There are 10 habits homesteaders develop that make their homesteading journey more enjoyable and less stressful. By developing these very habits, you can improve your homesteading journey. You will become more organized, well-rested, less stressed and much more productive.
Homesteading isn’t easy, it is hard work. It requires planning and goal-setting and is filled with constant unexpected changes to our routines. We can’t stop the unexpected things that happen. But we can prepare ourselves to be ready when the unexpected happens.
10 Proven Habits Homesteaders Develop for a Better Life
Getting up early
I’ll be the first to admit I was not a morning person when I started my homestead journey. That has since changed. It seemed the more daylight hours I slept the fewer hours I had to work and get things done during the day. Slowly but surely my to-do list was getting longer and the things I was accomplishing were getting shorter.
There are habits homesteaders develop that allow their homesteading journey to be more efficient and organized. You should try to develop these habits too.
The solution, I got up at 7 am. Those extra 2 or 3 hours of daylight I gained made a huge difference in what I got accomplished. So getting up early is one of the most important habits homesteaders develop.
Put Things Away
There is no bigger waste of time than having to search to find something you need because you can’t remember where you put it. Everything has its place. So when you are done with it put it away. It will always be right where you need it to be in the future.
Learning to put things back in there place is an important habit because it allows for less stress when you have to look for that item again.
Stay Organized
Staying organized can prevent a lot of stress and possible failure while homesteading. Organization affects all areas of the homestead and is closely tied to putting things away as above. Keeping an organized pantry in the home is just as helpful as having all of your homestead tools organized. Keeping all of your milking supplies organized makes for a successful experience when milking those goats or cows.
Organization affects everything you do, so try and get organized in each area of your homestead. This includes inside the home, like the pantry and storage closets.
Use It Again and Again
Homesteading is all about reusing things. It is all about less waste and saving money. Before you throw out that torn t-shirt, cut it up into cleaning rags or laundry dryer sheets. Use that empty milk jug as a scoop or seedling protectors.
Whatever it is you may want to just throw away, stop and think, “Where could I use this again or for what could I use it for?” Reusing materials is one of the top 10 habits because it not only saves money but allows us to waste far less on our homesteads.
Stop Hoarding
Keeping the things we regularly use and need is one thing but do you really need 10 sets of dishes or 20 mismatched coffee mugs? If you can’t reuse and repurpose them, get rid of them. Having an abundance of useless and unused “stuff” leads to poor organization, more stress, and more to clean.
Not to mention, think of all the storage you would gain by donating some of those things you don’t need anymore. Point being…stop hoarding!
Develop a Routine
Knowing what should be done each day can be a huge time saver. Try to develop a routine of the everyday things that need to be done. Having a daily routine gives you a guideline to follow. It may not always work out due to unavoidable things that happen. But it is a good starting point to avoid the “oh darn, I forgot to do this today” dilemma.
Simply making a list of day to day chores that stay the same is a great place to start. You can list yearly, monthly, or even seasonal chores.
Stay Focused
Once you have a project you are working on, try to stay focused on that task. Venturing off usually leaves you with unfinished tasks. Plan out your projects and be reasonable about the time involved to complete them. Staying focused is an important habit to develop.
Reading
Reading is one of the most common habits homesteaders develop. There is no better way to learn than to read. Whether it be on Google, at the library, in the bookstore or wherever you choose, read, read, and then read some more.
If you want to learn something new, look it up and read about it. I learned more about homesteading from reading blogs about homesteading, renting homesteading books from the library, and many visits to the local bookstore. Whether digital or print, start your own home library of reading material. It will be very beneficial to your homestead journey.
Plan Everything You Can
I can’t possibly stress how important planning is to homesteading no matter how small or large your homestead is especially when you are getting started homesteading. Planning is one of the most important habits homesteaders develop.
A homestead without a plan is a homestead full of stress. By having a solid plan you will have a guide to follow. You will know what needs to be done, and what to allow extra time for. I plan my entire year out in November and December, which you can read about here.
Keep Developing New Skills
Never stop learning. Take classes at local colleges. Take free online classes at Udemy. Just keep learning and growing your skill sets. Learn skills like canning and preserving food, rainwater catchment, hydroponic or aquaponic gardening systems. Each new skill you learn will allow you to add new experiences to your homestead.
You never know what new skill you learned that may come in handy one day down the road. The important thing is to just keep learning new skills.
Final Words about Habits Homesteaders Develop
As a homesteader, it is important to continue to develop habits throughout your journey. Use the habits homesteaders develop above as a starting point and continue to grow your list of useful habits.
Do you have any habits you would like to share? Leave a comment in the box below!
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