Don’t do it all yourself

One mistake that most of us as preppers tend to do is decide that we will do everything ourselves. It is impossible. We can, and should, try and understand everything but some things will need to be left to specialists or people with more time.

The tasks that should be left to specialists are tasks that require skills and experience that you don’t have and the tasks that should be left with people with more time is where your time is best spent on a specialist task and the task is something most people can do.

This means that everyone gets to do their share and you don’t get overloaded. I’ve spent years learning about everything I think will be relevant to us in a SHTF scenario and most of them I stopped when I had picked up enough to know what to do and was consistently getting results. Enough to know that I knew what to do although not enough to make me an expert. And example is archery. I can hit a plate size target at about 25 yards about 9 times out of ten. If I spent a lot more hours I’d be doing it 10 out of 10 so I know I can pick it up if I need it and build my skills up. Could I go hunting day one? No but I have food to cover that. I would practise then if I needed to. I may not need to, someone else may be better than me a lot quicker. There are a few things that fall into the 80/20 category that I am nowhere near skillfull at but am confident that I can do it when required after a re-familiarisation exercise.

Some subject though I have identified as area where I want to become an expert or at least have the equipment for an expert. This gives me significant leverage and a level of control. For example, I’ll never be a Doctor, although I know a lot about the basics and feel comfortable with basic medical care. First Aid for accidents and basic healthcare. If necessary I’ll have a go at some things but in general the difficult stuff will just get left. I have however a very comprehensive doctors kit. Most of the tools and quite a few books. Thus I can provide a doctor with the tools of his trade. That was I have a little bit of leverage and this should help when it comes to prioritisation of resources and who gets what treatment. After all I will take my ball and go home if necessary. Hopefully, as with all things we hope it never comes to that.

There are some things that do fit within my skill-set and/or of interest to me. Those items I will spend time on because they are hobbies or of interest to me now. An example is bee keeping where I want to go on a course and learn more about them. How to get the most of them and how to produce Honey and Wax.

I have looked at most of the areas where we will be on our own after an event and for each I have made a decision on whether I want to become an expert, or at least gain experience, I want to collect the tools so I can get a member of the family as an expert or it is such a task, like a doctor, that I should get the tools and equipment to gain an advantage.. The final part is the ones we can all do, such as planting seeds, but is hard backbreaking work and I’d rather sub contract it out if possible so I can spend my time in a skilled area where my skills would be more effective.

They may not be areas where you have skills and experience now but if you are interested a hobby now could be a lifestyle after an event where your skills could be of great benefit.

Have a think about it. Would you rather be a Labourer? Look at the market now, before an event, where labourers are being treated poorly. They will also have work but it will always be difficult for them. Don’t let that be you. Wouldn’t you rather be the gunsmith, the doctor, dentist, vet, blacksmith or just casual labour?