budgeting

As we reach the end of the year, I wanted to see if we hit our goals for 2022. Goal setting is huge for me because it allows me to organize what little time I have. I started going through our plan and goals for the year, just to see if we got any of it done. I’m not going to lie, we kind of slacked this year on a lot of different things, and goals were a big one. But while it’s not okay, it is actually okay, and I’ll explain why.

Goal Setting

We are the type of goal setters that will shoot for the stars and if we land on the moon, that’s okay too. We will set a variety of different goals for ourselves, the farm, the boys, etc. This is what I call a “Finish Line Goal”, or FLG, which is a goal that is easily marked off. Or I could set a goal for something that is complex and is going to take time, energy and teamwork to accomplish.

For me, as a list maker, seeing marked off items on my list pushes me to get more marked off, so having a bunch of FLG’s is key for me. Jared is the type that is very big picture and he will set a goal like put in the garden and he mental knows what he needs to do to get that done. All of that aside, as I look on my list of things that we wanted to get done, I am amazed that we did hit our goals.

Goals: Late Winter- January-February

The only thing we didn’t do is plant the spring garden, place outside gates on pasture 3, and set up pig pastures. That’s not too bad, I think and I’m REALLY glad that we didn’t put in pig pastures. Especially since we hadn’t really researched breeds, permaculture, etc.

Also we did end up placing the gates inside the pastures but not outside pasture 3. When a tree fell on a section of fence in pasture 3, Jared was willing to put in a gate then.

Goals: Spring- March-May

Well… We bought chickens and planted the garden. Technically speaking, we also put irrigation in the garden. But we needed to get drains dug to get the water away from the foundation of the house. We didn’t do that. But that’s okay. The garden was the main focus.

Goals: Summer- June- August

No bumper crops or painting. But we did have a pretty impressive harvest for our very first garden. So that’s a big win. We were able to take a once in a lifetime trip to Yellowstone and to be honest, between that and the garden? I’m calling that a success.

Goals: Fall- September- November

I would love to say that we knocked this out of the park, but in reality we burned out. Goal setting is great at the start of the year when you are gung ho to get everything accomplished. But as energy starts to wane and you are tired, it’s really hard to hit those goals. We got the living room partially remodeled. The attic got it’s storage put in, but that’s about it.

Goals: December

Our last goals for the year is: finish the living room, start on tiling our master bathroom, continue to rotate livestock and lay down pasture seed.

Let me just tell you, none of the goals for December happened. Like the previous quarter, we hit burn out and just didn’t want to do anything anymore. Like, nothing. While that’s okay, it’s also not. Let me explain.

Goal Setting

Goal setting is great when you are chomping at the bit to get things done. But when you are tired, sick, hurt, or mentally not healthy? Those goals become overwhelming. No amount of discipline, finish line goals, or a kick in the pants are going to get you back in the game. You are burned out.

So my suggestion when working on setting your goals for 2023, is to spread it out. Pick a couple of things that are high work load and put the rest away. There’s time to get it done. If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t want to do that, but you need to protect your mental health to keep from burning out.

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