One of the things I stress when I'm introducing people to SD with a firearm is that a big part of the training is mental and I don't just mean at the range.Exactly! But having a plan in place is one of the proven ways to speed up your OODA Loop and improve your reaction time to a deadly force encounter. That's always a good thing. But, like I said, ya gotta be flexible.
Having a plan in place and constantly modifying the plan as situation dictates keeps you in the Yellow. I'm talking about having a plan in place long before anything has happened. As you're driving around, entering/exiting a store, eating at a restaurant, staying in a hotel, pumping gas, picking up the kids from school, etc.
When you're out to eat, do you know where the emergency exits are? Do you know where the kitchen is? If there is a jampack at the fire exit and front doors, there are always one or more exits through the kitchen.
When I'm at a hotel, I immediately recon all stairwells to see where they are and where they can take me, in addition to fire exits. Even exiting to the roof may be preferable to sitting in the room or going downstairs, depending upon the circumstances. Also, when I'm overseas, many of the hotel room windows can open, which ain't common in the US. Depending on what floor I'm on, can I exit out a window? If the windows don't open, can I break a window and use it as an alternate route?
Just carrying a firearm, and having a "better" one in your vehicle, ain't having a plan.......that's having the means. It's a step in the right direction, but it falls far short of the finish line. These are all tactics and techniques we discuss in my Residential Room Clearing & Response to Active Shooter course I'm teaching in Marietta on Jan 28-29 (shameless plug ).
Be polite, be professional, but have a plan in place to kill everyone you meet. Words to live by, they've served me for 28 years now.
As you move through life you should do mental exercises about the different situations you find yourself in. If this happens, I would do this... If he did that, I would respond like this... and so on and so on. A person should do this a lot, especially if they are new to carrying a weapon. Another aspect that should be practiced this way is recognition of when deadly force would be appropriate and legal.
Most people do not have a clear understanding of the laws concerning justifiable homicide. This should be of major concern to anyone that has made the decision that they will kill another to defend themselves or others. If you have not studied the law and then mentally practiced it the same way as I describe above, you could very well find yourself slowed down by indecision at a critical moment or make a bad decision and spend the next 15 years in prison for manslaughter.
One of the most ridiculous saying out there is "I rather be judged by 12, than carried by 6." That is stupidity incarnate! Train properly and you should be able to avoid both of those situations. Personally, I think I would rather be carried by 6 than spend the next couple of decades in prison.