# 2015 Resolutions



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I'm not really a resolution guy. I have never felt the need to reinvent myself because I have to change calendars. But that does not mean that I don't set goals or adjust my expectations for the coming year. 2014 was not much of a prepping year for me, not only have I pretty much filled my supply room and made numerous adjustments to water storage and the like, but I also focused heavily on home improvement and remodeling projects. Projects which definitely ate up a lot of financial resources. Now all that is complete and I can once gain refocus on both restoring the coffers and reviewing my preps and survivability factors.

While arms and ammo are not a concern I am going to increase range time this year. Not for me but for my family. Basic marksmanship / home defense / concealed carry / combat shooting are perishable skills and skills that require instruction and practice. I will also be introducing my 7 year old to shooting for the first time.

In the area of preps I am going to help my wife with more canning. Meats, fruits, veggies, etc. Many of my food stores are in the form of Augason farms dehydrated food buckets, although I also have a fairly large amount of (metal) canned goods and dried rice, beans, etc. Somewhat to my surprise the Mrs. has truly embraced canning as well as gardening so the more I help and support her the more I can replace shorter term food stores with longer term food stores. Not to mention the reduction in cost of purchasing food, healthier eating for the entire family, reduced cook time for many meals, etc.

How about you? What does 2015 have in store for you?


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

To start with, I am making a major commitment toward improving my health and durability.
Otherwise I have several projects to do.
Complete my recently started grape arbor
Cut out some trees/brush and plant more fruit and berry trees/bushes
Build some form on greenhouse or low tunnel system before fall
Install a new Carolina Windom HF antenna
Try to build a blacksmith forge.
On top of gardening and canning we do, that will be a plate full.


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## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

Every year I reflect on all that went on, good and bad. I used to write about my reflections, sometimes I shared, often I dont. I've found regardless of whether I shared or not, writing it all down helped me see all that I've done and what I still need to do or keep doing.

2014: I increased my hours and responsibilitys when volunteering at the dog pound. Took on a few foster dogs as needed, as well as continued to improve the health of the old dog Pumpkin untill she was successfully healed and adopted.

---Never strayed from the financial plan I implemented the year prior to save enough to put a new roof on my home by March

---Put my home on the market after roof was done

---Utilized my sick time (without feeling guiltly) that I had accumulated over the last 7 years to take care of my health and effectively deal with the stress a work situation that I had been dealing with for over a year that was causing me alot of stress on a emotional and physical level since my employers were too dysfunctional and asleep at the wheel to deal with.

---sold my home in less than 5 months

---resigned from my career with grace even after years of dealing with alot of internal departmental dysfunction that eventually placed me in a dangerous situation at work and on the streets.

---until I moved I made a point to travel around to places in the area I loved and enjoyed the most, visiting and rediscovering one of the seven wonders of the world.

--I also had a bit of a spiritual awakening so to speak. I had been dealing with a real crappy situation that just made things kinda well.. crappy. However, in making a point to enjoy my most loved places on weekends, daily living, from my long beach walks, making breakfast and working in the garden, star gazing with a cold beer as my dog and hens sat around me at night on the porch all became that much better.

--So I realized if it wernt for the crappy situation getting worse, I would have probably continued to slave away for years, taking for granted where I was and daily just kinda living well... but not as fully as I should have been. Certinally not living as I really wanted to be spending my one life I've been truly blessed with..

--Im still in a inbetween mode at the end of this year, but I get to look forward to moving to my little farm this spring. For now..Im enjoying everyday fully. My walks, gaining miles in my jogs improving my health, reconnecting with my friends and making a little side money ranch sittitng beautiful places. I've spent hours reading favorite subjects and watching documentaries Ive not had time or energy to watch. I plan on getting the most out of however long Im granted to be on this earth. I dont want to just exist and take daily happenings for granted..even when it's kinda crappy. It's all part of this ride around the sun we all take every year, and it's all such a great gift.

Im very excited about 2015, regardless of what happens..bring it!


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

I'm hoping to continue to learn how to do things "the old way" and rely on tech less. I just bought a sythe at Lehman's and will be learning how to sharpen and use it.

Be the best dad and husband I can be. 

Simplify, simplify, simplify.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Not a New Year's Resolution type person*

I am more of a goal setting person. I typically write lists of things to get done, with time frames. I also write a wish list of things to replace or acquire. I sew and craft all kinds of things (loom knit, embroidery, quilt, felt misc.,). I have made lists of unfinished projects and will work down my list, especially trying to get my quilt tops into finished quilts.

I have an older home that needed much when I purchased it 24 years ago, and in spite of lots of work, it still needs lots of work. My goal this year is to re-finish the upper walls in both staircases. This will involve ladders and scaffolding. I had redone the lower level in the entry several years ago. One thing I learned many years ago is that if I do something, anything everyday, I keep making progress, but certainly not as fast as I would have liked. I also have a thing where if I walk by it, I have to pick up a scraper and scrape some of it at least once a day. What I learned many years ago is that I cannot say that today I am scraping the walls in that room until I am finished, as in a day or two. If I work more than an hour or so, carpel tunnel and thorasic outlet syndrome will have me in enough pain that I will not be able to sleep. So I just have to keep plugging away.

