30 Minutes or 3 Things

Okay, I am sure we can all agree homesteading is a busy lifestyle and it doesn't matter whether you are in a city apartment or on a 50 acre farm. Homesteaders we are a busy group! We are self-reliant, keeping up with our house, getting food on the table, tending to others, and trying to be frugal as we do it! And don't forget we have to work to make money to pay the bills... A never ending journey.

It is easy to become overwhelmed by our long to-do lists. So much to do and so little time and energy! What has helped me is to accomplish my goals is to apply the 30 minutes or 3 things routine in my life. I decide what is it that I want to accomplish in the next 3 months, or 3 weeks, or 3 days. I try to only focus on 3 things because more than that can spread me pretty thin. By narrowing my attention to a short window of time gets the urgency of getting my goal done because I have a deadline coming up soon.

One of my summer goals is to have a productive farm. To do that I must take care of our farm animals and tend the garden daily. Tending to animals and a garden can take all day and I don't have all day to devote to this goal. I mean I wish I did, but I still have to clean house, cook dinner, wash clothes, work to make money to pay the bills... And also let's be honest, I don't want to spend all day, the whole hot and humid and sweaty day outside pulling weeds from the garden in order to haul them up to feed the pigs. I can feel the sweat rolling off of my forehead and onto my fogged up with sweat glasses as I bend over a row of red potatoes that need to be dug out of the dirt. This is Texas. We have insects that we fight off of us in both daylight and nightfall. Oh I am sure I am a sight to behold on these days!

Okay, where was I? Oh yes, I was talking about the 30 minutes or 3 things routine. Now, I have 3 things that are the most important that I have to do for the day. I try to do those things first in the day, because they are the most important things that I must do to accomplish my goals. My current 3 things that I must do daily to reach my summer goal of having a productive farm is to weed the garden, tend the garden by either harvesting or planting, and to feed and take care of the farm animals. I do those 3 things first everyday.

Okay, weeding the garden can take hours, days, weeks... And when you have done weeding, guess what?! You get to start it all over again, because weeds grow even in a drought! Mind you they don't grow in the pasture where the cows can eat them, only in my garden bed where I don't want them. That's where the 30 minutes come in. On tasks that are long or overwhelming, I only commit to 30 minutes of doing it everyday. In 30 minutes I can make some progress. It may not be a lot of progress, but I am working on this chore daily and I am making it manageable. I can do it for 30 minutes. 

Yesterday. I saw my tree lined garden beds overrun by weeds because of neglect on my part. Instead of crying, which let's be honest was my first thought, I pulled up my falling down socks and committed to weeding it for 30 minutes. 

Garden Bed Overrun by Weeds

I found the actual plant, asparagus, growing among the weeds and then proceeded to act like a mad woman yanking out fistfuls of weeds and throwing it into the wheelbarrow. I think it was a good cardio workout. Sweat and weeds were flying in the air to the beat of Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees. For the young'uns who don't know this hit song click below.

After the near death workout of weeding the garden bed. I had to have a rest in the shade with a semi-warm bottle of water. I then pulled myself together for the next chore of digging up 3 red potato plants. I had a pretty good haul. I have more than 3 potato plants, but I have to break these chores into manageable bites in order to be able to properly chew and digest these chores without choking. I figure if I harvest 3 plants a day, I will have this chore licked pretty soon or late fall, whichever come first.

Red Potatoes

Potato Row Harvesting

After harvesting the potatoes, I set out to plant 3 short rows of tomatoes from seeds. I have tomato plants already producing, but I am planting more to extend the harvest into fall. My tomatoes are not as big as they are normally, but we are currently in a drought. A drought, and a rise in food costs, and in the news we now have reports of anticipated world-wide food shortages. So as you can see, I feel the need to keep planting a little bit everyday. I sow 3 plants or 3 rows. 

After these chores, I haul my load of gathered weeds to the pig pens. I split the weed bounty between the pigs. I feed the chickens, gather eggs, check on the cows and goats, and feed the farm dogs and 1 grey cat.

Boar Enjoying Weeds from the Garden

May this drought come to an end, may our animals grow fat and healthy, may the garden grow lush with a large bounty, and may the water in our water bottles be cold on a hot day!