Mental Resilience: The Forgotten Prep

I've seen men with $10,000 worth of gear freeze when a simple plan goes wrong. I've also seen a grandmother keep her family calm and fed during a week-long blackout with nothing but a pantry of canned soup and a deck of cards.

The difference wasn't gear. It was mindset.

The OODA Loop

Colonel John Boyd developed the OODA Loop for fighter pilots: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. In a crisis, most people get stuck in "Observe"—they stare at the problem, overwhelmed. Resilience is the ability to cycle through this loop faster than the unfolding disaster.

Stress Inoculation

You cannot learn to swim by reading a book about water. You have to get wet. The same applies to stress. We practice "controlled adversity" in our family:

• The "Lights Out" Weekend: Once a quarter, we flip the main breaker on Friday night. No phones, no electric lights, no microwave. We cook outside, play games by candlelight, and solve problems as they arise.
• Physical Hardship: Rucking (hiking with a weighted pack) teaches you to endure discomfort. If you can function while tired and hungry, you are ahead of 99% of the population.

Community as a Force Multiplier

The "lone wolf" dies alone. Resilience comes from knowing you aren't the only one standing watch. Build relationships with your neighbors before the storm comes. Share produce from your garden. Lend a hand with a project. Social capital is as real as gold in a crisis.

Train your mind to find the solution, not to fixate on the problem. Calm is contagious.