(or maybe in your closet or attic?)
Family
History and Genealogy work can sometimes feel overwhelming.
It often
seems that the more that we do of it - that in turn the more things
there are that pop up that seem to need doing. It often seems to be a
puzzle that as you put the pieces together - actually continues to grow
outwards and the puzzle gets bigger and bigger and more complex.
. . . And
we all know we have family, work and a million other things competing for our
time.
What are
some ways that we can find ways to become less overwhelmed as well
as find
ways to approach projects that we often dont even start - becaue they seem
overwhelming - - and actually START them – and find ways to finish them in a
reasonable amount of time.
What
follows here is nothing really in depth – just some bullet points of things to
consider
1)
A journey of a thousand miles - starts with only one step. All so
often it is just that “getting the ball rolling” that we needed – and once that
has occurred we see it really isn’t as bad as we thought.
2)
You can Eat an Elephant one bite at a time. Instead of looking at
the giant elephant of a project. Break it down to manageable steps and
components. Do a little bit at a time. Maybe consider just doing
something going forward, instead of immediately trying to fix the past. Work at
accomplishing little steps that will give you bigger confidence and vision as
you go.
3) Get
organized - but focus on one particlar process or small project.
Organization is a huge factor for success. But at the same time – you may
not be able to go back and re-organize everything. Find way to use
organization going forward even if you can’t reorganize the past. Also
don’t let “pending organization” keep you from things like “digitizing your
files” or “making a backup of your files”. Don’t be someone who spent
their life – wanting to organize your family data – only to never get to it –
and it ends up being thrown out when you die – when it could have easily been
digitized or copied.
4) Each
day or week - learn something new that helps you work more efficiently.
Find something small and minor that you seem to struggle with – or
you think should take much less time than it does. Find a new
approach, or learn a new technique. Find ways to learn something
new each day – even if something very minor.
5)
Learn to work with others. Find ways to surround yourself by
smart people who know the tools. If you struggle with technology – find
those around you that can provide you with tips, tricks and know how – so as to
make your life easier. Don’t bang your head against the wall – on something
that some other friend or family can help you with. Try to find a
mentor.
6)
Crowdsourcing. Try not to do everything by yourself. In
today’s world – you may often be able to work collaboratively with others on a
single research focus. See if there are others who can work with you – or
a bunch of people who would all be willing to do a little bit of concentrated
work. Sites like Findagarve, FamilySearch FamilyTree, WikiTree and
others are sites that bring multiple people together and allow them to work
jointly and collaboratively.
How many
of you have large genealogiocal projects that just seem so daunting - you
just dont get started? How many of you have a box of photos or
documents in the garage - that has been sitting there forever - just because
you feel you dont have the time to even look at it?
Please share with me – any project that has been on your
mind – as to something you really want to get accomplished in the area of
Family Genealogy - - but something just always seems to be in the way.
I may have some tips, tricks, or out of the box thinking
that may allow you to make some progress in your genealogy project.
Lets talk about it and see what can be accomplished thinking
about it together and coming up with a workale solution.
What
suggestions do YOU have – as to not just working harder – but actually working
smarter and more efficiently in your genealogy work??