I’ve never been one to make New Year’s Resolutions. I guess I thought if I wanted to lose ten pounds bad enough I would have quit feeding my pie hole last year. Maybe I’m getting older and hopefully wiser, but I see the wisdom in setting goals in advance and working toward them over time.
I have recently seen two campaigns pushing people to make resolutions in relation to preparedness that I want to share with you.
First is the Resolve To Be Ready campaign from FEMA
“Those who make New Year’s resolutions are 11 times more likely to report continued success in achieving a goal than individuals who have not made a resolution, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology. The Ready Campaign would like to make an emergency preparedness resolution easy to keep by providing the tools and resources needed to take four important steps: be informed about the different types of emergencies that can happen in your area and their appropriate responses, make a family communications plan, build an emergency kit, and get involved in community preparedness. We hope you will join the Ready Campaign this Holiday Season in promoting Resolve 2B Ready.”
I joined the National Preparedness Coalition, but I am so busy with this site, I haven’t gotten very involved in it. I know there are some of you who are very open about preparedness; something like this might be a fantastic way to spread the preparedness message. You can go through CERT and learn how to be a blessing to your neighborhood should there ever be a disaster near you. Click the banner and links on the following pages to get more information.
13 in 13 Challenge
The next movement I want to talk to you about is something I recently heard of that I want to share it with you. Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast has developed a website challenging anyone daring enough to accept, to learning 13 new life skills in 2013 the “13 in 13 Challenge”. I wrote an article called Knowledge Skills and Gear – The Preparedness Hierarchy in which I essentially say that first there must be knowledge, which you turn into a skill, and then you use gear to put the skill into motion. While not all skills need gear, my point is that just owning a piece of equipment is not enough.
I believe that God has called some of us to prepare and storing beans, rice and bullets is not enough. I have a feeling that there will come a time when we will need to utilize skills that we currently do not own. Whether or not you have put it to words, I think you may believe that as well. If not, why would you be reading this or any other preparedness/survival related blog? Why wouldn’t you just sit tight with your preps and go on with life knowing that if things ever did go south, you have enough food to eat, and you’ll be fine?
I think that when we “wake up” to the fact that the world does have legitimate dangers, we realize that not only are we not prepared, but we have a lot to learn. The 13 in 13 challenge is a great way to draw a line in the sand, set some goals and learn some skills that will make you a better person who is more self-reliant. As a culture we have lost many of the skills our grandparents knew, we can choose to relearn them, and other skills as well.
From the 13 in 13 site:
“The 13 in 13 Challenge is a call to develop or drastically improve your personal skills in the coming year. These skills can be any hands on practical skill from ancient skills like flint napping to traditional skills like trapping and hunting or even technical skills like graphic arts or computer programming.”
At the time this article was written there were 157 skills available and an ability to request others be added. You select your 13 skills and then define what it would mean for you to develop or drastically improve. You can set up a profile and add a picture of yourself if you like; you can add your social media information as well. I think this could be a good way to not only encourage each other, but to hold each other accountable too.
This brings me to the skills I chose, most of these hinge on us purchasing a new home with more land, and a better location to garden and make a homestead. I have tried gardening, composting and some of these others and am by no means “skilled” in them.
Plant Identification
I want to learn at least one new edible plant a month in my local area.
Home Maintenance
I want to learn how to take care of the “up keep” type things in the new house once we move.
Water Catchment/Filtering
I want to learn how to set up rain catchment with drip irrigation at the new house once we move.
Organizational Skills
I need to learn how to prioritize projects and then attack them in a logical order.
Dehydrating
I want to use the dehydrator to make Jerky, and the ingredients for one kind of soup.
Composting
Once we have moved, I want to figure out how to build a composting system with multiple bins in it, so I can let one finish composting and still be able to add new compost to another bin.
Permaculture Design
I want to get a better grasp on permaculture principles so I can apply them to the new house.
Spirituality
I need to spend more time in prayer, and keep a prayer journal so I can remember everyone I want to pray for. I need to listen to worship music more often.
Gardening
Once we have moved I want to build another raised bed garden area.
Lock Picking
I want to be able to pick every lock in the house.
Entrepreneurship
I need to put projects into motion, finish the next eBook and start on other projects. I need to listen to more small business podcasts.
Blade Sharpening
I want to learn multiple ways to sharpen a knife.
Building Community
I want to install the forum for my blog and let God form a community around PreparedChristian.net.
What I Want To See
Many of my skills have to do with producing food. My goal at the end of the year is to be able to look at my new property and see a food forest in the making. I also want to be able to help others who might be interested in growing their own food.
Some of the other skills have to do with this site; some of my goals require these skills to accomplish; organization chief among them. I plan on posting updates from time to time, and I invite you all to hold me accountable. I also invite you all to join me in bettering yourself and developing or improving 13 skills in 2013.
If you decide to accept this challenge, please post your 13 skills in the comment section. Anyone working on their spirituality along with me can pray for everyone who has accepted the challenge.
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