2021 is the Year of Self-Survival

Survivalist, self-reliant, self-sufficient – however you want to look at it or whichever path you want to go down, 2021 is the year of people relying on themselves and their abilities to get by.

Not only get by but to flourish.

New skills, new income, new property, new lifestyle, and new self-identity.

2021 will have people focusing on natural, alternative health care, supporting local and away from corporations, and a focus on self, family and small community.

2020 saw an increase in people practicing gardening. 2021 will see an even bigger spike in not only gardening, but also learning self-sufficiency skills to go with it.

What is self-reliance

Self-reliance is relying on your own skills and abilities, and judgement to provide for yourself and your family.

Self-sufficiency is the resources a person obtains, makes or has and is enough for their needs. It is “sufficient.”

Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups who prepare for emergencies.

Emergencies can be both in personal (job loss, power outage, storms, tornado, stranded un the wild) or disruptions in social or political order from local to international.

Survalists focus on self-reliance by acquire emergency medical knowledge, self-defence training, stockpiling supplies, food and water and prepare to become self-sufficient.

Mindset shift to local community and reliance

With 2020s trend of fearing your neighbours, 2021 will be the complete opposite. Instead, people will be looking to connect and share like never before. Helping and supporting one another with skillsets, products, and resources.

2021 will be the year for community and a strong focus on local. The ways of the people, before large societies and corporate interests took it away.

Moving away from corporate interests

As many small businesses were pushed out of business in 2020, big box stores and online retail giants scored even bigger profits than anticipated.

Amazon tripled its profits with a more than 37% increase in earnings. That’s before the 4th quarter holiday sales, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Netflix had a 29% increase in profits, prior to the fourth quarter. An increase of 1.2 billion dollars to add to their 2.24 billion dollars of usual profit. 10 zeros. In one quarter.

While millions have filed for bankruptcy, unemployment and had their family legacies shuttered, a few billionaires became trillionaires.

2021 will see people making a concerted effort to rebuild and focus on supporting their local small businesses, over big corporations. With the goal to create and invigorate a local economy within each small neighbourhood.

Shunning convienence for community.

New Self-Reliance Skills

2021 will see a significant increase in the knowledge and skillset of people in terms of self-reliance.

Many of them will be around food production and preservation. The emphasis will be on keeping healthy naturally by supporting the body.

Cooking homemade meals and using natural remedies for prevention and treatment will be key opportunities for people with those skills.

Cooking from scratch: adding more vegetables to meals, making non-dairy meals to reduce inflammation and excess mucus production. Less processed foods, switching out pantry foods, learning to cook

Gardening: starting seeds, growing favourites, goal to produce enough for family, small garden space, maximize yield, heirloom plants, natural growth and pest deterrents

Preserving food: how to can is a big one people are going to be learning this year. Pressure canning but also water bath canning for foods without spices and preservatives. Dehydrating, freezing, cold storage, learning long-term food storage from the harvest and how best to make a space in their home. How many freezers/what kind of space for family size.

Seed saving: recognizing the corporate control over seeds, people will be focused on acquiring heirloom seeds. Exploring more nutrient-dense options for food production, and an increasing awareness and desire to save and exchange seeds with fellow neighbours. Reinvigorating seed diversity and trade, as was common practice before patented seed production.

Reducing needs for conventional items that are often purchased from large corporations or governments. This includes, but is not limited to, healthcare, power/heat, food and simple products.

Know your neighbours – knowing who you can rely on and trade skills and product with.

Natural medicine cabinet – focusing on natural prevention and healing. Stocking a natural medicine cabinet is an easy way people are going to be looking to get healthy and stay healthy.

Banish debt within the year – a real focus on debt this year. Taking stock and downsizing as much as possible. Learning the skills to DIY to save small bits here and there, and learning that less is more.

Acquire tools needed to build, repair, and grow, without power. Learn the skills to repair or troubleshoot machines or simple household items. Grow food with permaculture and hand weeding, build items without power – learn the skills and have the tools but not necessarily go fully over, just prepared.

Wellness prevention tools – healthy eating, awareness of how body works, mental state impacts physical, energy, product switching, natural medicine cabinet

Natural, homemade products – increased awareness of health impacts of conventional products and unnecessary “cleaning” agents. Increased consumer awareness of marketing tactics. Consumers moving to homemade products or sourced from ethical company. Also supports less need for “stuff”.

Own controlled income – stepping out of comfort zone and filling a need for neighbours and society. More and more people using their skills and consumers looking to support local, small businesses. Neighbours supporting neighbours.

Natural power sources – wood heat and solar, timers on power cords, reduce power needs, measure power consumption (LINK TO TESTING/HOW TO TEST). Generator for power failure, candles, flashlights, camping stove, cast iron, etc. Ability and supplies to provide food and warmth without power.

Books: a focus on skills books. To have the resources necessary without the need for the internet. Utilizing libraries to explore books and then purchasing to build a skills resource library. LINK RESOURCES POST/PAGE affiliate links

Rural Property: more people are going to be looking for and aquiring rural properties for recreation and to live off the land. A more self-sufficient, slower paced life. Moving away from jam

Technology use is going to increase but more people will be walking away from technology. Social media, news, tv, etc. Playing games, family activities, getting outside, camping, nature activities.

Homeschooling– less technology, outside, help around the house, better learning, community based, better quality of education.

2021 will see and increased need for people who have these skillsets to teach.

What to look forward to

A slower, more mindful, family-based natural healthy life.

Make a list of skills you’d like to learn to support your family. What skills or resources do you have that you can teach or trade with others.

Above all else recall that the power for change rests with the people. Concerted effort and a willingness to demand and take action for change.

Where your money is spent is a powerful vote for the life you want. 2021 is going to see more people voting for themselves and their local communities.

Where do you see a need in your community that you can help fill?