I am using guidelines from http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/. I especially am going through their 52 weeks to a more organized home. http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/support-files/52-week-organized-home-list-2015.pdf

While this is a great list, I am going to alter it a little. If anyone has other similar plans that I could use and compare, I would appreciate it.

I also have a plan to journal daily about my health including diet, weight, exercise and personal care.

I recently saw Dr. Joel Fuhrman on PBS and have been working on changing my diet in the ways he suggested. This includes what he calls B.O.M.B.S.--eating beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds (chia, sesame and more) everyday. It also includes eating a large salad for one meal a day and eating a large bowl of steamed greens at another meal. These greens might be broccoli, green beans, asparagus, spinach, collards, cabbage or any other green vegetable. He also recommends eating no sugar, but does recommend 3 fresh fruits a day, one of those being berries. Of course he has a web site and there are several videos available online to keep me inspired: http://www.drfuhrman.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/drfuhrman

After our friend Machinist began eating differently due to his cancer diagnosis, I wanted to change up my eating habits. I think Dr. Fuhrman has made it easier for me to understand how to eat better. I am certainly not 100% in my knowledge, but I am going to continue to watch his videos and work on eating better. I am a person who loves meat. Since I have started eating this way, I am not craving meat so much. I struggle with loving to eat sweets and snack foods.

Anyone want to join me in working on goals of eating healthier or the organized home challenge? I am going to begin threads for each of those later today.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Not per say resolutions but certainly writing down goals for 2015. 

I am planning on retiring this year and starting a new business. There is a lot involved so the list continues to grow! Oh yea and I'm moving as well.

My Goals always include the spiritual growth with our Savior and my Family as the most important!

God Bless you all this New Year!


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## squerly (Aug 17, 2012)

I'm going to quit working so hard and try not to feel guilty about it.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Learn to do more with less.
Declutter, store multi-purpose items, try container gardening on a larger scale in addition to the big gardens. Forage more, take more vacations with the kiddos. Choose to be happy every single day and be present in the now .


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

I've noticed an interesting trend in our goals and resolutions: most of them, including mine, were mindset changes more so than to "acquire stuff" or other material resolutions. From Sentry saying his family is embracing canning more (increased prepping mindset) to Rev and Hooch's spiritual awakening to Squerly's attempt to take it a little easier to Bacpacker and Weedy's gaining knowledge on eating better to my wanting to learn old ways of doing things to Windsong simply wanting to be happy in the present, we all are striving to learn or make mental changes. Granted, these will lead to physical changes and the acquisition of "stuff", but it all starts with knowledge.

If we keep up like this I think we'll all do just fine in the end.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

My resolution; to spend my time doing real things and less time on the internet.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Bigger garden, try some new veggies.


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## 21601mom (Jan 15, 2013)

weedygarden said:


> Anyone want to join me in working on goals of eating healthier or the organized home challenge? I am going to begin threads for each of those later today.


Yes!! I have been working to increase my energy so I can begin exercising again as fitness is the best prep. I'm starting with P90X, which includes a nutrition plan. I've run marathons, but am approaching this with some trepidation.

Looking forward to the threads! Thanks weedy!


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

I usually make goals for the year on my birthday & the end of January is when I evaluate where I'm at with them & what new ones I want to add. Although I'm not finished with the process yet, I've got some ideas. 

The more hubby & I discuss what we want for the new house the more I see our prepping is really turning into more self sufficiency. So now I'm trying to figure out what that means for us.

This year I also want to look at prepping with new eyes & so I'm going to spend some time revisiting the basics again. It will involve research, experiments & lots of DIY projects. This is the rough plan:
January & February is heat & lights
March & April is shelter
May & June is water
July & August is food
September & October is safety & health
November & December is gardening & animals


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*No Resolutions just a way of life*

Less anger, more patients, more awareness, give my wife and children all the support that is within my reach and power, clean the house of all junk and continue on the pass of less commercialism and more independence like more healthy canning like living off the grid but connected to stay inform, less waste more meal planning and to act more human to those less fortune than Us.


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

readytogo said:


> Less anger, more patients, more awareness, give my wife and children all the support that is within my reach and power, clean the house of all junk and continue on the pass of less commercialism and more independence like more healthy canning like living off the grid but connected to stay inform, less waste more meal planning and to act more human to those less fortune than Us.


Before you take on any more patients make sure you won't be depriving your current patients of time and care they need from you.


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## phxrising (Jun 24, 2012)

For me it will be writing down what my ideal life is, then working backwards from that, setting a series of goals that will get me there. Likely a 3 year plan, which will include preps, debt free, minimalism and passing the cpa exam which will not only enhance my job quality but give me the catapult to teach accounting which is my ultimate career goal. I also want to eventually set up business and accounts curriculums for older homeschooling students.


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## VoorTrekker (Oct 7, 2012)

Actually writing and completing my screenplays. 
Going back to school and using my GI Bill.


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