Not just a time commitment, but adjustments in lifestyle, which are sometimes easy and simple, but not always.

Yup,right down to the fuel you burn for long term survival.

... and wits too. You need to be able to think fast and out of the box. I know that 'cause I have had some 'situations' where I sort of shot myself in the foot and made things worse than they were

Sometimes I panic a little in bad situations. In such cases I may need something in particular (like a knife or magnifying lens) , and forget that I have it somewhere.. It happened a few times. I hope it doesn't happen again when I am in a real survival situation.

Once in a WFR recert, they gave us a good quote for those kind of situations: "Don't just do something....stand there!" What they meant is that even in tight situations, it usually pays to take a second to get your wits about you.

I've also heard that in medical school they tell young newbe doctors to "First take your own pulse!" Again, what they mean is to first calm down, then deal with the situation.

There are a few situations that might require instant action. In first aid that might be blood squirting from and artery, or someone who has stopped breathing. Certainly there are a few other cases where one needs to react instantly, like a weapon jam during a firefight. However, in 90% of survival situations, you will be better off taking a coulple of seconds to calm down, assess the situation, and think clearly.

Yup! Couldnt agree more with that statement.

...Much of it is pre-planning. How will I get home after a storm? Where do we go if the power is out?

I tend to think that physical, mental and spiritual strength are some of the most important aspects of survival, or really any difficult challenge we are apt to face in life.

I've been looking for something to keep myself motivated with my physical fitness and stumbled upon the Spartan Race. They have an e-book available that I've started reading and it made me realize that while we often stress the physical aspects of training, we have a tenancy to overlook mental aspects (or at least I did).

While I wasn't too surprised when I read a section about the importance for mental toughness, or grit, I found it very interesting that their training template to prepare for a race included mental exercises (e.g., mental math, memorization, etc); not just the physical training I would have expected.

I'm now convicted and am going to try and ensure I am exercising mentally, not just physically, as a part of my regular routine.

Bummer. Maybe you can get released on parole, or get time off for good behaviour?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Pre-planning is something to work on too -- What might happen, how might I react. Having thought through scenarios helps reduce stress and mistakes.

Those are situations where training and rehearsal play a big part. Other situations, such as equipment preparedness - including training in its use - require considerable pre-planning with time to re-think blind alleys. Still other situations, such as avoiding numerically superior pursuers, call for solid thinking on your feet.

My wife tends to over-think matters -- seeing great danger where the actual hazard is relatively small and the odds of it happening at all are slim. I tend to take a more fatalistic view that I have prepared as well as I am able and will deal with matters as they arise. Short of death, no defeat is absolute. And if death is the outcome, my worries - such as they are - are over.

Good forum - good thread. I like this place.