This happened in the Summer of 2020 during a very hot and humid spell. It served as a reminder that if I am not prepared to handle even minor issues with my vehicle – especially during a hot Summer – that I am not adequately assessing my risk elements.

So some summertime vehicle ideas to help you assess and address some vehicle issues: 1) fuel – attempt to never let your gas tank get below half way. This should prevent you from running out of fuel. 2) Consider a service like AAA. This is easy assess albeit not quick to a tow service. 3) Keep a spare set of clothes in your vehicle for this time of year. Keep a blanket just in case you get stuck overnight and need a little warmth. 4) Make sure you have not only a phone charger but also a charged battery with charging cord in there. Top off battery weekly to be sure fully charged. Eve. Better – get 2 batteries and swap a freshly charged one weekly. 5) Make sure your vehicle is being properly maintained. 6) buy and replace a sealed gallon of water each week. When you pull it out of your vehicle use it to water your plants – once the temperature levels out.

When it gets extremely hot or cold, the risk of a exposure based deaths go way up. So be sure you keep these ideas in mind. Add your own or do away with ones that don’t work for you. But any item you remove, be sure you have a good reason way.

Be safe, get trained, and have fun!

This is being written the day after Roe v Wade was overturned and pushed back to the states to decide and the day Biden’s gun Bill is being passed. In other words, both political spectrums are likely to be angered and possibly rioting.

I have my personal opinions on both but will not expand on then here. I will suggest that just maybe we might be being “distracted “ from the other ills facing the United States. My suggestion is not to distracted from the actual ills such as inflation and supply chain issues facing us. Avoid being suckered into a sophomoric argument where platitudes instead of facts are being spewed.

With the brewing civil unrest, it is all the more important to get training, and practice!

Allegedly once he arrived and everyone was off the boats, he ordered the boats burned so that everyone fully understood there was no way back but only forward. In other words, retreat simply was removed as an option.

Sometimes in life we have to severe ties with something in such a way as we can never go back. This is a bold strategy and can force real change. Before deploying such options, it should be thoroughly thought through because by design there is no going back.

So how does this relate to self-defense? First it is another tool in your figurative tool box. More “tools” means more options. Second if you were familiar with it and have been reluctant to do so, consider all pros and cons. Then if you decide to go forward with it, so so boldly and never look back. There are times for new chapters in our lives. YOU GET TO DECIDE WHEN!

One final piece of key information. There is never a guarantee that the new chapter will be better than the previous one. So as you contemplate a new chapter, but bold and beware!

Point being that the best of the best have a single focus and do something every day to further their goal. This reminds me a little bit of the movie City Slickers where the character Curly said the secret to happiness was one thing. Find your one thing and pursue it.

But what if we take these concepts and combine and expand on them. My proposal – and what I usually attempt to do – it to take some kind of action in pursuit of my goals. I have more than one goal. But by taking hopefully positive action towards your goals – martial arts (practicing or at mentally rehearsing), marksmanship drills, spiritual goals, etc, we improve who we are by becoming incrementally better. No one became a master of something the first time they did it. All skills are perishable and require practice

Also remember practice has a way of becoming permanent. So be deliberate with what you are hardwiring .

The article article mentions a several rules of thumb for budgeting: 1) the 1 percent rule – putting aside 1 percent of the total purchase of the home annually, 2) the square foot rule – set aside annually a $1 per livable square foot, and 3) set aside 10 percent of your main monthly expenses (i.e. mortgage, tax and insurance).

But why limit this to just your home. What other items do you use regularly that you know will require maintenance? For many this would be a car. I highly recommend a separate savings account for repairs or maintenance for the vehicle. The amount set aside will in part be based on the age of the vehicle, and what planned maintenance you have for the year. You also want to plan on the “unplanned” items.

By putting money aside, and reserving it for the specific use, you will decrease you need to use a credit card for such repairs. There is a time and a place for credit cards, but unless you are paying them off in full each month, they are essentially a financial cancer that will consume your life. My taking a prevent defense on setting aside funds, you will be much better off.

Also by doing or having your regular maintenance done, you will delay the need for a major repair. Not only will you delay the need for a major repair, but your house and or car will run better.

“Fast is fine, but accuracy is final. In a gun fight. You need to take your time in a hurry.” – Wyatt Earp

“Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast “ – Mark Divine

When training or practicing, have an objective in mind. When just starting out, do not worry about speed. The more you practice, the more you build the myelination pathway and the more automatic your motions will become.

By training slowly and methodically, you will create the pathway for speed.

Myelination is created through repetition. Ultimately that means practice. myelination is built through physical practice. But myelination is not the only thing to be concerned with.

Mental rehearsal is also vital. I was recently listening to a podcast with Tony Bauer https://www.coachblauer.com and he was discussing the need to visualize different scenarios. For example he was telling a story about having a law enforcement officer consider what he should do if he arrived at a restaurant early for a dinner and a gun fight broke out. After describing what he should do, he said that was one rep. He the. Did another example of getting to dinner late to meet his family for dinner and they were already seated, and a gun fight broke out.

Sadly we have to imagine scenarios so that we are more able to deal with real life. Perfect scenario training does not exist, but the process helps you create possible.

With all of that being said, to me, the ultimate goal of training in self-defense, martial arts, guns, and other weapons are to create options in not just how you deal with potential life threatening situations, but also to train yourself to see there is always more than one option.

Many just starting in the martial arts and handgun training plateau as much as anything else from consistent practice or and proper practice. In the beginning of any new endeavor, fundamentals should be emphasized. The master of the martial arts or a master handgun competitor will regularly practice the basics. (Maybe there is a lesson for anyone starting something new there?)

So under the guidelines from the book Atomic Habits, to increase the likelihood of a new habit being adopted, we should strive to set a goal for something readily attainable consistent with your goal. For example, if handgun marksmanship is one of your goals, then you should establish a habit of doing one dry fire every day. If you are able to set something every day consistently, that would even better. If you are a martial artist or studying self-defense, you can decide to practice one move every day. By creating these easily attainable goals, it makes it easier for the new behavior to become part of who you are.

It is a sad world we live in when everyone does not have access to a place where they feel safe. But just because it keeps you out of the elements and keeps “others” outside, does not make it a home.

To me, your home is a place of safety. It is a place where you know everything is going to be alright. If this is not the type you currently live in, then you live in a building, a structure, a house, but it is not a home. It is not a home in the way I view the word home. If you do not have such a place in your life, I hope you find one or create one soon.

But above all, do not confuse “home” with just a roof over your head. Home is so much more than that, and above all, it should invoke a feeling of safety.

To be successful in goal setting, you should incorporate the S.M.A.R.T. methodology. S stands for Specific. The more clearly you state your goal the more clearly you can determine if your daily actions are taking you toward or away from your goals. M stands for measurable. I believe Peter Drucker is stated that what gets measured gets done. Having something that is measurable provides you easy way of measuring if you are making progress on your goals. A is for achievable. You have to believe the goals are possible. Yes you want “stretch” goals that push you, but if you don’ t believe in the possibility of your goals, the very goal itself will lose its power to propel you in its general direction. R stands for relevant. The more relevant a goal is to you, the more powerful it is. T stands for time-bound. A goal without a deadline is just a dream.

To succeed in reaching your goals in life and in business, create a detail plan for achieving your goals. The plan should include milestones. Everyone milestone should be celebrated in some way. Decide in advance how you will celebrate your milestones. On a daily basis – morning and night – you should be reviewing your goals and action plans to achieve. Every day, you should be considering if your actions are taking you toward or away from your goals.