The Power of Preparation

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." September is National Preparedness Month (Mr. Franklin would be so proud!), and nothing warms the heart of an organizer-at-heart like a solid plan. So whether you live through a Minnesota winter and need an emergency kit in your car or your front yard comes with an ocean view and requires hurricane preparedness, there is no time like the present to start preparing.

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National Preparedness Month 2015

• Assess your environment. This includes weather- and geography-related risks. Think about how you and your family might be impacted and what you would need in these situations. Check out my example of a MN winter-ready emergency car kit.
• Consider the unlikely (and unpleasant). Remember Y2K? It didn't cause the global panic that was feared, but if it had, would you have been prepared?
• Think of your people. When push comes to shove and things get a little dark and scary, we want to be prepared because of those special people in our lives.

In fact, the national theme this year is: Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today. The push is for you to create an action plan with your community, your family, and even for your pets.

• Make a plan for how to stay safe and communicate during emergencies or disasters. Who do the kids call? Do you have a family meeting place? Who are you responsible for during these times? Who is responsible for you? How will you communicate if cell service is lost? Do you have the necessary medications on hand?
• Check out the National PrepareAthon! Day and associated resources. This day of "action" culminates on September 30th.
• Practice your plan, especially if you have kids in your circle of people.

How prepared do you feel for an emergency? What kinds of plans do you have in place? I'd love to hear from you! And as always, if you need help getting organized or making a plan, I'll be right there with you!