You Will Find the Time

If something is important to you, you will find the time.

I spend a lot of time researching and reading about small scale farming and homesteading. I do it because it,s interesting to me and I'm passionate about it. I grew up around it in some sense with my great-grandparents having 150 acre place where my great-grandfather raised cattle, always had various other farm animals around, and yearly grew a huge garden. My other grandfather grew gardens and spent a lot of time bringing home fresh fish as fishing was his passion. Once my kids were born, I wanted them to experience a little bit of farm life as I think it helped shape me as a person.

So it's important to me. I make the time to do it. I don't always enjoy getting up early to let the chickens out and feed them, especially when it's freezing outside or raining. I don't always enjoy going out at night and finding a dead chicken or a sick animal and having to deal with that situation, but I do it.

Yet, I constantly hear from people "I don't know how you have the time" or "I am passionate about xxxx but I just don't have the time." I also see a lot of similar comments on farming blogs, YouTube channels, and forums. Whatever. Usually in the next breath they are asking if I saw the latest movie, letting me know they crashed on the couch at 8:00PM, or enjoyed laying around all weekend.

If it is important, you will find the time.

Trust me, there are tons of Netflix series I would love to binge watch right now, an extra 30 minutes of sleep sounds great, and I can't remember the last time I sit around all day unless I was sick.

You have a passion you want to learn about? Turn the radio off and find a podcast on the subject. Download an audible book, get a pair of cheap noise canceling ear muffs, and listen while you mow the grass. Get up 30 minutes early during the week and don't sleep in on weekends. I grew up in the 80s-90s and love video games as much as any child of that era, but I haven't turned my PS4 on more than 3 times in the last two years. Turn it over or cut back and get to it.

If it is important, you will find the time.