In the pursuit of trying to accomplish all our wishes and wants on the homestead, one often sets their sights on goals which are specific, tangible intricate pieces. However, while goals can guide us toward what we desire, they don't always equip us with the means to sustain our successes. Here at Red Ridge Farm, you know that I advocate for a more profound, transformative approach: focusing on habit formation. Today I want to discuss with you why unlike goals, which are destinations, habits are the journey—they're the daily practices that, over time, bring us peace of mind and guide us on our growing journeys. Let’s get growing!
Quick Links
The Difference Between Habits and Goals
Let’s begin our discussion by talking about the difference between goals and habits so that you and I have a foundation for seeing that while both are important, habits are the key to continued success.
Goals are the milestones we aim to reach. They're defined by their completion: run a marathon, harvest 100 pounds of vegetables, build a chicken coop. Goals are essential for setting direction but are inherently temporary; once achieved, they require us to set new ones to continue our growth.
Habits, on the other hand, are the routines we embed into our daily lives. They are ongoing actions or behaviors that we perform automatically, such as watering the garden each morning, spending time in quiet reflection daily, or dedicating an hour to learning new skills every evening. Habits shape our character and our life's structure, offering a steady path to our aspirations.
While both can be used to get you to success I believe it is when you set goals then develop habits to accomplish them do you find true peace of mind on the homestead. Because let’s face it running a home, a garden, and a homestead is full of things to do. It is our job to find a way to get them all done while still being relaxed enough at night to get a full night's sleep. Habits will help you through worry and stress out of the wind. In Fact you probably don’t realize this but you make goals for your homestead and life because you have developed a habit of making goals for your homestead and life.
Now I could keep going on and on about the things you don’t realize are habits but I want to move on to why habits are more powerful than goals.
Why Habits Are More Powerful Than Goals
I think the easiest way to get to it is to just dive in so here is a list of the essential benefit and why habits are more powerful than goals in making lasting change in your life.
Sustainability
Habits, once formed, become part of our daily routine, requiring less effort to maintain than the energy needed to chase new goals continuously.
Peace of Mind
Engaging in habitual practices reduces the mental load of decision-making and procrastination, creating a more peaceful and less stressful daily life.
Cumulative Benefits
The benefits of habits accumulate over time. While a goal is a one-time achievement, habits keep giving back, improving our lives day after day.
Identity Change
Habits have the power to change your self-image and identity. For example, when gardening becomes a daily habit, you start seeing yourself as a gardener, embedding this identity into your sense of self.
To get a little more details on each of these and how each one can change everything be sure to listen to the podcast episode above.
Forming Habits for a Productive Homestead Life
Now I can’t just tell you all these benefits without giving you a few tips on how you can start incorporating habits in your daily life on the homestead. So here is a quick list but if you want more details grab the Growing with Habit pdf that walks you through creating a habit as well as how to make them stick without all the overwhelm.
1. Start Small: Choose one or two small habits to start. Making your bed each morning or spending 10 minutes in the garden can set the tone for the day.
2. Consistency Over Intensity: It’s more beneficial to water your plants a little every day than to drench them once a week. Apply this principle to your habits.
3. Attach New Habits to Established Ones: Link a new habit to something you already do regularly. For example, after your morning coffee, immediately spend time in the garden.
4. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and reward yourself for sticking to your habits. This reinforces your motivation and commitment.
5. Be Patient and Kind to Yourself: Forming new habits takes time. If you miss a day, don’t dwell on it. Acknowledge it, learn from it, and continue forward.
While setting goals is important for defining what we want to achieve, building habits is crucial for making continuous progress toward those achievements and beyond. At Red Ridge Farm, we encourage you to look beyond your goals and focus on the habits that will bring you closer to the life you envision for yourself and your loved ones.
On To You
So here are the basics takeaways: Goals build the big picture but habits bring daily success in accomplishing your goals. Goals are your destination but habit formation is the journey you take.
When you take your goals a step further and create daily habits out of them, then there is nothing in the world that will hold you back from success. Plus this success will be more rewarding because along the way you will build the confidence you need to face whatever set back the world throws at you.
If you are feeling like you want change then to transform your life through the power of habit, join our Community and learn more about the Purposeful Growing Journey.
Together, we can achieve more than just goals; we can transform your daily life into a rich tapestry of growth and fulfillment.
Keep moving forward and remember it starts with the first step.
Grab the Growing with Habits pdf - that walks you through creating a habit as well as how to make them stick without all the overwhelm.
Listen to the Pray, Just Plant Podcast - come and listen as we dive into every stage of the growing journey and find the step you need to take to build the best homestead for you and your family.
Join the Purposeful Growing Membership Waiting List, where I hope to coach and encourage growers, homesteaders, and more how to provide the best food for their families. To build a homestead, grow more abundantly, and create a lifestyle you will love.
If you have any questions, place them in the comments below or contact me through my contact pg.
Remember,
Don’t let the world hold you back,
Pray, Just Plant!
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