How to Outsmart Murphy's Law

Have you met old man Murphy before?  He's the guy that makes sure that "if something can go wrong, it will."  We have a related saying in the military that goes: no plan survives first contact.

That's because there's a wide range of factors and variables that come into play, many of which we have little control over, that can influence our desired outcome.

In the civilian realm, we also recognize that things don’t always go as planned. That’s where the concept of a Plan B or not to putting all your eggs in one basket comes from.
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But sometimes, even that's not is enough.

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That’s why the military utilizes PACE planning.
PACE is an acronym which stands for:
P - primary
A - alternate
C - contingency
E - emergency
Because when lives are on the line, you need to make things as fail-proof as possible.
As we head into uncertain times, can you use PACE to help you prepare?  You bet.  Here's some examples.

FOOD
In previous blog posts, I've encouraged you to begin storing up food and supplies for the future.  Implementing a PACE plan with regard to your food might look something like this:

• Primary:      obtain food from the grocery store
• Alternate:    food you've stored or obtained from vendors like My Patriot Supply.
• Contingent:  Barter with neighbors or networks
• Emergency:  Hunt wild game and gather local edible plants

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Disclaimer:  I've used My Patriot Supply in the past to supplement my stores.  I've had great experiences with them.  If you use this link to make a purchase, I'll receive a small kickback from them.

COMMUNICATIONS
I've also mentioned in previous dispatches of the need to build a support network of like-minded people.  Key to the success of any group is communication.  What could a PACE plan look like for comms within your group?

Let's say you're trying to reach someone within your group for a welfare check.

• Primary:  cell phone
• Alternate: radio
• Contingency:  Call friends to see if they've had contact
• Emergency:  drive to the person's house to make contact

 Maybe your plan won't look exactly like this one.  Maybe you won't use PACE at all.  The point is that you understand any plan without a backup is no plan at all.

How do you utilize PACE or other method in your planning?  Share your insights in the comments below.