Start Small and Build Your Own Definition of Self-Sufficiency

Shalom family,

Let’s talk about self-sufficiency.

Everybody’s got an opinion on what it means. Some say you aren’t really self-sufficient unless you’re totally off-grid, growing every bite of food you eat, generating all your own power, and never depending on anyone else. 

Others think self-sufficiency is just about having a garden and a few chickens in the backyard.

Here’s the truth: self-sufficiency isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s personal. You have to define it for yourself, or you’ll get lost trying to copy somebody else’s version of it.

For me, self-sufficiency means growing most of what I eat, raising my own animals, and learning the skills to provide for myself and my family. 

It means knowing where my food comes from, having survival skills if things go bad, and building financial freedom so I don’t depend on a job that can disappear tomorrow. That’s my definition. Yours might look different and that’s okay.

Definition of Self-Sufficiency

Why You Don’t Need to Start Big

Too many people make the mistake of going too big too fast. They buy 20 acres, order all kinds of livestock, and set up projects everywhere. But here’s the reality: if you can’t manage one acre, 20 acres will crush you.

One acre is bigger than most people think. You can grow a lot of food on one acre. You can raise chickens, ducks, goats, maybe even a couple of pigs. You can have a garden, some fruit trees, and still have space left.

Starting small lets you actually learn. You’ll figure out how to build a coop, how to protect your birds from predators, how to grow in your specific soil and climate. You’ll make mistakes  and you want those mistakes to be small ones, not catastrophic ones that make you want to quit.

Don’t Copy Somebody Else

Another trap people fall into is copying someone else’s journey. They watch YouTube or scroll Instagram and think, “That’s how I’ll do it.” But what you’re seeing is just a highlight reel. You don’t see the struggle, the failures, or the parts that don’t fit your situation.

Their land is not your land. Their resources are not your resources. Their life is not your life.

If you try to copy them, you’ll end up frustrated. Define your own goals. For some, it’s going fully off-grid. For others, it’s just producing more of their own food. For me, it’s about raising most of what I eat, learning survival skills, and controlling how I provide for my family. That’s mine. What’s yours?

Skills Matter More Than Stuff

Here’s something people overlook: self-sufficiency isn’t about how much land or equipment you have. It’s about the skills you build.

Can you filter water if the grid goes down? Can you start a fire without a lighter? Can you butcher an animal if you need to? Can you preserve food for the winter?

These are the skills that make you self-sufficient, not just the gear you buy. Tools break. Land can flood. But skills? Those stay with you no matter what.

Survival Isn’t Just Food

When I talk about self-sufficiency, I’m not only talking about food. I’m talking about survival. If the power goes out, I don’t want to panic.

I want to know how to take care of my family. I want to know how to fish, hunt, grow, preserve, and even enjoy life. Right now, I’m even making my own wine. That might sound extra, but to me, it’s part of not depending on stores for every little thing.

And survival isn’t just physical. It’s financial too. If your whole livelihood depends on a job, you’re still in a system that controls you. That’s why entrepreneurship and financial freedom are part of my definition of self-sufficiency.

Start Small, Build Big

So here’s my advice:

• Start with what you can manage. A small garden. A few chickens. A container of herbs.

• Learn skills before you buy more stuff. Read, research, practice.

• Make mistakes on a small scale. Lose a couple chickens, not 200. Fail with a raised bed, not 10 acres of crops.

• Build step by step. Once you master something, add the next.

  
  

Self-sufficiency is a journey, not a one-time decision. Every step you take toward independence is a win.

Final Word

Don’t let anybody else define self-sufficiency for you. Don’t get pressured into thinking you have to live someone else’s dream. Define it for yourself. Start small. Learn skills. Build step by step.

The reward is real. You’ll look around one day and realize you’re feeding your family from your own land, drinking water you collected, and enjoying freedom you built with your own two hands.

And here’s the good news: you don’t have to walk this path alone. That’s why we created the Set Apart Tribe , a community designed to help you start small, build skills, and grow into your own definition of self-sufficiency with support and accountability.

Membership Benefits:

• Free Tier 1 Facebook group- Be part of a like-minded community sharing, praying, and growing together in real-time.

• The Set Apart Tribe ($35/mo) – for Early YouTube access , exclusive overflow content, by- weekly Q&As’ monthly giveaways and 5% merch discount.

• Growth Circle ($200/mo) – Receive All Tribe benefits ,Bi-monthly group coaching (2-hour sessions), Digital product library and 20% merch discount

• Legacy Level ($600/mo)– Get All Growth Circle benefits, Two 1-on-1 monthly coaching calls 40% merch discount.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter (for updates + free monthly T-shirt giveaway) and follow us on YouTube and Instagram to see the daily realities of self-sufficient living.