Posts Tagged ‘modern-survival’

How To Achieve your Goals

It is one thing to think about or talk about the things that we want to do – our goals, but it is quite another to actually do something about it and put the thoughts or talk into actions.

I have had my own occasional issues of procrastination, like I’m sure most of you do. It is very easy to think of all kinds of excuses for why you can’t do something. Our lives are so busy with the demands that are upon us – at home and at work – there really isn’t much time to accomplish things that are outside of the normal routine of a busy day or week (or ever). It is an excuse, yes, but arguably a valid one.

The thing is, when you get right down to it, EVERYTHING that you do is a choice that you make, including the things that you feel you ‘must’ do, or have no choice about, throughout your busy day or week. So many of the choices that we make each day are not even conscious choices. They are choices made out of a routine – they are automatic – because this is what we did yesterday, and the day before…

Once you get into a routine of day-to-day life, hardly anything will ever change for you. Seriously. That’s the way it works. It’s human nature. You habitually do nearly the same things each day of your life. The same things during Monday through Friday, and the same things during the Weekend, more or less.

To get what you want, you have to go out and get it. You have to break the routine. There is no other way. No one is going to give it to you.

So, how do you do it?

Define it. First you must define what ‘it’ is. I mean, really define it. It may start with a fuzzy vision of what you want, but you need to keep thinking about it until it becomes clearer. I know I’m talking in general terms here, but many ‘big’ goals start out blurry and need to be sharpened before you can go to the next step.

Want it. You must really want it in order to achieve it. If you do not really truly want it, you won’t make time to get it.

Believe it. You must believe that you will be able to get it. Any doubts will severely damage your ability to get it. The following steps will help you believe it more.

Write it down. Write it on paper or in an electronic document. You must do this. Even though many of us are computer savvy, writing things on paper, instead of an electronic note, often makes a big difference. It sometimes seems more ‘real’ that way.

Split it up. In the process of writing down your goal, it is extremely important to split up the goal into manageable tasks. You must have small ‘chunks’ that are achievable in a reasonable time frame so that you can check things off on your way towards overall accomplishment. This is very important. This process also very much helps while defining the overall goal. It kind of goes together.

Review it. Sleep on it. After you’ve captured your plan in detail, look at it later. You will often find that you will adjust or change things when looking at it in a new light.

Schedule it. It’s not magic, you’ve got to schedule time for the steps that you’ve documented. Be reasonable. This is also important. Schedule chunks of time that you know you can make for yourself. Otherwise there will be disappointment which will lead to doubt, which will chain-react and destroy the effort.

Do it. If you have done the steps above, the ‘doing it’ part will actually be easy and fun. You will be excited about it, which will lead to more positive results, which will chain-react into success!

Seriously, this approach works. One of the biggest keys to being successful at achieving a goal, particularly a big goal, is not only the preparation and planning, but the key is really believing (knowing in your mind) that you WILL do it. Not that you ‘can’ do it, but that you ‘will’ do it. You’ve already achieved the result before you’ve even begun. You will get there. It will happen.

In summary, this is simply an approach towards achieving any goal, of any type, which I believe really works.

No go do it!

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Healthy Skepticism: A Survival Trait

In some other posts we’ve discussed good survivor traits such as compassion, adaptability and your ability to perceive risk. Today I’d like to talk about a trait we call ‘healthy skepticism’.

According to the dictionary, the definition of skepticism is: an attitude of doubt or the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain.

Having an attitude of doubt is a good trait to have as a survivor. If something doesn’t seem ‘right’ to you, your ‘doubt’ will make you question what’s going on. We call the skepticism ‘healthy’ because even though you may be doubting something, once you question things, you may discover different ‘truths’, allowing you to make better and logical decisions. If your skepticism trait isn’t healthy, you could be entering ‘paranoia’. That would be going a bit too far..

Everyone should be a good skeptic. Never assume that what you hear from ‘authority’ sources like the news media, big corporate, or the government, is always true. Do your own further research, then make a decision. Don’t assume that you’re getting what you think you’re getting. Here’s a great example.

