Being self reliant isn’t just for “preppers” and homesteaders – just about everyone can benefit from building a self-reliant mindset.

Think about it; all it means is that you rely on yourself more. You are more independent, and your success isn’t tied to anyone else. You don’t have to give up all help and social contact though, simply knowing that you can stand on your own two feet will grant you the confidence to excel in all areas of your life.

9 key steps to becoming self reliant

1. Believe in Yourself
   The first step to being more self-reliant is to FEEL more self-reliant. You have to believe that you can stand on your own two feet, or you will never become more self-reliant.
2. Recognize Your Dependencies
   It’s important to figure out who and what you are currently dependant on. You don’t have to make any major changes at this point. Just recognize your dependencies. This way, you will know what kinds of things you need to learn to do yourself.
3. Accept Responsibility
   If you want to be more self-reliant, then you need to accept responsibility. Your actions lead to real consequences, and you need to be responsible for them. If you make a mess of things, you need to be responsible for that, rather than looking to others to fix it.
4. Think for Yourself
   You must avoid groupthink and think for yourself. This doesn’t mean that you take the contrarian stance on every issue, but make sure you understand and believe in the things you talk about. If you have a stance on something, ensure your stance is not just what everyone else thinks.
5. Be Your Authentic Self
   You should know your core values and what you believe in. Furthermore, it would help if you also acted in ways that reflect those values. Don’t try to be someone different to impress others. If you want to be more self-reliant, you need to be comfortable in your skin at all times.
6. Make Your Own Decisions
   If you run to someone else for help making every decision, you aren’t self-reliant. Decision-making can be very stressful, and while it’s helpful to get someone else’s’ opinion, it’s up to you to make the decisions in your life at the end of the day. After all, you are the one who has to live with them.
7. Look After Yourself
   A big part of self-reliance is taking care of yourself. You need to make sure both your mental and physical well being is taken care of. A poor spell of mental or physical health will almost ensure your reliance on others.
8. Commit to Lifelong Learning
   While you can’t possibly learn everything, it is important to commit to constantly learning if you want to be self-reliant. The world and your needs change; you need to keep learning, so you are ready to face these changes independently.
9. Know What You Want
   What do you want out of life? If you want to be more self-reliant, you need to know exactly where you want to go. What’s the point of being self-reliant if you aren’t following your own goals?