3 New Homesteading Mistakes & how to solve them.
The 1950’s? 1930’s farm house kitchen demo. Such fun. Sometimes.
Homesteading was hard when America was being settled by homesteaders. It’s also hard now. Many give up. Or worse, something they love, becomes something they resent.
Real food….YOU grew!
You want to be independent from the food chain, you want to grow a garden, raise your own meat, dairy, and maybe grains…but at some point it gets to be too much.
This is actually the “after” picture….after a LOT of work.
That can paralyze anyone.
Here’s the day we saw it. What do you see?
This is what I see everyday. Overwhelm. Burn out. Exhaustion. Something you love becomes something you hate. There are three ways to prevent this.
After years, I can see it coming together.
Number 1:
Make a list of what needs to be done.
Sort it into 3 categories. Urgent, Soon, Long term.
Post it on the fridge/front door/etc.
Check off things as you get them done…but also when you think of a way to get something done off your list in another way …write it next to the project. Often I think of new ways to accomplish something after writing it down. Maybe you need a barn for your goats, but you just got some free pallets and a truck canopy and can build them a snug little house before winter comes that will allow you to focus on getting water trenched before winter, which is more urgent. But this brings me to number two.
Number 2:
If you’re like me, you won’t listen to this one………………………………
I decided to learn to machine embroider. Psst…farmhouse décor is now available. Check out our store page for the latest!
…pick ONE animal, ONE skill, and maybe a small garden bed your first year.
If you get a bunch of animals, and start a garden, all you will have is a lot of stress (and weeds). Something you love will start to become a burden of time, money, and mental space.
I know, you want ALLLL the animals. To bake your own bread, hunt, fish, learn to can…but if you pick one animal (your favorite, or the one you feel will fit your needs the best) and do that well, you will enjoy it!
Taking a break from painting the porch to hang out with my ducks.
Because, isn’t that why you started homesteading? To live a life of purpose and joy!
Number 3:
Take time to enjoy and take stock of what is working…and what isn’t.
It’s okay to decide something isn’t working for you. Sometimes we stick with something because we feel we should. Part of homesteading is finding your talents, strengths and yes, weaknesses. It’s okay if you change your mind.
When not outside, I love creating new farmhouse designs.
As someone who loves animals, and being outdoors being a homesteader calls to you. And maybe you find God out there. (Or maybe not, but I think what calls to your soul in nature is God.