How to Achieve your Homesteading Goals

One of the best ways to make your homesteading dreams happen to is have a solid, yet realistic plan for how to achieve your homesteading goals. In my own life, I break my to-do list into three parts: Business, Homeschooling, and Homesteading. Making a commitment to my goals means not only that I get things done, but I truly get to create a life that I’m passionate about.

My best advice on how to achieve your homestead goals is outlined below, and if you click on the image below, you can download a free printable worksheet that you can use to put your dreams in writing; after all, it has been shown that writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them. Let’s get started!

How to Achieve your Homesteading Goals

1) Review the Past

Let’s start by looking back at the lessons you can learn from the past. Start out with a big picture point of view and work toward a more detailed assessment of the six months to a year. What worked, what didn’t work? What were your big successes? What did you learn from less successful ventures?  What efforts will you repeat? What will you put to rest?

By getting clear on our past experiences, and celebrating our homestead accomplishments, we can release what didn’t work, do more of what did work, and move into the future feeling grounded and clear.

2) Get Clear About Your Values

When I have a big decision to make (such as when we decided to move to Missouri, or when we decided to homeschool our kids), I start by getting clarity on my values. Then, I identify which goals will really help me move my values forward.

For instance, if a primary value is sustainability, and one way I live into that value is by supporting small businesses and local agriculture, then a decision or action step might be to purchase a CSA share from a local farmer.

The benefit of starting with your values is that you create an alignment in your life with what you WANT to create and what you actually WILL create. When you do not check in with your values, you create cross-intentionality and will likely find your wheels spinning.

3) Create Attainable & Realistic Goals

It is so important to create goals that take into account a realistic assessment of your time, energy, experience, and budget.

When we started creating our off-grid homestead, we had a 2 and 5 year old, so my energy was almost 100% dedicated to caring for my young children. However, because I had 14 years of prior gardening and homesteading experience, it was very easy for me to plant a garden because I had a deep understanding of the steps necessary to grow food.

If you are brand new to homesteading, allow extra time to research, visit with mentors, ask questions, and make mistakes. Similarly, set realistic homesteading budgets and check with them often.

I like to use the SMART goal setting acronym:

S – Specific (Are you really clear about your goal?)
M- Measurable (What exactly are you wanting to achieve?)
A- Attainable (Is this goal realistic, given your season of life and circumstances?)
R- Relevant to your vision and values
T- Time Bound (in other words, set a deadline or timeframe!)

It feels so much more empowering to set attainable, bite-sized goals and then add on because you’ve been such a powerhouse of productivity than to realize that you couldn’t possibly tackle everything on your List. Live big, live bold, and live attainably!

4) No Goal is Too Small!

The smallest of goals should be honored and declared. While my family’s goals have been quite lofty over the past four years – building a root cellar, building an outdoor pizza oven, raising Jersey cows – this year we are really paring down to a few essentials:

• Continue our work creating multiple sustainable sources of income in employment fields that align with our values
• Refine our vision for our children’s educational future and make any adjustments necessary for them to thrive in a supportive community of creative learners. (Okay, I guess these are big goals, but they don’t involve earth moving!)

5) Build in Accountability and Support

If I had to pick one predictor of success in any venture, including homesteading, it would be having a support network to lift you up and hold you accountable. While some homesteaders are fortunate to have that support network nearby, many of us create support networks with other homesteaders around the globe, thanks to the power of the Internet.

A more formal coaching relationship is perhaps the most powerful way to create support and accountability. I offer one-on-one coaching for homesteading women to get the support and tools they need to move their homesteading dreams from the Pinterest board and wish list into action.

If you’d like to learn more about the coaching packages I offer, I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute exploration phone call so we can determine if working together is a good fit! 

6) Embrace False Starts

I recently read a book that encouraged people looking for a more simple life to start thinking of mistakes as “false starts.”

I love that phrase! No one takes bold, inspired action without making some false starts. Some false starts are minor and inconsequential, some have more far-reaching consequences. But every false start is an opportunity for future growth, and by adopting a mindset that allows you to view “mistakes” or “failures” as false starts, you give yourself permission to make big leaps.

Here’s that free printable worksheet again for you to download: How to Achieve your Homesteading Goals

I admire your big bold spirit and wish you stunning success as you achieve your homesteading goals. And I’d love to hear from you – how do you best achieve your homesteading goals?

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