5 Practical Tips to feel like a Rancher When You have a Job in Town.

Dear Reader,

Let me tell you a secret: I was raised on a ranch, and I live on a ranch, but sometimes I don’t feel very ranchy. Sometimes I feel like I am just pretending to be a rancher, because most days I am putting on my Keds to go to my town job, while other members of my family are pulling on their boots to go work cows. When I come home, I want to do “ranchy” things, but it always seems like there are more practical things that need to get done before I can do things like ride my horse or go with my dad to check the cows at the lease across town. While I love my job in town, my true mission is to be a full-time rancher in the future. In the meantime, I have to be content and still live fully while having a foot in both worlds.

So I present to you…

5 Practical Tips to feel like a Rancher When You have a Job in Town.

1) Do one outside/barn chore every day.

If you are ranching and working a town job, it is more than likely that not doing anything outside every day is not an option. There are animals to be fed and waters to be checked along with random things that are required to keep the ranch going, but I find that doing something every day beyond my basic chores helps me feel that I can mark my “ranching duty for the day” off my list.

2) Connect to the Business

During college and even sometimes now, I was not up to date on all of the management and business details of the ranch, because I was gone most of the day and didn’t have time to keep up. This sometimes made me feel like an outsider when the whole family was having a conference about what was going on at the ranch and I had no idea what they were talking about. Sometimes I didn’t even realize they had moved the cows to a different pasture until I panic called my dad to tell him that I didn’t see them. Even just having a brief conference with the bossman about what is happening on the ranch from day to day can make you feel involved and more like an important member of the ranch and not just the weekend help.

3) Work on your lunch break.

I know some people just need to do absolutely nothing on their lunch break other than eat, and I have those days too. However, I feel like I am contributing directly to the ranch when I work on personal stuff during lunch. Sometimes this is setting up my calendar, working on social media or blog posts, or even just making a to do list. By getting some stuff done before I even get home, I feel freed up to go directly outside when I get home and start getting ranch work done without feeling guilty that I am neglecting other things.

4) Engaging by listening.

As a church secretary, I have a lot of opportunities to listen to podcasts, YouTube videos, or music while I do my work. Listening to podcasts not only about ranching, but about businesses, blogging, and other subjects that can help me professionally make me feel like I am furthering my skills to help with the ranch, even though I am at my job. I use YouTube the same way that I use podcasts, but for a visual aspect; a lot of times I listen to horse training channels or to interviews or stories told by other ranchers. And of course, I usually have Pandora on the Wylie and the Wild West or Bren Hill station, especially on days that I would rather be out ranching than in the office.

5) Dress the Part

Am I guilty of feeding in my pajamas or doing ranch chores in anything I happen to have on… yes. While there is no law against not dressing like a cowboy while doing cowboy stuff, I find it makes me feel accomplished and professional when wearing ranching attire. Much like a stay-at-home mom taking the time to do her hair and make-up, taking the time to put on boots and jeans instead of just feeding in my shorts helps me feel prepared.  And this doesn’t mean that I am in a button up shirt and cowboy hat every time I go to the barn – jeans, boots, and a ball cap will do for me.

These tips are things that I tend to do in my everyday life that help me feel like a “real” rancher instead of just a secretary who has cows and horses. This doesn’t mean that I follow through with them every day or that I even have time to follow through with them daily. Some days the ranch takes priority over other things and some days other things have to have priority over ranching. It’s more important to get the job done than to look the part while doing it, even if it’s in your pajamas.

Sincerely Yours,

The Rancher’s Daughter