Season 2 Episode 13 PP
Easy Ways to Learn Self Reliant Skills
Trying to become self-reliant is hard work. There are so many skills we all want to learn, right?
Sometimes the hardest part is finding out where to learn those skills at. So in today’s episode I am going to share 8 ways you can learn some of those self reliant skill sets so you can move forward in your journey toward living a life of self-reliance.
Are you ready?
Hi and welcome back to the Prepping Positively Podcast! I’m Annie and today we are talking about the places and resources you can turn towards in order to learn some new skills when it comes to being self reliant on your farm or homestead.
So where do you start when you want to learn some new skills?
My first suggestion is YouTube! From making fire starters to building an emergency shelter, everything imaginable is on YouTube! Just go to YouTube, type "how to"..... and whatever it is you want to learn, and hit enter. Bam! Just like that I bet you can find hours and hours of videos on how to do just about anything.
I actually learned how to season and care for cast iron cookware on YouTube.
Now one word of caution here...not every video is going to be worth watching. Just like with blog posts, and even books, some people put content out there that they really haven’t truly researched. So watch a few, and when you start hearing the same information and from trustable YouTuber's, then I would consider the information reliable. Just be cautious and do your research.
The second way to learn new skills believe it or not, is on a podcast. I love learning new things from podcasters that I follow regularly. Many homestead and survival podcasts are available. You can go to your favorite podcasting platform, mine is Apple Podcasts, and type what you are searching for in the search box.
When you find something you want to listen to, you can either listen to that exact episode, or you can follow that show and sort through all of the past episodes. I recommend you check out all of the episodes for each show you watch, and see if they offer a lot of information you would learn from. Podcasters are pretty good about giving the right information in most cases!
The third way to learn self-reliant skills is through online courses. I know what you’re probably thinking right now. “They’re too much money” right? Well there are 2 ways of looking at courses. If you are wanting to learn something and a course offers all you want to learn, isn’t the education you gain or the skill set you acquire worth the investment?
And if you went to college or took a local class, wouldn’t you have to pay for it? What’s the difference? Don’t be afraid of wasting your money. Most courses have a return policy if you are not satisfied. Secondly, read the reviews first and make sure it is what you are really wanting to learn.
Teachable, Udemy, and Thinkerific have some great and low-cost courses for many skills. I belong to Udemy and have taken many courses there and have never been disappointed.
The next possibility for learning self-reliant skills is through community events such as fairs and festivals. Many times local towns will have artisans and others that set up booths specifically to teach the public. These are great experiences for children and adults to learn something new.
My children learned some survival skills when they were younger by going to the Black Bear Festival that our local town had every year.
The best part of this type of education is that you may have to pay to enter the fair or event, but what you learn inside during these presentations is free! What better way to learn?
Another great learning experience is through the books you read. Whether you use Amazon Kindle, Scribbd, or Audible, for example, one little membership fee affords you unlimited books a month to enjoy and learn from. And if you can utilize the free books, well then all the better.
I download free books from all three of the platforms I mentioned and read a few chapters in the evening. I often put my AirPods in and listen to audio books while cooking, crafting, or even walking.
Don’t leave out the library either! Those do still exist ya know. I love bookstores, but often feel the books are priced so high that I seldom buy a book there unless there is a special reason to buy it.
Another option is to research the internet for websites that offer the information you are looking to learn. For example, if you Google “How to Tie Knots”, you will find hundreds of websites with articles of just that!
Please remember though, just as with YouTube, make sure you are reading a dependable and trusted source.
Another option, and I bet you didn’t think of it is to find a mentor. Search for someone locally in your town or community that maybe knows how to perform the skill or skills you want to learn. Maybe you could apprentice under them. Maybe you could pay a small fee for them to teach you. Maybe you could barter a skill you know.
Just ask. Many other people you know may also know someone who has the skillset you are looking for. Ask them to refer someone to you. The local Agricultural Center in your town is a great place to ask.
Lastly, if you want to learn a simple skill, try just doing it! Remember that every skill out there started with someone trying something. After trying for awhile and working out the best way to do it, voila, they learned a new skill! Try doing what you want to learn yourself. If you fail, try again. Do some research and try again. Eventually you will figure it out.
So know you have some great ways to find the resources to learn some self-reliant skills going forward. You have no excuse now. So get out there and learn something new.
Ill see ya next Monday! Til then, keep on learning.
