BE READY FOR Anything

Preparedness runs the gamut from carrying a pocket flashlight to homesteading off the grid. It also includes awareness, which is the ability to effectively recognize when it’s time to take action based upon the situation and your plan. This makes preparedness a personalized activity. Preparation is described incorrectly so often that it may be easier to describe what preparation isn’t. Here are some common misconceptions about preparedness that are worth debunking.

Misconception 1: Good plans need to be complex.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The simpler the better! The more complex your plan is, the harder it is to communicate and the more likely it is to fail. Effective disaster plans focus on meeting immediate needs: surviving the event; providing shelter, food, and medical care; communication (both with family and for public service information); and, if required, transportation to a safer place that will provide for those immediate needs. That’s a lot for a so-called simple plan.

Simplicity is found in a plan that focuses on the basics and is adaptable.

For example,