Managing Survival - The S.MA.R.T. Objective

While the goal of sustaining ourselves and family members through an emergency is desirable, we find ourselves needing to further define what exactly is required in order to put together an executable plan. Enter the concept of writing down a SMART objective; Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time. A statement that defines our expectations for what an exit strategy looks like. Using this recommendation, an objective statement such as this can be written: “By the end of the month I will purchase a bugout bag for each member of my immediate family, such that each will be able to carry theirs respectively, fully loaded.”

In order to demonstrate how the process of the SMART objective can be effectively applied to our own preparedness plans, here are a few basic “rules of thumb” that will help guide us on our own paths to becoming better prepared:

• Avoid “analysis paralysis” – there is a seemingly endless supply of information advocating “must have” survival items. Just as the longest journey begins with the first step – do not overthink where you will begin. If you apply the “rule of threes” (i.e. the average person can go 3 minutes without air – 3 days without water – 3 weeks without food), you have considerably narrowed your options down to two vital areas on which everyone must focus.

• Fast, easy, cheap – pick any two! How many times have you gotten in too big of a hurry to get something done, picked an easy way to do it, and later discovered that you could have more cost-effectively achieved that same result through a more disciplined approach? Striking a balance between getting nothing done, and “money is no object” solutions, to meeting your survival needs is essential to keeping your sanity and financial security in place, as you pick which preparedness option(s) you will pursue.

• Plan your work and work your plan – If you are reading carefully, you have noticed that writing down SMART objectives is not only advised, but essential to keep you focused on what your next step should be. Just as the answer to “How do I get to Denver?” must start with the question of “Where are you now?” - you have to make notes on where you are at now, relative to your “preps,” in order to map your way to your desired destination. Put another way; if your working budget for “preps” is $30 a month, you should not waste time looking at 50-acre survival compounds in Montana.

• Avoid “scope creep” – Example: If one carries bottled water in their bugout bag, then they might be tempted to add in some pocket sized water filters, bleach for water disinfection, a stationary base camp filter, larger size water storage containers, a water distillation unit, a rocket-stove, and … The point being that while none of these elements are bad in and of themselves, you have allowed yourself to get off-track and off-budget from what the original objective was. Frequent reference to what you have written down is advised – especially when working on your longer-term, higher cost projects.

• All of us are smarter than one of us – By their very nature, projects usually require a team of people to complete. When it comes to preparedness, your core team should come from your immediate family members. You are well-advised to solicit input from everyone on your team, and give due consideration to their wants and needs. This is especially important when family resources (usually in the form of discretionary budget expenses) are being used to accomplish what some in the family might consider being “that will never be used” preparedness projects or items.

While assembling preparedness supplies may seem daunting to less experienced beginners, maintaining comprehensive and cohesive preparedness plans can prove to be overwhelming for even the most experienced practitioner. If you approach preparedness issues by breaking them down into manageable pieces, and then use common sense basics of project management to successively take on your own objectives, you will more effectively and efficiently navigate to the level of readiness many refer to as the “prepper lifestyle.”

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