The First Steps in Preparedness

Now that you have decided to become more prepared, you need to make the first steps in the transition from the way you are now to the way you want to be. The gulf between these two things often intimidates people into doing nothing. Don't let that happen.

Take some baby steps and be satisfied with them. Understand that you will never be truly prepared for anything in life, only more prepared than you were before.

There are three key areas in which you should begin to advance in this endeavor.

• Developing a Physical Skill
• Learning a Mental Skill
• Becoming Physically Fit
• Saving Money

Developing a Physical Skill

Many men today, those that are actually working at all, find themselves sitting behind keyboards or cash registers all day. These jobs are not similar in any way to the trades in which many of our recent ancestors worked. 

There is some good to this. You would probably not trade your office gig for a short-lived and miserable stint in a coal mine before you died of black lung.

However, we have definitely lost something in this transition to a safer and more sedentary lifestyle. We have lost the muscular challenge to our bodies. Consequently, our bodies are no longer prepared for anything but riding in buses and cars and having robots do most of our heavy lifting. 

Furthermore, many of us realize that we do not know how to do anything besides punch keys on a keyboard. This can be a depressing and debilitating realization when you have already reached the age of full manhood. 

This is why prepping goals are valuable outside of any concern about doomsday. Achieving a lot of prepping goals is simply good for rounding out your character and your skill set. 

If you are presently in a job that requires a serious physical commitment (landscaping, construction, carpentry, etc), then this area of preparedness is of less concern for you. Understand also that this is not simply about physical strength but about knowing how to do something with your hands or something that has a real physical impact. 

An engineer or a medical doctor is already a master in this area because his actions and recommendations have a real impact, even in a world deprived of technology. A lawyer cannot say the same. Hopefully, you get the idea.

If you think that you have not acquired any such physical skills, find a way to learn and incorporate them into your life. Robert left the teaching field and became an ER nurse. I am learning how to handle and maintain weapons. You could learn to hunt, study car repair or go to HVAC school. Any such move in life will not only "prepare" you but will also be a big boost to self-esteem.

Learning a Mental Skill

If you are already learned in some crucial physical skill, then you may want to cross train yourself in something more cerebral. It depends on what your other skill set is. 

If you are truly prepping for TEOTWAWKI, then you should know that it is not enough to be a tough guy with a gun. You would need to be able to think clearly and analytically. You would also need some valuable knowledge beyond the details involved in camping and shooting guns.

Branching out into a different field is valuable as well to those who simply want to become better men. 

Either way, if you are already competent in some physical skill outlined above, you should try to acquire some skill in a more cerebral area. This could be as simple as learning how to play chess well. Or you might study calculus. 

Perhaps the best route to take with this endeavor is to learn code. Too many people on this side of the culture war are ignorant about the basic processes involved in using computers.You can do this for free online with your spare time. Try the Code Academy or some other resource on the Internet.

Becoming Physically Fit

Physical fitness is a crucial part of overall health. Not only do you become physically stronger, you increase your lifespan and reduce your recovery time from illness. You can find out more about becoming physically fit at our Preparing the Body page.

Saving Money

It is unmanly to be financially unstable. Robert and I can say that because we have both been financially insolvent and suffered the indignities of debt slavery. Poverty is not shameful but a man does not live beyond his means. 

You can learn more about money saving at our Financing a Christian Life page.

Acquiring new skills and strengthening your own independence are the proper foundations of true preparedness. These things have priority over buying a year's worth of peanut butter or amassing a small mountain of ammunition.