The Reality of Homesteading: Why You Can't Do It All (And That's Okay)

The Myth of Doing It All

On social media I've seen the perfectly clean chicken coop, the amazing made from scratch meal, the perfectly clean home, the weedless garden, etc. These are fun and beautiful and I understand why I would clean my home before filming with thousands of followers (or at least shove everything into the other room) BUT this of course can depict a myth of homesteading needing to look perfect (especially when we see it over and over again from a lot of different people) and make us feel stressed or inadequate.

Just like any social media, we have to remember it's just a snapshot and much can be hidden. The family vacation picture might have been taken right before a family fight or a surprise rainstorm coming in mid hike. The homesteaders we follow on social media likely have mess in their lives in one form or many and likely struggle with something, whether it's getting the timing right on their sourdough or an animal becoming ill, or apples rotting while waiting to be processed. Some homesteaders may not be working full time or have a flexible schedule or can hire someone to help on the farm. None of this is meant to shame those that share their lives, whether they hide the icky parts or not, but to remind us that we are all human and perfection in any area is likely unachievable, but especially in homesteading.

One of my favorite social media homesteaders to follow, Anne of All Trades, recently pointed out that we there can be more to the poem:

"Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one."

We do so much on a daily basis and seasonally that it's impossible to fully master everything, but we really don't have to. Just continue to be a lifelong learner and keep growing. Though I have a feeling if you're on here that you're already focused on that and I'm preaching to the choir. Don't strive for perfection, but dedicate yourself to making it as good as you can for you and your family. Set achievable goals, even when they aren't lined up with your idealistic view of homesteading. I am not ready for dairy animals or to do my own soil blocking. I'd love to get there but it's going to be years, and I frequently have to remind myself of those facts.

I'll still strive to have a relatively organized house (or I can't function) and clean coops (good for the animals) and cook from scratch (though I don't even try to make it very attractive since I'm just trying to get it on the table and it's eaten too fast to even take a picture), etc. Striving for perfection can make you feel like giving up but so can throwing in the towel. You've got to find your own balance and not be afraid when that doesn't look like what you see on social media.