(VIDEO) Quick Tip: Know Your Why
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Welcome to the Quick Start Guide to Homesteading series, where you will find everything you need to know to get started living a more sustainable life, whether you are in the city, country, or somewhere in between.
Today we are going to talk about the first idea in the Planning and Mindset category, which is to Know Your Why.
If you haven’t already, you can download the FREE Quick Start Guide to Homesteading at our website.
We think if you watch these videos, read the guide, and start practicing what you learn, you will be a homesteader.
Below are the show notes.
So what does that mean to know your why?
Julie - So what does that mean to know your why? Knowing your why is kind of like having a mission statement. It’s the core purpose behind what motivates you to homestead. There are an infinite number of reasons why people want to live this lifestyle.
Kevin - We have heard of people homesteading for health reasons, religious reasons, political reasons, moral reasons, and for their kids. These days we are hearing a lot of people turn to homesteading so they aren’t as dependent on big agriculture and the global supply chain.We both have our own individual and collective “whys” for homesteading.
Julie - Mine started as a childhood dream and has evolved. My big "why" now is that I live this lifestyle for my mental and physical well-being.
Kevin - My "why" is that I want to have more control over the food I put in my body and be connected to the land where it grows and the wildlife that live here.
Julie - Together, we also have a collective why. We share a committment to live in service of nature. That includes trying our best to make choices that benefit our well-being and planet at the same time. So those are a lot of examples that are both general and specific to us.
Kevin - Your reasons might be similar or different. There really are no right or wrong answers here.
Why is it important to know your why?
Julie - Often when people get excited to begin homesteading, they first start thinking about the outer aspects, like having a garden or chickens. And then often comes the skills, such as learning to preserve food. It can be very easy to overlook this step of getting clear on why you want to do those things.
Kevin - We are sharing this tip first because we feel it’s crucial to becoming a successful homesteader. And by successful we mean someone who sticks with it for the long-haul. Because that's where you are going to start seeing the real benefits accumulate.
Julie - I wish we could tell you that homesteading is always fun, fast, and easy. But it’s not. It is absolutely worthwhile, but it can take a lot of time, money, and effort before you start seeing results. However, if you are rock solid on your why, it will help you keep going in the tough moments.
Kevin - If you've been watching our Homestead Hangout Series, you have seen this unfold for us with the garden issues we've been having. It would be really easy for us to give up. But we keep going because we are clear on why we are learning to grow our own food. Even when our plants are withering, we can tap into those deeply rooted reasons within ourselves.
Julie - We have seen so many neighbors both near and far start out with noble intentions for homesteading, but give up quickly when things don’t go how they expected. That isn’t true of just now in modern times, it was also true during the land rushes of the 1800s. Only about 40% of those who started homesteads lasted 5 years.
Kevin - When you do the work of establishing your why first, you are setting a strong foundation. Everything build on top of that will be much better able to whatever comes along.
How do you figure out your why?
Julie - Just like there are so many different reasons that people homestead, there are so many different ways for learning your why. You already have this wisdom inside of you, it just needs help coming out.
Kevin - Some ideas for getting clear on your why are to journal about it, meditate, or pray on it. If you have a partner or a family, it’s also a really good idea to have conversations with them about your answers. That will help you get unified together, because this is definitely a whole household lifestyle! Once you’ve done some brainstorming, you can start to refine your answer.
Julie - It’s helpful to display your “why” somewhere that is easy to see. Maybe this means setting reminders in your phone or sticking it on the fridge or bathroom mirror.
Kevin You can share it with others, but the most important thing is to keep it in mind for yourself. I like to think of your why as a little spark in a campfire. At first it’s pretty fragile, but with some nurturing it becomes powerful.
Julie - Over time, your why might change, like mine has. That’s OK. The important part is to keep it alive and present in your life. Eventually it will become ingrained. Sometimes you may have to say it to yourself through gritted teeth, like we did when things took an unexpected turn in the garden.
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