When you make the decision to become more self-sufficient, it can be easy to jump in with both feet and quickly feel like you’re treading water.
Building this new lifestyle takes a little planning, prep work, research and patience if you want to do it correctly.
If you are completely new to this concept, you may need a little guidance to avoid the pitfalls that could easily derail you.
Here are 4 common mistakes you’ll want to avoid on the road to self-sufficiency.
Trying To Do It All
When you first begin this journey, it’s important to start small and not overwhelm yourself trying to do and learn everything at once. Pick one or two things that you can work on to make your life more self-sufficient and roll with them.
For example, learn to cook one meal completely from scratch or research the best ways to start a container garden as well as when and what to plant.
Avoid trying to learn 5 new skills in one week, or turn your home into a solar-powered machine. You’ll just end up overwhelmed and ready to throw in the towel before you even begin.
Take one step at a time, and you’ll be a self-sufficient pro before you know it.
Zero Planning
A big mistake that many people make when starting out is jumping all in with no clear direction.
Although you don’t have to research all the things or try to do everything at once (see number 1), you definitely need a general plan of what you want your life to look like.
Do you simply want to grow your own food and not rely so much on grocery store hauls, or do you want to turn your home into an eco-friendly, energy saving masterpiece?
Do you want both or something in between?
Self-sufficiency looks different for everyone. Do your research and ask yourself questions to figure out what path is best for you and your family, and then put that plan in place.
Ignoring Your True Interests
When you start a self-sufficient lifestyle, every skill seems to have the utmost importance – cooking, sewing, gardening, canning, etc.
While it is important to learn new things and push yourself outside your comfort zone, it’s just as valuable to know what you’re already good at and focus a lot of your time and energy there.
For example, maybe you love to cook, but gardening tends to throw you off your game.
Instead of making yourself crazy trying to learn the ins and outs of gardening all at once, focus more on learning new meals to cook from scratch and plant a small herb garden instead.
You can build your gardening skills over time and at your own pace while you focus more on getting better, doing what you already love.
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No Mindset Prep
Another easy mistake is forgetting to prep yourself mentally and emotionally for a self-sufficient lifestyle.
You’ve been reliant on others and society for as long as you can remember – it’s not easy to flip the switch and rethink your whole lifestyle.
Changing the way you look at everything takes some time to get used to – from how you spend money to the foods you eat to how you spend your free time – it’s a big adjustment, and you need to give yourself time and grace to work through it.
The important thing is, that you acknowledge there will need to be a mindset shift right from the start, and prepping for that now can eliminate unrealistic expectations and problems in the future.
These are just a few mistakes you can avoid on the path to becoming more self-sufficient. Don’t rush the process and give yourself time to adjust to this new way of life. By taking one step at a time, you’ll eventually find the freedom and independence you’ve always desired.