The Art of Preparation and Adaptability
Though it has been a wild couple of years, I am sure many of us can look back at some big milestones that have happened during this period. Whether professional or personal, life has changed and I am not certain there is a great way we could have been prepared for what we have faced. That said, many of us made decisions. Some of these decisions were driven by fear, some by opportunity, and some simply because a decision had to be made. Those decisions most likely did one of 3 things. They either pushed us toward something, pulled us away from something, or kept us right where we were.
Toward the end of 2020, rather than stay right where we were, we decided to pick up a new hobby as a family. One that would further allow us to experience some of what we love most. We have always enjoyed being outdoors… be it be hiking, fishing, off-roading, or any other thing we can do as a family. However, we wanted to find a way to experience that at an even higher level. To do that, we decided to build out what was my daily driver in a way that would allow us to have even greater adventures and to move forward regardless of what we encounter.
Off-roading the Elephant Hill Trail in Canyonlands National Park.
While getting ready to camp over the weekend, I got to thinking about the art of preparation. I began to think back on all of the things we did to prepare for this new hobby. While there are a large number of things that we knew we needed to plan for, there were just as many things that were unknown. And rather than ignore those things, we worked to make certain we could overcome the unknown obstacles that were sure to rear their ugly heads at some point. We planned for the inconvenient unknowns by installing a winch, armor, extra fuel, spare parts, etc. Now by no means does this help us to know what we might encounter. However, it does give us the tools to know that we can likely deal with it.
Along with vehicle modifications and supplies, another valuable resource that cannot be ignored is the people around us. Not only has it been so enjoyable to adventure with people we know and care about, but it has been evident that people can make or break you in difficult situations. Whether it be leaving something back home or needing a spotter to help navigate the trail, when faced with the unknown it has been so important to have people that we can rely on and who can rely on us.
All of that to say…
In life it is very easy to ignore the unknown until it becomes known. At that point, if not prepared for it, there is not much that we can do.
It is often small things that keep us from big things. If not prepared, a small problem can be much larger than it needs to be.
The people around us are way more valuable than we may realize. It is important to be able to trust those people in the small things and the large things. They may be able to see something that you can’t… and that something may be bigger than you think.
Take action. Do not allow fear of the unknown to keep you from moving forward. Plan for the knowns and the unknows and never stop learning from each experience. And remember, a step back doesn’t necessarily mean failure. That may simply be what is needed to change course and move forward.
As I mention above, the people around us are such a valuable, and often under-utilized, resource. If we, at Within Reach, may be able to help you in any way as you think through these things, or if you just want to talk outdoors and overlanding, please let us know. I firmly believe that when we are here for something much bigger than ourselves and would love to see how we may can work together.
