Issue 1.15
Sometimes genealogy can lose its luster. It slows down always in December, but usually takes a big upturn in January. If you have set a goal for 2015 to do some family history, you are not alone. This year, write some goals or even a wish list of what you want to accomplish. Even a 3 x 5 index card somewhere you will see it often, will help keep you motivated.
Think about your family tree. Who do you want to learn more about? Do you need to do some work on more recent generations? Maybe it is time to put away your current project and begin a new one that you will be more excited about. This will help if you feel burned out after having faced brick walls, or uncooperative relatives, limited time to devote to research and lack of resources. This burnout doesn’t have to mean an end of your being your family’s historian. Rather it can be a signal that it is time to try something new to bring the excitement back to your research.
Consider an education plan to learn more about family history. It could be visiting a family history center, reading a blog, watching a podcast or taking an online class. A huge boost would be to go to RootsTech in Salt Lake City in February. See rootstech.org to register. If Laura Bush, David Archuletta and Donny Osmond don’t add a spark to your interest, the innovator summit might!
Set aside some time for family history. This is easier now with the Internet, it is possible to do family history research while doing the laundry. You may surprise yourself at what you can accomplish in less than an hour. Use tools like hopechestsoftware.com to create to do lists that you can go back to in an instant.
Work with a partner and find a relative to exchanges ideas with. Two heads are better than one and explaining your research problem to your relative can get you more excited about the research and can also help you come up with more ideas. Plus you may get some help with the workload. Like Nike says, “Just do it.”
For more information, contact Shanna Jones shannasjones@msn.com 435-628-4900.