How to Decide Where to Spend Your Prepping Time

When it comes to preparedness, there’s an abundance of things we can do, but where should we focus our time?

We all have 24 hours in a day and in addition to our everyday responsibilities, we have now try to fit in yet another task?

Even I can’t get it all done. I’m a wife, mom and building a homestead from scratch, in addition to building and expanding several businesses and sharing the good word of preparedness with all of you fine people.

Suffice to say, my days are all very busy.

Finding the time isn’t always easy, but I encourage you to take a few moments to try to map out your preparedness future and what you want it to look like.

Here’s how you can decide where you should spend your time getting prepared:

1. Make lists – Make ALL the lists. Make a list of your current skills, your current food inventory, current gear inventory. Then make lists of the type of skills you’d like to have, gear you’d like to acquire and how much food and water you’d like to have on hand.
2. Prioritize – Once you’ve made your lists, you’ll know where you need to focus and prioritize your time. If you’re pretty solid on medical skills but weak in sewing, that would give you a direction to move in. Prioritize your general needs and the needs of your family. Start with base needs such as food, water, security and shelter. How accomplished are you in these areas?
3. Set goals – Setting goals sets your sights on the future. “I want to have two weeks worth of food storage by December”. Is that a viable goal for you? Make it realistic. Don’t say, “I want to run 5 miles by next week”, because unless you’re already at that level, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Make REALISTIC goals. If you happen to reach your goals sooner, then hoorah!
4. Look to your everyday life – If an emergency or disaster were to happen, how would you be able to sustain your everyday life and make sure your household is comfortable and fed? That’s a great place to start.

When thinking about how to spend your prepping time wisely, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have time for this? (examine your day-to-day)
• Would I have to give something up to take on this task? (like less family time)
• Does this push me further towards my goals? (if it doesn’t, it’s not worth it)
• Will I learn something? (personal improvement is certainly always a good idea)
• Is it sustainable? (is it realistic, enjoyable, fulfilling, etc)

Remember:

1. Just start – People fear failure. The main reason people don’t start anything is because they think they’re going to fail or ‘not be any good at it’. What’s the worst that could happen? Failure isn’t the end. In fact, it’s usually just the beginning.
2. Baby steps – It’s a journey, not a race. I know it seems like you’re never prepared enough, but I promise you, if you stay consistent and look at it as a lifestyle, instead of a race, you’ll be much happier. Preparedness isn’t about rushing towards the end, it’s about enjoying the ride. Take it one step at a time.
3. Take a break – If you’re feeling stressed by whatever is going on in your life, then just take a break. Step back and binge on some funny videos. Go for a walk. Hit the shooting range. Meditate. Whatever is going to help you decompress, do it. It’s ok to take a step back for a bit. You won’t be ‘behind’ when you return to the task, you’ll simply pick back up where you left off.
4. Look into the future – The point of preparedness is to try to see what’s going to come next. Being one step ahead of everyone else will help to ensure that you’re not scrambling last minute, which equal less stress and more time for everything else.
5. There’s no such thing as perfect – You’re not perfect. Your preps aren’t perfect. You’ll always be changing up your preps, rotating food and updating plans. That’s good! You’re keeping an active role in your own well being and the well being of your household.
6. We can’t do it all – Enlist help when you need it. Look to the community, friends and family for assistance. Let things go if you can’t keep up. You need to prioritize what matters most to you. There’s no reason that preparedness should ever be a stressor; it should make you feel empowered.

Focus. Prioritize. Prep.

You got this!