Have you heard of ‘doomsday preppers”? If not, simply put, it’s a group of people who are preparing for doomsday, a catastrophic event or disaster of some sort. They are ready for the worst case scenario. Stereotypically they stockpile food, water and emergency supplies. With the arrival of Covid it seems like doomsday prepping has gone from the fringe to almost mainstream.
But with every culture, there is a counterculture. So what is the opposite of a doomsday prepper? I couldn’t find anything on the internet so I started to ask around. The best answer I got, was a ‘boonsday prepper’. I loved it. Someone who is preparing for the blessings or good times that are coming in the future.
So who wants to join me in being a boonsday prepper?! All it takes is an ability to look forward and imagine the best case scenario and making sure you are ready for it.
For example, a best case scenario might be that you live to be a grandparent or a great grandparent and that you can pick up that cutie when they run to you and give them a hug. Prepping means you need to be able to squat and lift up 30 pounds without hurting your back. Knowing that the older you get the harder it is to maintain muscle mass and so you need to eat and exercise in a way that preserves muscle and mobility…even if you don’t feel like it.
Another best case scenario might be that you are able to travel to exotic countries well into retirement. Prepping means you need to have enough money set aside to pay for that trip, but also making sure you can walk long distances without stopping, and some of those walks may need to be uphill, on uneven surfaces…because not everywhere is flat if you can imagine.
Are long golf games in your future? How about sailing? Long walks? Short hikes? You need to start now, so that you can do these things later.
Do you get where I am going with this? In order to be a good boonsday prepper you need to look into your future, decide what a great life would look like and make sure you not only have the finances, but the body to get you there.
Want to travel without needing someone to put your bag into an overhead compartment? You need to be able to lift 15 or so pounds up over your head. Want to be able to play with your grandchildren? You need to be strong enough and mobile enough to get up and down off the floor. Want to live independently for a long, long time? Then you need to start taking care of your body and your mind now.
Just like a doomsday prepper, the earlier you start the better off you will be. They can’t start canning their meat a year ahead of time, that’s gotta start years before they need it. They can’t start growing their own food when the first zombie shows up, that takes year of planning and preparation. Who knew, guess we can learn a thing or two from these doomsdayers.
Don’t start late or you may get left behind.
The First Step is Empathy
According to Dr Hal Hershfield, a UCLA psychologist, the first step to farsighted decision making is being connected to your Future Self. Connection starts with having empathy for your Future Self, just as you’d have empathy for another person. To have empathy, you consider the other person’s perspectives. You try to understand where they are coming from and what matters to them.
“The more conscious you become of how everything you do right now impacts the person you are in the future, the better and more thoughtful your actions will be.” Dr Benjamin Hardy
And so my friends, are you going to be a Boonsdayer with me? If so, start with a list of your best case scenarios and start working today on what you need to do to get there.
