2012 Genealogy Goals

2012 Goal: Keep office organized and neat.

It is here–another New Year and the time to make those dreaded resolutions. After all these years I am not going to stress out about making New Year’s Resolutions that I probably won’t keep anyway. I basically have the same resolution each year: to lose weight. Some years I succeed while the opposite happens other years.

Last year about this time I made some lofty Genealogy Goals. How did I do? I accomplished the following:

  • Regularly journaled, using prompts from “52 Weeks of Sharing Memories” from Olive Tree Genealogy Blog
  • Backed up my data every month
  • Digitized many photos with my Flip Pal portable scanner
  • Blogged every week
  • Went to a national genealogical conference (FGS in Springfield, Illinois)

The following goals didn’t happen and are still on the to-do list:

  • Digitize old home movies
  • Digitize documents I have in binders
  • Join Sons & Daughters of WWII Veterans
  • Review and write conclusions from information I have in binders
  • Discover when Isaac Huey died and where he is buried

I succeeded with 50% of my goals. That’s not too bad. This year I will make goals that are more modest:

  • Digitize those old home movies from the 1950s (repeat goal from last year)
  • Try to be more organized and keep my office neater (constant problem for genealogists)
  • Keep writing and journaling
  • Collect old family stories
  • Photograph all the tombstones in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm
  • Continue journaling with “52 Weeks of Sharing Memories”

In addition, I have two on-going goals that I have had for many years: Discover when Isaac Huey died and where he is buried. Discover who Jackson Brewster’s parents were. Maybe I will have success in 2012.

I am a list maker and always have many lists going at once. I have the long-term list (things to accomplish in a year), the medium-term list (to accomplish within a couple months) and the short-term list (to accomplish within a week). I keep my lists on the ColorNote Notepad app on my phone. ColorNote is an Android app that also syncs with my Kindle Fire. I keep shopping lists on that app, too. It is very handy and easy to use.

I also do low-tech. I have many little pieces of paper with to-do items on them. I am always writing down things while at work and stuff the paper in my pocket. This system works well until a list goes through the laundry. Is that what they call a laundry list?

I can now check off one item on my short-term list since I have finished Friday’s blog.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 comments

    • Kenny Miller on January 6, 2012 at 10:16 am
    • Reply

    Great job, I don’t know how you got that much done. Have enjoyed your postings.
    Digitizing those home movies sounds interesting as I might consider doing my old 8mm and Super 8’s.
    Thanks, Kenny

    • Cathy on January 6, 2012 at 10:43 am
    • Reply

    I hope you acheive all your goals this year, but am glad to hear that I am not the only one that has goals and list that do not get done.

  1. Love the picture of your office – it looks like a comfortable place to do research!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.