Beat Homestead Overwhelm with Good Planning

Homesteading is an active, busy lifestyle. There are a lot of balls in the air at any given moment. Those many chores – whether they are passions or necessities – can easily become daunting. Beat that homestead overwhelm with good planning.

Create a Planning System

We’re all different. No one planning system fits everyone. Learn what works for you and run with it.

Honestly, it takes experimentation. Sometimes a system will work for a while, but will need to be changed or adapted with time. That’s okay, just do what works and adjust as necessary.

Don’t buy into believing that you have to follow someone’s system just because you admire them in some way. Use a system that works for you which may or may not be the system of your hero or your mother.

Pen and Paper

Keep it a simple with a wall calendar and to-do list. Write down important dates, planting, butchering, harvest etc. Keep a running to-do list as things come to do and cross off things that get completed.

Use a planner or notebook of some kind. There are millions of different types. Use what works best for you. (We love this garden journal!)

A three-ring binder works well and can easily be divided into sections for a garden, kitchen, livestock, and more. Use printables or plain notebook paper to record plans and keep track of important records.

An annual garden journal will do wonders helping you remember what has been done from year to year, what perennial or tree varieties you planted where…

Go Digital

There are no shortages of websites and apps in our modern age. Give them a try and find what works for you. Consider trying out:

The great thing about tech options is that we can easily copy and paste or move things around without having to scribble or erase. These options have limitations, but there are many free ones and they can have a place on our modern homesteads.

A Combination

A combination of digital and paper can often be effective. An electronic calendar can be handy for sending reminders. Need to give the dog or cat a worm pill? The app can pop up a message on your phone.

A paper planner is great for writing down quick notes and dreaming. It’s easier in some cases to carry with us and means that we don’t have to worry about hacks or losing information.

Using both digital and paper is a great way to keep things organized and handy in all circumstances.

Use It Regularly

No matter what system you choose – it must be used to be effective. Make planning and review a part of the regular homestead routine. Take time to plan for the week ahead and time to review each day. This is one of the best ways to achieve those simple living goals.

It is this planning and review that keeps your overwhelm at bay. It’s much easier to see that what we want to do can’t be accomplished in one day when it’s all written down. Planning reminds us to build space because everything takes longer than we think. It also allows us to build time for things like meals and celebrations, time with family, and much more.

Plan Efficiently & Beat Homestead Overwhelm

When you’ve got a new planner in hand, it’s easy to overwhelm the To Do List with all the things. Setting a day to day list that just isn’t physically possible can be draining and cause you to stop using the planner. Self-guilt to get everything done is no joke.

Try writing down all the dreams and goals in one section of your planner. From there choose 1-3 items that you want to work on that day. Take in to account the little daily chores like washing dishes and laundry too. Planning accordingly and realistically will help keep that homestead overwhelm at bay.

Try these tips for living a simple life. A big part of homesteading is just that, the simple life. Don’t let it “get lost” in the busy-ness of the To Do List.

What’s your favorite way to plan and beat homestead overwhelm?