Time Management and Farming: Creating More Time for Living
For centuries, farmers have been the backbone of society. Without farms, there is no food. Unfortunately, there are a lot of farmers who are struggling to find satisfaction in their work. They feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. Many farmers are struggling to make the venture profitable with many enterprises simply being unprofitable (Teagasc, 2021). As mentioned in FarmAid.org, the coronavirus pandemic has only made this issue worse. Why are farmers having such a difficult time making ends meet, and why does it never seem like there is enough time during the day?
Why Is There a Shortage of Time?
One of the biggest reasons why there is a shortage of time is that many dairy farms have scaled up recently. In Europe, milk quotas were removed in 2015. This opened the door for many farmers to expand their businesses. Even though this created more opportunities, overhead costs had to be scaled up as well. Farmers had to purchase or lease more land. More animals, and more equipment had to be purchased or installed. This means more animals to feed, more land to manage, and more equipment to maintain. As a result, farmers must work a lot of extra hours just to keep the farm running smoothly. This is one of the biggest reasons why farmers feel like there are never enough hours in the day.
Furthermore, there are many farming industries that are not that profitable and this is a worldwide problem. As mentioned in Time Magazine, farmers from small-town America are dealing with a debt crisis and are worried the industry could be going extinct. This has forced many farmers to get a second job. For example, they may go to work in a factory, only to come back and still have to do everything on the farm. As a result, many farmers feel like they’re stuck on a treadmill, never truly able to get off. What are some of the impacts of this situation on farmers?
Farmers Do Not Have Enough Time for Themselves
The first impact is that farmers simply do not have enough time for themselves. Even though they are in a difficult situation, they never truly have time to sit down and think about it. They spend all of their hours working on the farm taking care of their animals, their land, and their equipment. Then, they might have to go for another job to supplement their income. This means they don’t have time to develop any hobbies, which is an important outlet for stress relief. Without this time to decompress, the stress only continues to build. If farmers do not have time for themselves, then they never have time to relax or think about the situation, brainstorming ways to make it better.
Farmers Do Not Have Enough Time for their Family Members
In addition, a lot of farmers do not have enough time for their family members and friends. Because they are so busy taking care of the farm and possibly working a second job, they often neglect the ones they love. They might not spend time with their spouses, their children, their family members, or their friends. This can lead to a significant strain on key personal relationships, which can often make the situation worse. If these relationships are allowed to deteriorate, this can add more stress to an already difficult situation.
Farmers Are Losing Fulfillment in Their Work
As a result of all of these circumstances, many farmers have lost fulfillment in their work. In the past, farmers always took pride in what they did. They took care of their animals, provided for their families, and supported the rest of the country.
Now, there are many farmers who are working constantly for little financial payback. When this is combined with stress from other areas of their life, many farmers are wondering if it is worth it anymore. How can they generate more money? Would it be better to sell the farm, which might have been in the family for generations? If they do this, then what’s next?
Fortunately, there is a solution.
Improve Farming Time Management Skills
It is critical for farmers to find ways to improve their time management skills. That way, they can find more fulfillment in their work. A few tips include:
- Always pencil in time to spend with the important people in your life. This includes family members and friends. Make sure to protect this time. Schedule all other obligations around this.
- Schedule time for at least one hobby every week. This is important personal time that gives farmers a chance to destress.
- Instead of doing everything on the farm every day, identify the three most important things. Do those today.
This will create a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even if everything did not get done, the important tasks were completed. This can bring a sense of satisfaction back to farming.
When farmers do this, they are forced to prioritize the activities on the farm. They may realize they are spending time on some areas that are simply not profitable. Farmers might be able to scale back unprofitable activities while exploring ways to generate more income. For example, there may be incentives from the government or the EU to address environmental issues. These could actually generate additional income and may even help reduce the workload at the same time.
Even though farmers feel like there is not enough time during the day, there are ways to improve time management. Remember to reach out to professionals to learn more about time management skills.