Last night when we were watching FOX news, they reported on something that absolutely got me mad! Apparently there is a pretty high percentage of ‘seafood fraud’ going on in America to take advantage of common consumers.

Actual DNA tests were done in 74 restaurants. The widespread fraud was found to be 55% in Los Angeles and 48% in Boston. What is the fraud, you might ask? One species of fish (a cheaper species) is being substituted for a more expensive fish. So, they are charging consumers for the more expensive fish and giving them the inexpensive fish! Some of these restaurants and grocery stores may not even realize the problem. Even being highly educated on different species of fish, you might not be able to tell the difference between two fillets just by looking at them. The DNA testing has proven that there is a legitimate problem.

In the restaurants, sushi bars and grocery stores that were sampled, 50% of the seafood that was sampled was not the seafood it was labeled to be per the DNA testing results. In the FOX news video, side by side examples of some fish fillets were shown. The examples looked very similar. How would the uneducated consumer know if they got what they were paying for? Side by side an inexpensive tilapia fillet looks a lot like a snapper fillet. An Asian catfish fillet looks like Dover Sole. And steel-head trout looks like salmon. A flounder filet looks like a Halibut filet. Are you getting what you’re paying for?

The report indicated that this seafood fraud doesn’t start with the fisherman, but that somewhere in the processing, distribution, or end market, someone is seeing the profit.

I’m sure there are many more areas where we the consumer are getting ripped off because we assume that what we are being told is true. Let’s all remember what happens when we ‘assume’. Keep a healthy skepticism. Ask questions. Don’t assume. Be vigilant. Don’t be Sheeple. Think for yourself. It’s part of modern survival.

During times of universal deceit, truth becomes a revolutionary act.
–George Orwell

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Your Community: A Survival Help Or Hindrance?

What exactly is your community? Do you live in a rural area, or small neighborhood, an apartment building, a cul-de-sac or a city? You are prepping, stocking up and preparing for some level of emergencies. Are your neighbors prepping? In a SHTF scenario would you want their help? Would you be able to get their help? Are they even capable of helping? How well do you know them? Would they be a help to you or a hindrance to you?

Many people feel that you should keep your prepping and your emergency planning ‘quiet’. Generally speaking, I think you may be better off on your own. The bottom line is that the decision whether or not to help your neighbors is a decision that only you can make.

In a SHTF scenario, the world you know will be very different. People that have not prepared will think of many different ways to get your things. These ‘ways’ may be a good thing, such as bartering or helping with a task. But chances are these ‘ways’ could very well be devious or even intrusive.

Things to consider before you decide to put your neighbors into your fold.

Are your neighbors clueless and needy? Okay, seriously, I’m not being mean, I’m being realistic. If they are needy because they are elderly, that’s a different story. But if they are just generally clueless and needy, they will probably require a lot of your time as well as your supplies.  Once again, a decision that’s up to you.

How would they view your prepping? If you were to tell them and show them, today, all of the prepping work you have done, would they think you are weird? Or would they be receptive, ask you questions, and even start their own prepping? Something to think about when looking for a compatriot.

What are the occupations of your neighbors? Will they be able to be helpful in a SHTF scenario? Prepper groups are being formed out there folks. They are groups of friends, family, neighbors that are all preppers who are concerned about banding together for security when the S does HTF. A tight group of people with varied skills, occupations and interests that can all bring benefits to the group. Am I describing your neighbors, or not?

Are your neighbors frugal or wasteful? If need be, would you be able to get them to ration food? Something else for you to think about.

How will your community ( neighborhood, small town, apartment complex etc.), fare in a SHTF scenario? Would such a scenario increase their reciprocity? Would they follow a make shift leader to increase the strength of the community or would it be a dog eat dog situation. Something else for you to think about folks.

How many of you have watched the old TV show ‘Jericho‘? First of all, for the most part, they stuck with the mayor and sheriff as local leaders. The town generally united, but even then there were ‘factions’ that grew. Some folks combined with others from another town and thought they knew best. Although for the most part they worked together, there were still those rotten apples to watch out for. When it comes down to not having food, water or a shelter, people will act differently, instinctively. Think about this.

