In today's family history class we returned to the idea of goal setting.
We talked about some of the suggestions for genealogy goal setting that professional genealogist Jennifer Holik-Urban has posted online which can be found HERE.
In some ways it seems logical to have specific outlines for what we hope to accomplish. After all, most worthwhile activities require some forethought and planning, perhaps the creation of something like the ...M-O-A-L (Mother of All Lists) check list that Quintin Phillips uses when planning a white water rafting trip.
However, one of the points we discussed was the difference between establishing specific goals and living in patterns that lead us toward what we want to achieve.
I might have a GOAL to completely document all the principle players of my pedigree sheet for 10 generations. However, it is the pattern of continually seeking, learning, organizing, sharing that is what really matters. Whether I wind up with the information on every single person I planned to or not, that pattern will enrich my life and will help me accomplish a great deal.
This is more than just a matter of semantics. Goals are destination focused. Patterns are all about the process, the journey along the way. It is my hope to establish patterns that will guide me toward developing increased research skills and help me build relationships with others (extended family, fellow researchers, etc). Whether or not I get full documentation for all those generations....who knows? Sure, I aim to try. But I will consider myself to have SUCCEEDED when I have so completely ingrained the pattern of regularly engaging in research, networking and organizing records that it becomes as natural to me as brushing my teeth before I go to bed at night. If I can manage that, I have no doubt that tremendous breakthroughs will come my way despite having a few lines that today seem pretty much stuck.
Nevertheless - Ms. Holik-Urban has some great ideas and resources for genealogy goal setting that I find very valuable to help me in my process of building patterns into my life:
1) EDUCATION Goals- There are a variety of resources for workshops, classes, webinars and other learning opportunities to pick up new skills or sharpen expertise in doing family history research.
Whether someone is interested in formal certificate programs such as those offered by BYU or the National Genealogical Society or a more casual approach such as setting aside a certain time to read books and journals, follow genealogy blogs, etc it just makes sense to commit one's self to learning all they can to be a more effective researcher.
2) RESEARCH Goals - Clearly there is a difference between "working on my family history" in a general way and trying to identify which ship John Burlington emigrated to America on and then to obtain a passenger list to seek the names of the three children I know died along the way. There is a time for casual meandering through records to get a feel for a family and a time for making specific lists of what information I am looking for so I can build a strategy for finding it. This is where specific research goals can really help. Ancestry.com has some good guidelines for how to go about that.
3. ORGANIZATION Goals - This is where I really need to focus over the next six months. Because I recently moved, all my family history records got stuffed into boxes and I have yet to set up an adequate filing system that meets my needs within the space and resources I have to work with. There are a lot of different ways to approach this. One that is important to me is to digitize all my records. Because I work full time and do some adjunct teaching at a community college on the side, I do not have a lot of discretionary time. Still, like eating an elephant, I can take on this mammoth job "one bite at a time" by committing to spend 20 minutes or an hour every weekend scanning the next stack of documents and photographs. I just need to DO IT.
4. WRITING Goals - One of the reasons I feel so close to some of my ancestors is because some of them took the time to write about their lives. For a few others, there have been fascinating histories written by down downstream relations who researched their lives. The Armchair Genealogist Blog is a terrific resource for tips on writing personal or family histories.
I've very much enjoyed working on writing OTHER people's histories. My own I've been more reluctant to take on, for a number of reasons. However, even if I never get around to writing an "official" history of my life, I console myself with the knowledge that my grandkids can always take a peek at my views and values, as well as some of the key events of my days by reading my various blogs:
Mind Muffins(2006-2012)
Life by Design (2007-2009)
Apprentice Human (2006)
5. NETWORKING Goals - In this modern age of Facebook and Twitter some people forget about the good old fashioned form of networking - writing letters or going to visit. I have met many WONDERFUL people over the years who I found through seeking family records. Some were "shirt tail relatives" and others were not related at all. However, the things I learned from people like Bess Britton in Van Buren County, MI or Cindy Allen in Salem OR are treasures I will never forget. I believe that as we share the spirit of Elijah with others who have an interest in family research, all our lives will be richly blessed.
So there you have it - that's a summary of the goal categories that Jennifer Holick-Urban shared in her work. Some may fit you well for your life while others you may choose to skip over for now. That's fine. The thing is, for too many people, the task of taking on a family history project can seem so big and complicated that they just get overwhelmed and do nothing.
When it comes to genealogy, like many other areas of my life, I try to remember the words of Edward Everett Hale who said: " I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
Remember, the best, and only way to eat an elephant has always been one bite at a time.
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