30 x 30 Challenge: In Conclusion

Yesterday marked the conclusion of my first 30 x 30 challenge.

I had mixed success.

At first I overestimated what I could accomplish in a half an hour, then I scaled back and underestimated my productivity.

At the end I must confess that I fell a wee bit behind with the task, I lost focus and I lost interest.

Moving forward I would do a few things differently.

I would pick a project that is NOT new research, but organization or fact gathering. I have a few things on my list already. I need to sort and label all my photos, documents and downloads. I have started this, but always find myself distracted .... Another big thing I'd like to finish is the reorganization of my paper files into the new binder system I started. Again, boring but necessary. And I just had this thought, I'd like to either pick a new genealogy software program or really learn how to work the one I have. This would be a great challenge! 30 minutes for 30 days exploring one program, or exploring several, one each week. That could include watching tutorials and playing within the program.

In summary not a complete failure. I accomplished a few things and have some great ideas for my next 30 x 30 challenge!

30 x 30 Challenge: Week Three Recap - Adjusting The Sails

Well, this "challenge" is quite challenging! First week I overestimated what I could do in a half an hour, second week I oversimplified it. Here, going into week four I've adjusted the sails once again. Last week I created a Task List and have been filling in the necessary items I wish to discover. No researching! Just creating a comprehensive list to work off of.

Now, I know there are gobs and oodles of charts and lists out there. Ancestry has piles. Family Tree Maker does too. But I wanted to create something custom that worked for me.

I have been making notes in my notebooks for my 30 ancestors and I also have started to sort through all of the various paper ephemera my grandmother had collected over the years. I am filing it away in a collection of 12 binders. Eight of those binders have the parent surname pairs of my  great grandparents. I have one for my Mayflower ancestors, one for all military items, one for the rats-nest of Tidewater Virginia Families I have too many of, and one spare, for now.

A bonus of doing this sorting is the collection of note pads I've rediscovered! My old research, both positive and negative results. Now I can file that away in the appropriate ancestor binder and when it comes time to fill in my Task List I'll have everything at my fingertips.

I must confess, this is really hard. To refrain from doing the research until the sorting is complete.

But I already know I will be very happy when I do start the fun again. This time I won't be spinning my wheels or retracing my steps.

Extra bonus: seeing things with new eyes. I've already put a few things together I missed the first time around.

........................ Until next week

30 x 30 Challenge: Week Two Recap - Success Is In Sight

Week two of my first 30 x 30 Challenge has come to a close and I feel great! I'm on task, on target, and at the point I should be.

Let me tell you, this was surprisingly difficult. You'd think staying on task for just 30 minutes a day would be easy, right?

WRONG!

Those BSO's were everywhere!

And, I have come to discover that doing something so simple as just making a list is really not that simple. I keep wanting to ACT on that list! During my 30 minute allotted time. Which was getting me seriously behind on my original goal.

So, I'd like to encourage anyone else who might be thinking of taking up their own 30 x 30 challenge - you can do it - but it may not be as simple or as easy as you first thought.

We are researchers at heart, and we want to research. Not make lists. (Or organize, or label, or sort or whatever your particular challenge might be) We want to get out "in the field" and get our hands dirty!

However, this list, this very comprehensive list will be my jumping off point for doing good, thorough, correct research in the future. And give my research direction and purpose.

I am starting to like this methodology so much that I am thinking of doing a file sorting challenge next.......

...................stay tuned

tip: I began this challenge using 4 notebooks, but have found a great editable task list template through Apache OpenOffice - when I get it set up I'll give you a peek.

30 x 30 Challenge: Week One Update

At first it seemed like I wasn't getting much accomplished. After all, what can you really get done in 30 minutes? A lot, it turns out!

I had a bit of a set back over the weekend, as I decided to try to actually track down some documents. Which, of course, is NOT the point of this challenge.

I blew almost a whole Saturday looking in vain for my grandmother's marriage records.

I had to play catch-up Sunday and Monday to get back on track.

I've learned my lesson.

Today I have 10 ancestors 'written up'. I have noted what I have, what I may have (looking will be later), and what I still need to find.