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Estate Sales Are Great Prepping Venue

Sampson, the mini-dachshund, lounging on Martha Washington

This morning as I was tidying up the bedroom, placing our Martha Washington bedspread neatly in its place, I realized how many quality items we’ve gathered over the years that cost us very little. Why? They were purchased at estate sales or garage sales.

For those of you that don’t know what a Martha Washington bedspread is, here is a brief description. Actually picked out by George Washington for his bride, this bedspread is the pattern that was used by the Washington’s. But the pattern aside, one of the main reasons Ken and I love it is the warmth provided by this spread. You can tell simply by picking it up. The weight of this handwoven candlewick design spread lets you know it will provide you with the warmth you need on a cold winter night.

The cost to us was $20.00! That is a GREAT price since a new one can go anywhere from $150 to $280 depending on the size you purchase. The one we bought was only $20 because we purchased it at an estate sale.

Generally speaking Ken and I both prefer estate sales over garage sales or flea markets. Usually at a garage sale, people are selling, well, their old junk. Once in a while you can find a bargain, but it’s generally the old stuff that’s falling apart. At flea markets, again, the bargains are not that popular. After all, at flea markets, the vendors are in it to make some money. It is a way of life for many of these people.

Estate sales are where you will find better items. An estate sale usually happens when the home owner has passed away and their family does not have the room to store the belongings. many of these family members have their own homes filled with their own things. So a sale of the items is a good way to dispose of the belongings and split the cash received among the remaining family. Another reason an estate sale may be happening is because the owner is moving to a much smaller place, an assisted living or a nursing home, and they need to get rid of most of their belongings.

Estate sales will usually have much nicer things for sale at very reasonable prices. And because most of the homeowners were elderly, your chances are pretty high of finding more older and antique items. Hmm, like a genuine Martha Washington bedspread! You will almost always benefit from buying an older item since it was probably made a LOT better than the most of the stuff that’s made today.

Not only will you be able to find quality items at a great price, but you can also walk away with a great prepping idea by something you saw at the sale. I find this to be a great way to expand your prepping supplies at reasonable prices…so have fun and explore!

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Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”, and established a foreign diplomacy ideology nicknamed ‘Big Stick diplomacy’.

The meaning of the phrase advises a tactic of caution and non-aggression, backed up by the ability to do violence if required. Similar to the phrase, ‘the iron fist in the velvet glove’, the idea was to begin gently, but hold a decisive weapon in reserve.

As I was sitting here this evening contemplating a quick post, my wife watching Jeopardy on TV (I admit to enjoying the Jeopardy challenge too), I heard a reference to the famous phrase ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick’. It got me to thinking about similarities to preparedness in general. Let me explain…

How often have you heard others in conversation bragging about this or that, all the while boisterous or bloviating on and on? Does this type of behavior bother you? Well it shouldn’t…

Here’s why. If you have all your ducks in a row, so to speak, there is absolutely no need to brag or boisterously bloviate. In fact, to do so will only paint a target on your back for others to notice, who may trip you up in some way out of jealousy or vindictive pleasure. It happens.

Speak softly. Live under the radar. Don’t paint a target on your back. All the while you’re building your defenses so as to build a personal castle around you and your family, living without fear or dependence as much as reasonably possible.

Carry a big stick. Although the original proverb referred to a stick as a weapon, you could look at it as your overall defense strategy against the modern systems of dependence. For example, having a 6 month storage of food and consumable supplies, and 6 months worth of saved cash to maintain your current standard of living, would certainly create a ‘speak easy’ emotion of calm and reassurance.

The big stick could be having no debt. With no debt, you are truly free (to an extent). Having no debt is a weapon to be used against the system which is trying its best to enslave you.

The big stick is the accumulation of all your preparedness plans, your reserves, knowledge, know-how, all of which could be used if need be. Having and carrying the big stick will inspire a peaceful self-gratifying feeling for most.

The thing that I like about the phrase, is that it represents a civil ideal of self reliance. A quiet, but powerful calm. It’s something to strive for.

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