I’ve taken a long break from the blog because there has been a ton happening here around the Harder Homestead!
The main reason is that we’re expecting our first baby this August! Getting ready for baby’s arrival has been the primary focus for the past months, and also what inspired this blog post.
We’ve started many of the summer projects we’d been planning throughout the winter—building a small deck and patio, starting a garden, and getting chickens! I’m normally too ambitious for my own good and often think I can get more done than is actually possible (anyone else out there like this too?).
It’s been a busy spring, to say the least, and it’s gotten me thinking about what minimalism looks like for us in this season.
The concept of measured growth has resonated with me lately—the steady and continual progress toward a goal.
It has helped me manage my expectations that even if a project doesn’t happen as quickly as I want it to, I can still make meaningful and satisfying progress toward it.
So what does that actually look like?
The first step for me is recognizing that home ownership and living on an acreage is a marathon, not a sprint—there will never be a true finish line because there will always be ongoing projects we’re dreaming up.
The next thing I do is break the project down into smaller pieces that can be tackled each day or week. Starting with the end goal in mind, I write down exactly what I want the finished project to look like and how I want it to function. Then, I create smaller steps that I can accomplish in 30 minutes – 2 hours. I like to actually add these steps to my calendar so I can see what I want to get done on a certain day!
Whether you’re able to make time for the summer projects you want to tackle or you’re feeling a bit limited on resources, I encourage you to reframe your expectations through the lens of slow growth and see how it helps you enjoy the peace of the summer season without the stress of doing too much.
Little Minimalist on the Prairies 