A new year is upon us, and a time for people to begin thinking of changes they want to make in their lives.  Talking with friends and family about being prepared for a new year is a great way to awaken the need for personal preparedness efforts, as well as, a way to help friends or family members see the need to become more self-reliant in the process.

It can be difficult finding the right time to ask about your loved one’s preparedness efforts. In the past, I have brought up the latest emergency that affected large populations (wildfire, hurricanes, snow storms) and simply asked if that event were to happen in the area they lived in would they be prepared for it. Moreover, I have also suggested to family or friends to simply take a 30-day preparedness challenge by making a 30-day preparedness plan and create a preparedness kit that will ensure their safety and well being.  This is a great way to share your knowledge and tips with friends and family.  This challenge is not only for those that are unprepared.  Preppers can take the challenge, as well.  For the next 30 days, do one thing daily that is preparedness related.  It could be bulking up the preparedness library, training or learning a different skill.  At the end of the 30 days, see how much has been achieved.  If the challenge is taken seriously, at the end of the month an unprepared person should not only have a 30-day emergency supply but could also have a 72-hour kit, as well as a safety plan and loads of preparedness knowledge they have accumulated from reading.

30 Days to Preparedness

If you are helping a person become more prepared, remember to keep it simple.  Make this challenge easy for them to begin by being a motivator and knowledge source.  A great way to motivate a friend or family is not through fear, but through information.  Have the necessary information ready for them to easily begin to prepare  (websites, print outs of tips, storage information, etc).  For an emergency foods shopping list, click here.   Also, express how easy it would be financially to create a 30 day reserve supply.  Moreover, adding an additional $5-$20 in the grocery store budget would create a lucrative supply of emergency food.

Have suggested items printed out to help them easily begin their 30 day preparedness challenge.  Here are 20 must-read articles to get them started prepping.   Make sure that they keep their basic needs in mind when beginning a preparedness kit.

• Water
• Collapsible 5 gallon water containers for additional storage
• 30 days of shelf stable food
• Emergency lighting – lanters or candles
• Emergency shelter – tent or tarp
• Medical supplies
• Sanitation kit
• Emergency money
• Emergency/survival books

Prepping is Contagious

Habits form after 14 days; and the preparedness challenge is a habit that does not need to be broken.  By simply suggesting to your friends and family to take 30 days and focus on thier personal preparedness efforts, you are motivating them to become more self reliant, helping them prepare for unforeseen disasters, and assisting them in creating a preparedness plan that will ensure their safety and well being.  You will be their guide in the beginning and help them along the way if they run into difficulty.  We, as preppers know the feeling of relief we had when our 2 week and 1 month preparedness efforts were in place.  Help them achieve that same feeling of relief.