How do you switch gears when a new reality hits?

I am having trouble switching gears to figure out what I can do with wooded land... because all my plans included a big field. Sometimes my brain gets stuck in one path and I need some help veering off to a different path :) Can you help me?

I have been searching for a house and property for a while, but various things kept falling through. My dream had been 5 to 10 acres with maybe half in fields to grow some geese, pasture chickens, maybe do sheep or cows. Also planned to have a large garden and grow herbs both culinary and medicinal. But reality set in and I found that my financial situation due to the divorce along with rising house prices means I am not going to get a 5 acre field with a big old farm house. My reality is that I can afford a small house on a few acres that are wooded. This property gets me my own place again and cuts my commute to work in half... so those are pluses. But the land feels useless to me right now.

I am looking for ideas to help me look at this property differently. How can I grow food and earn money from a small wooded acreage? The obvious would be to cut the trees and sell the lumber, but I'm not sure the trees are big enough to be worth much. The property is also fairly hilly... so even if it was clear cut there is not a lot of places for a flat garden.

When the fire ants took over my garden and I had to abandoned the garden, I went back to work.

I wish I had know about used dish water, soapy water or vinegar back then.

I would suggest cutting the trees as you get firewood orders.  I see no reason the cut and store wood to be sold.

My favorite permaculture principle is observation.  What does observation tell you about the homestead?

Maybe think clearly, with notepaper about your needs and wants.
They may be different.
Can you plant a woods area?
Will you have time to do what?
What is the difference between wooded and pasture?
Does it have to be a house?
Would a shed do short term?
Have you though about
- access to water
- access to power
- access to roads or town
- access to sun
- clearance of over drift with chemicals

Maybe goats are a better fit than sheep or cows on that land. Or maybe deer and wild turkey?

Start small. Girdle all the trees (unless one of them feels like a keeper) in a 50x50 area, next year grow runner beans up the small ones. Cut all the trees in a 30' circle and plant two apples and two chestnuts near the center. Whatever of them lives will be awesome in ten years.

Wooded areas say mushrooms to me.....
Especially if there are oaks for shiitake.
We've grown them on white, red and black jack oak.

Wooded land won't rule out herbs and a big garden...things might just move more slowly that direction.

One of the things I miss from living in a more wooded area is the abundance of leaves in the fall....a wonderful resource.