1 in 15

[Chemsoldier]

I was a big fan of 13 in 13 and was looking for a way to keep up the positive, skills based momentum of this idea.

I was thinking that in addition to developing new skills, we should also increase our depth in a some skills.  Sometimes, opportuntiy exist with deeper domain knowledge in an area.

So my idea is that I will take one entry level skill that I have and spend a year developing it to a depth that will make it have greater utility.  The idea is that the skill will be developed to a degree that will either:
1.  Be alternate income potential.  For instance, if you are going to develop your cider making skills, you need to develop it to the point that you can sell that stuff to discening buyers.
2.  Make yourself of such utility  to your community that the community will have a vested interest in helping you and your family.  Be indespensible in some fashion.

This also means potentially having the gear and tools and ability to self-develop afterwards and continue to build out the skill set over time.


I decided to go with #2 and since I recently got my Tech license I chose ham radio.  I am going to develop the ham radio thing to the greatest degree possible by 31 DEC 2015 with an eye to being a vital member of my community due to my communications skillz.  I will start a separate thread on that quest.  One nice thing about starting the process on 1 JAN 2015 is I can plot it out now and have a solid plan.  Well, to be honest I have already started some things like plotting my purchases and studying for my General.

So, anyone else interested in this?  Its one thing to get your CCW...its another to really learn how to teach firearms use.  Its one thing to know how to homebrew, its another to get to where you can sell that stuff.  Its one thing to know how to due basic glassblowing...its another to be an artist at it.  Go from basic first aid to a jack-leg 18D?  Learn how to weld...weld well?  Go from building a bird house in shop to cabinet making?  Needlecraft as a hobby to being able to tailoring and making clothing as a potential sideline?  Rotating your tires to mechanic? Killing lizards to slaying dragons? The sky is the limit.

[Alan Georges]

I was thinking that in addition to developing new skills, we should also increase our depth in a some skills.  Sometimes, opportuntiy exist with deeper domain knowledge in an area.

Great idea.  Most of us here are pretty far along in survival preps, but there's always room for improvement.

OK, here's what I need to work on in '15: organization.

First and foremost, I've got to get together a real documentation package.  That, and a will.

After that, I'm breaking down preps into Jack's six categories.  Sort of Jack's six, but I'm splitting "health&sanitation" into "medical" and "sanitation", and adding "transportation", "comms", and "community" to round things out to ten.  (I like ten: fingers, toes, Commandments, Amendments, rounds in a stock 10/22 magazine.  Good things come in tens!)  Actually got started on this a few weeks ago, just as a Saturday-in-the-coffee-shop exercise.  Once the ten were on paper, it was easy to go through and give each one a 1 through 5 score, 5 being the best.  So now I have three in the 3 range: food, medical, community, and that's where I'm starting.

But mostly, I've got to get everything else organized.  Inventoried.  Put in place.  Cleaned up.  It's going to be a year!

[CharlesH]

This idea is personally more appealing to me than the 13 in 13 idea.  I have always been more of an 'inch wide, mile deep" guy.  13 in 13 felt more like a "mile wide, inch deep" endeavor.  To each his own I guess.  I think if I was to add a project to my list for next year, it would be either medical or shooting related.  I have the homesteading thing down pretty well.  And while I might actually put in a swale or two where my crazy neighbors are dumping water in my field from a cheap ass pump-and-dump geothermal system they bought, I'm not really in to permaculture.  Getting a ccw, going to a shooting school, and getting some serious trigger time in handgun, shotgun, OR rifle would be appealing.  Taking a civilian style medical class similar to the army combat lifesaver and getting some extra practice time on that would also be useful and helpful to a community.

[Cedar]

There is something like this in the SCA.. and I am so far behind. I have done some things. But this is very inline with that you are doing.

The A&S 50 Challenge involves doing 50 things in the Arts and Sciences between May 1st AS 42/2007 and May 1st AS 50/2015, in honor of the SCA's 50th Birthday . The Challenge is a chance to develop skills and learn more about what interests you. There are Three Kinds of Challenges:

The Depth Challenge - 50 of any one type of thing, in order to push your skills and knowledge to new levels
The Breadth Challenge - Do/make/learn 50 new and different things
The Persona Challenge - Making/learning 50 different things that your persona would know, have, or know how to do

The things I have chosen go with homesteading and prepping very well.

Cedar

[endurance]

I like the idea. Last year and into the future I see my volunteer fire service steering my own training, but it's opened up so many doors for community building, advanced training and access to incredibly knowledgeable and experienced folks. Just last week on of my captains said he was a survivalist. I haven't had the chance to follow up with him, but I replied in a way that he knew a future conversation was coming.

You just never know when a new rabbit hole will open up to explore, but you'll never find them until you start kicking around the grass in your yard.

[ericksonrs]

I like it too...I'd like to take an EMT class and maybe even do some volunteer work with it.

[AvenueQ]

This is perfect timing for something like this for me. While woodworking wasn't on my original 13 skills list, with my new job it makes sense for me. I'd like to get to the point where I can restore old spinning wheels. I see old busted spinning wheels all the time at estate sales, thrift stores, etc. I mentioned this interest in passing to my boss today and he said I could probably get to that point in a year or two. I'd love to make it looms and spinning wheels, but I think that may be a bit ambitious for only a year. I'll stick with spinning wheels and see where it takes me.