Turns out I need a lot more that I originally realized.

But, that was the point of this challenge, so a definite move in the correct direction! I am starting to feel more organized. More clear headed about my next steps.

I'll check in later this week with another update ........

Genealogy Do-Over 2016: The Go-Over 3.2

As we enter Week Two of Month Three of the Great Genealogy Do-Over, 2016 edition, I must make a confession ..... or three.

I thought I was humming right along. Keeping up. Following in spirit, if not in letter.

But then I started to really look at things.

On the side, I am doing a 30 x 30 challenge to organize my more immediate ancestors. I had gotten as far as my maternal grandmother when the wheels came off.

I thought I had a lot more on her (physically) than I apparently did. I rummaged through the box of stuff I had inherited when my dad passed.

Found zip.

On her.

Found a bunch of great stuff on other ancestors that I had not organized or classified yet. (How did I miss this box?)

Went to the files on my computer. The {apparently} very unorganized files on my computer. Sure the file says GENEALOGY and there are rudimentary subfolders. There's a lot of good stuff in that file, by the looks of it. But for the most part it's really just a big cyber genealogy junk drawer. Everything jumbled together, torn, folded, crumpled - bits of string, a stray paperclip ... oh, there's that old resume, how'd that get here?

How can you get any real research done with this sort of chaos?

Adding to the chaos, it dawned on me that there were files on at least three other computers around the house ..... three!!!

I've been bad.

But today I am making amends.
And a new plan.

I am stocking up on binders, plastic sleeves and a My Passport external hard drive that I will use exclusively for my genealogy files, photos, etc.

Yes, I do have an external HD now (two, actually). Yes, I do back up daily to the 'cloud' and monthly to the HD's. BUT the hard drives are not exclusive, and that is what I think I need.

I am still a lover of paper, and would prefer to print all my docs and put them in binders, but I am working to embrace the new. Perhaps this is why my computer files and folders are so neglected.

Don't even get me started on bookmarks.......

..... to be continued

30 x 30 Challenge: Progress Not Perfection

I realized this morning that there will be much more I want to search for or that I am missing the "younger" my ancestor is. For example, my grandfather. Not only did he attend grammar school, he went to high school, college and trade school. He took continuing education classes. I had completely forgotten to include Education on my punch list!

This is a good exercise for me. I have been so focused on my "older" ancestors for so long that my "younger" ancestors, the one's I actually knew, got neglected.

What did I actually know of my grandparents?

Ha! When I sat down to start on my first 30 minute ancestor, my father's father, I realized I don't even have a date or location of his marriage! This poses somewhat of a challenge as my father, an only child, passed away in 2007. Add it to the list of "to locate/order", and move on.

My grandmother, my father's mother, died at the age of 48. The story was that she was "sickly" but no, I don't know what she died from! Add "locate/order death cert" to to-do list.

On my mother's side, my grandmother was the Genealogy Queen, and she did leave some good info on herself, but I have almost nothing on my mother's father, who also died young, at the age of 51. I know that he left the family when my mom was just 5 years old, and for many years she thought her much older brother was her father.

Started a "questions for mom" list.

I am realizing that although I have a good outline of facts, I am missing quite a bit of documentation and more interesting facts that round out a life.

So far the urge to go running off in search of the missing information/proof has been hard to resist, but I am making progress with my "to locate/order" list .......

                       ......... and trying not to get too overwhelmed!

to be continued

30 x 30 Challenge: Already Reevaluating!

OK. This is already getting out of hand. And it hasn't even started yet!!

Once again I bit off more than I could chew. The stars in my eyes and hope in my heart were bigger than the reality of time.

Darned time. I shake my fist at you!

After sitting and evaluating my game plan on Sunday afternoon, I came to the realization that my grand plan was not coming to fruition. In the manner I had imagined it anyway. Good thing I keep a stack of paper bags close at hand when dyspnea and a sense of anguish take over. Genealogy, after all, is not for the faint of heart!

I have learned to keep this handy little helper open on my desktop while I attempt the genealogy. It has aided greatly in lessening the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But I digress.

