDIOBLOG: Fitness During Pregnancy [Zach Wright]

Every Monday, an interview heard on PASSION for the PLANET.

This week, Zach Wright. Women gain an average of two stone during pregnancy, so muscles and posture are going to be seriously overworked and under strain - even before going through childbirth. Fitness expert Zach Wright says women should see their health care provider first, but for most women exercising while pregnant is good idea.

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NEWSBLOG: USA Not Shy About Nuclear Threats

NOTHING OFF THE TABLE FOR NUCLEAR THREATS
Daniel Ryntjes, Washington DC Bureau

The United States has warned North Korea and Iran that no options are being taken off the table in dealing the threat of a build-up in nuclear capabilities. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates was speaking as he announced America’s “Nuclear Posture Review”, a document which shapes policy on America’s nuclear strategy. Overall the US aims to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in favour of conventional weapons. The review comes as President Obama travels to Prague to sign a new nuclear reduction treaty with Russia and prepares for the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next week.

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To listen to hundreds of interviews go to http://www.passionfortheplanet.com/.

The 7 mistakes people make that kill their business

As a business starts to grow, it’s crucial that your actions don’t strangle it in its infancy.

By avoiding the mistakes that so many business owners make you have a far greater chance of succeeding beyond the first 2 years.Hilary Briggs is a management consultant with over 15 years of industrial experience having held senior management positions at Rover Group, Whirlpool Corporation and The Laird Group plc. For the last 10 years, she’s worked with SME’s to improve their performance. Hilary is also chairman of the Central London group of the Academy for Chief Executives.In her experience working with business owners from a variety of sectors she’s identified seven key mistakes that business owners make again and again and that often lead to the death of their company;

1. Doing Too Much Yourself
Many business owners fall into this trap as they attempt to keep costs down. But it can mean you get bogged down in day-to-day issues and fire-fighting. There’s less time to step back, plan for the future and anticipate problems.

If the cracks are beginning to show it may already be too late, so get additional help early on.

2. You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Many businesses are founded because the owner is good at something and enjoys it. What they forget that is that a business also needs many other skills from sales to book-keeping.

Learn to recognise where your skills and knowledge fall short and take action to remedy this gap.

3. Growing Too Quickly Before Your Model Is Proven
As sales increase the business owner expands staff and premises – only to have to cut back as the sales increase turned out to be a blip. Also, if your working capital is tied up in stock or covering debtors then the company runs the risk of running out of cash.

Plan for expansion and meet your Bank Manager to discuss funding in advance. In addition put appropriate systems in place, so you don’t end up being sucked into more and more areas as the business grows.

4. No One To Bounce Ideas Off
Many new businesses are too small for a Board or Non Executive Director. Some issues are not appropriate to talk to staff about, often partners and friends just don’t “get it”, and advisors may have a narrow focus or worse still have their own agenda. So business owners end up in a silo on their own.

This can be very damaging. Talking things though with others is important as it may yield new perspectives. Develop a small network of people you can trust and be sure to talk things through and get their views.

5. Bringing In The Wrong People
Many business owners hire in their own image – so gaps are not actually filled. Often recruitment is left until the last minute (to save costs) and so a rush decision is made. It’s easy to rely on friends and family but in the longer term they can be a constraint, and a tricky problem to deal with.

Remember, no matter how good someone is, if there’s a difference in values, then all that matters is “When will the row happen?” and “On what subject will it be?”

If you’re considering using a consultant/mentor find out; how much real world, relevant experience do they have? Are their skills complimentary to yours? Do you have mutual respect? How important will you be to them? Do they know their own limits? What networks and contacts do they bring? Will they let you talk to their clients to get a feel of how they work? Make sure you are comfortable with them before committing yourself.

6. Lack of self awareness
Many business owners refuse to face their insecurities, often because they don’t want to appear stupid. They want to hold on to everything themselves because they believe no one can do it as well as they can. They have a lack of awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, and their impact on others. Ultimately this means they are less able to build a strong team.

This then reinforces their view that “you can’t trust others to do anything...” So be honest about yourself – if necessary ask a trusted friend for feedback.

7. Staying in the comfort zone
It’s easy to stick with people you understand – but who is testing your thinking?

Whilst it may be uncomfortable, it’s better than experiencing the discomfort of a major problem because no one had the courage to challenge you.

Mixing with others increases your chances of developing new ideas and solutions. The more diverse your contacts, the more you’ll also be able to “narrow the angles” on potential problems. It’s better to learn from others’ mistakes than get extra battle scars yourself!


By avoiding, at least to some degree, these seven common mistakes your business has a far greater chance of not just surviving but thriving! Take a look at each area, ask yourself some tough questions, and be honest! Your answers and the actions you take could make all the difference to your future wealth and happiness.




Hilary Briggs, chairman of the Central London group for the Academy for Chief Executives, is passionate about helping businesses grow. Contact Hilary

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How Do We Get Rid Of Waste, A Green Party View

Every Monday, an interview heard on PASSION for the PLANET.

This week, Shasha Khan. Many environmentalists are anti incinerators. But we’re running out of landfill so what's so wrong with burning our waste? Shasha Khan is from The Green Party in Croydon and he believes there are three key reasons why incinerators are a bad idea – money, health and the environment.

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Lower your blood pressure by eating Chocolate

Good news – it’s Ok to eat those delicious Easter eggs this weekend – provided you do so in moderation. That’s according to the latest research.

A recent study, published in the European Heart Journal, looked at over 19,000 people and found those who ate half a bar a week had lower blood pressure. And that’s not all - they also had a 39% lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The study, over an eight year period, looked at the chocolate consumption of middle-aged men and women. It compared the health of those who ate the most and least chocolate.

The difference between these two groups was just six grams a day, equivalent to one small square of chocolate a day.

Dr Brian Buijsse, from the German Institute of Human Nutrition, Nuthetal said: "Our hypothesis was that because chocolate appears to have a pronounced effect on blood pressure, therefore chocolate consumption would lower the risk of strokes and heart attacks, with a stronger effect being seen for stroke."

And rather handily for those that love chocolate that is exactly what the study found; those who ate more chocolate cut their risk of heart attacks by around a quarter, and of stroke by nearly half, compared with those who ate the least.

"Small amounts of chocolate may help to prevent heart disease, but only if it replaces other energy-dense food, such as snacks, in order to keep body weight stable," added Dr Buijsse.

As usual dark chocolate is considered better than milk chocolate, as the researchers believe that flavanols in cocoa may be the reason why chocolate seems to be good for blood pressure and heart health, and as there is more cocoa in dark chocolate, dark chocolate probably has a greater effect.

However heart campaigners are not convinced and have warned that too much chocolate is damaging because it is loaded with calories and saturated fat, which are linked to weight gain and raised cholesterol levels; two of the key risk factors for heart disease.


For more healthy tips and good news, listen to PASSION for the PLANET

Preparing For A Hung Parliament

PREPARING FOR A HUNG PARLIAMENT
Olly Barrett, London Bureau

Civil servants in Britain are drawing up contingency plans that would give Prime Minister Gordon Brown extra time to form a government if there is no clear winner at the upcoming general election. The likelihood of a hung parliament is high according to the polls – but Britain is far less used to this happening than many other countries. So the civil service is working to prevent a constitutional crisis and a run on the British pound in the event that no party wins a clear majority. Britain’s last hung parliament was in 1974.

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FSN is PASSION for the PLANET's award winning news partner, providing global news from bureaus worldwide.

You'll find more world news stories, plus analysis from FSN at FSN REPORTERS BLOG .

To listen to hundreds of interviews go to http://www.passionfortheplanet.com/.