There Isn’t Enough Time!

One of the things I have learned in my conversations with farmers and their families is that time is one of the most precious commodities on a farm. There is never enough time to get everything done—the actual farm work, the paperwork for the government, the day-to-day record keeping, equipment repairs, spending time with your spouse, cheering at your child’s football game, taking care of your health—sometimes it just doesn’t fit in a 24-hour day.

Sharpen Your Saw

This can all feel overwhelming, like you can’t even stop to take a breath and think.  It reminds me of that old Steven Covey story, where a man is walking through the woods and he sees someone trying to cut down a tree with a very dull saw. The chopping is taking forever, and the man asks “Why don’t you stop and sharpen your saw?” The other man looks at him in disbelief and says “Are you kidding? I don’t have time to stop—I have to saw down this tree!”

Sometimes we are so busy we forget that taking a second to plan and “sharpen our saw” can make us more productive. Two ways to get sharper are prioritizing and planning.

Some Ideas to Create Time

So here are a few ideas that may help with planning and prioritizing to create more time for yourself and your family.

At the start of each month, think about what your priorities are for that month.

• What are your priorities on the farm—what must get done? Are you spending your time on the things that will give you the biggest return on investment, or falling into habits of “this is what we always do?”
• What are your priorities for and with your family?  This means you’ll have to have a family talk, to hear what is most important to everyone, and to work together and negotiate to build a calendar of tasks and events for the whole family. Make sure you protect this time.
• What are your priorities for yourself? Better sleep? More stretching?  A doctor’s visit you’ve been putting off? You are the most important asset on your farm—take care of yourself.

When you are clear on your priorities, write everything into a planner. Writing it down makes it more likely that you will actually stick to your priorities.

I know there are times when work on the farm will demand nearly all your time, like planting or harvest. Even during those times, you can pencil in ten minutes to call or Facetime with your kids at dinner, or take quick breaks to stretch or take a five-minute walk.

 Time is really precious…think of it like gold. You would spend gold coin carefully, treat your time the same way. Intentionally “spend” your time on the things you value most will keep you thriving on the farm.