January 15, 2025
Day 1,202 of the Adventure
Probably the biggest complaint, or at least the biggest source of discouragement, I see with new homesteaders is related to the overwhelming number of things that always need done. Both in the routine tasks as well as the creative and developmental tasks. Such as, building a new woodshed, for example. I recently published a video on it called "
Too Many Projects Is Normal" where I too was getting run over by the sheer number of things that needed done. All of which we had started, expecting to complete before moving on to the next thing on the list. If you are part of the homesteading tribe, you'll know how disruptions to our best plans can quickly leave us with a whole list of incomplete projects. If I never started another single thing, I could easily stay busy for the next three years just catching up. It's just a reality of our backwoods living choice. I'm a little envious of those folks who can get caught up and keep the discipline of only tackling one or two modest improvements each year. We started with 12 acres of raw land a little over three and a half years ago and our "to-do" list was sizable. Everything we needed to accomplish kept moving in and out of the position of highest priority. It's kind of like a game of Whack-a-Mole", only 12 acres in size. There's probably no hope for us. In our mid 60's, there's only so much time left to get it all done. Don't get me wrong. We are loving the process because it's a creative endeavor. We both like creating something, even if a lot of it is fairly strenuous work. Finding ways of managing the workload is, in my opinion, the easiest way to get some mental control over a list that's too big to really see the end of. For the past year, we have finally been able to start fewer things and focus more on the important ones. Slowly, that will yield good results along with completed projects. For those who do not have such a huge mountain of projects. I think it can be a simple process of just "Leveling Up". Pick the one or two or three priority projects for the year and do your best to ignore everything else that tempts you. Don't succumb to the "shiny object" syndrome of homestead projects. Setting the bar high and never reaching it is okay for some. However, setting the bar just about right is likely more fulfilling because it's usually accompanied by a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with the peace of a completed project. I know we're already a half month into the new year and this year's projects are probably already firmly entrenched in our minds. If not, consider choosing the two or three that will give you the best chance of getting your property "Leveled Up" this year without simply adding to the never-ending list of things that reman unfinished.
Now, if I could just convince myself of all of this!
Adventure Quote: “Achievement is often a balance between following through with a well made decision, accepting the process, while embracing flexibility until its completion” ― Lisa J. Morris
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