I had put forth the proposition to thoroughly research one ancestor each day for 30 minutes. Only. Then move on to another ancestor the following day, thereby researching 30 ancestors in 30 days.

Bwhahaha!

Apparently I had gone temporarily mad.
(And, no, it was not Wine O'Clock, if you must know)

Here's my new plan.

Each day of the challenge I will sit with ONE ancestor for 30 minutes and thoroughly evaluate what I still need to acquire, source, document, prove/disprove, etc. I will look at the following:

Birth Date

Birth Place
Marriage Date
Marriage Place
Death Date
Death Place
Burial Date
Burial Place
Lifetime Residences
Occupation
Religion
Military Service
Hobbies
Photographs

Anything I am missing I will note, and move on.
I will not attempt to research. I will only observe. In this manner I should have a comprehensive list of areas that require research when I do have the time to sit down and dive in.

Now this, this is doable.

Let the challenge begin!

Genealogy Do-Over 2016: The Go-Over, Month Two

Well here we are. The end of Month Two. How's everybody doing? I feel pretty good this go-round, actually*. The month-long mosey, instead of the week-long sprint is suiting me just fine!

For this month of the Do-Over: Go-Over I have a pretty good handle on my base practices, seeing as I was so wildly out of control previously. I learned the hard way what not to do, and what to always do. I did not always make notes as to where I got some of my information when I first started out (insanely thinking I would actually remember - years later!!!), but in the last several years I have developed the habit of leaving notes and comments on each ancestor profile so I can easily see what I have and have not done, still need to do, or why I did it. Also, a big one, taking enough time with each document as to squeeze all the juice out before moving on to the next. The relatives, as it turns out, are not going anywhere! Genealogy is not a race! Adding more "trophies"  to the tree just makes for a lot of unnecessary, miserable work later. (Believe me, I know!)

I have initiated a side challenge, the 30 x 30 research challenge, which dovetails perfectly with the second topic for the month: Setting Research Goals. I intend to focus on one ancestor a day, for 30 minutes only, and determine what facts, documents and information I already have and what I am missing. I am planning on starting with my third, fourth and fifth generation ancestors - looking into some sixth generation ancestors if needed to fulfill my 30x30 goal.  I already know I will have a long list for all of my grandparents, there are many gaps in the information I have. I've already researched some of my great- and second great-grandparents for the 52 Ancestors challenge, but I will relook at everyone on my list by month's end.

Oh, reading that just now kinda overwhelmed me.

*In all honesty, even with the month, instead of the week, to pursue these goals/topics I still get a flush of panic when I think of all that I would like to accomplish AND still have a life outside the Cave. (What? You have a life outside of genealogy? Do tell!)

Baby steps. One task at a time.

Rome did not get built in a day.

Ok, I can do this. Phew.

Looking ahead to the Month Three and Month Four topics, this plan seems to set me up well for what will be required in the next two months. Fingers crossed and with a little help from the genealogy fairies (yes, I do believe in them) this ship should sail smoothly forward .......

My 30 x 30 Genealogy Challenge

I have decided to take Janine Adams up on her query to her blog readers. Put forth back in August, Janine invited us to partake in a 30 x 30 genealogy research challenge. At that time I had too many other life things on my plate, but had always wanted to participate.

I plan to start this challenge on February 29 and commit to researching 30 minutes every day until March 29.

In preparation for this challenge I will look at my third, fourth, fifth and possibly sixth generation ancestors. (grandparents, great grandparents, 2nd great grandparents, 3rd great grandparents). I intend to compile a list of facts and documents I still need to find. Each day of the challenge I will pick one ancestor and exhaustively research just that one person. No rabbit trail, no BSO.

My goal with this challenge will be to have 30 well documented ancestors with which to pick up my 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks challenge. That particular challenge broke down in October as the 'life things' increased in velocity and completely derailed my genealogy research for several months.

Things are finally settling down around the Cave and I have renewed my commitment to total immersion where my research is concerned. Now, I can't promise that 'life things' won't come back to pull that commitment rug out from beneath me once again, but my intentions are pure and my spirits high as I venture forth!

.... Perhaps I should light my genealogy novena candle, just to be safe .....