Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:
It's Saturday Night again
-
Time for some more Genealogy
Fun!!
Randy
Seaver of Genea-Musings has our first assignment for the new year.
1) What are your genealogy goals for 2026? Consider genealogy research, education, organizing, service, writing, and whatever else you care to share.
Here’s mine:
I delayed working on this because I just bet this would be
the theme for today’s assignment. I have reviewed last year’s goals here: Revisiting my 2025 Genealogy Goals. This is always a good start, as we often have left
over goals we did not finish.
This year, I am going to break up my goals into different categories: Education, Organizing, Research, and Writing.
Education
Under Education, I have signed up many of the upcoming Legacy
Family Tree Webinars. I do not always watch them live, except the
BCG-sponsored ones, because I am usually busy when they first air. I started a
Wednesday Webinar meme this past year, where I take something that I have
learned from a webinar and apply it to my own research. I write up what I
discovered. The last one I wrote was on a database at Fold3 I learned
about from Craig Scott.
I have not signed up for any institute courses this year. However, I do sign up for the Genealogy Headquarters’ seminars by Ute Brandenburg and Ursula Krause. I have also signed up for some of NGS’s GenTech workshops. I am likely to do more this coming year.
I may watch some RootsTech presentations, though the best ones tend to live only, and not recorded. I usually do the BCG Ed Fund class, but I do not think I will go to the NGS Conference this year. Perhaps, I will pay for the digital viewing.
Education Goals: watch a few webinars per month and sign up
for Genealogy Headquarters and GenTech classes when the subject is of interest to my
research.
Organizing
I was supposed to finish organizing my paper files. I need
to get back to that. I also want to get back to scanning and organizing photos
and get them into archival boxes. As I work on lines for my writing projects
(see below), I should tackle those paper files, too.
Organizing Goals: Work on the paper files of one line per
month to coincide with my writing goal. Continue scanning photos.
Research
I have decided to work on one of my daughters’ 2x-great-grandparents’
lines each month. This involves reviewing previous research, making sure all
previous research is entered in RootsMagic and Airtable. Then research using
online databases, particularly full-text search at FamilySearch, entering that
data into RootsMagic and Airtable. Hopefully by the end of the month, I will
have a narrative written about the family. These monthly products might morph
into a KDP I can do for my BCG renewal.
Research Goals: Review, research, record, and write about
one 2x-great-grandparent (of my daughters) per month.
Writing
This goal is a big task, and involves in some of the above
goals as well. I already write a lot of blog posts and now have the possibility
of more per week. I also write articles for two publications Der Blumenbaum
and The Nugget. Writing about the above research will be important, too,
and it will save time later. I would also like to create a couple of new
presentations, which helps with getting asked to speak to local and regional
societies. I want to try a hand at a case study this year.
Writing Goals:
a. Blog posts: continue writing Genea-pourri, 52 Ancestors,
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, Wednesday Webinar, and about my monthly research
projects.
b. Articles: write articles for Der Blumenbaum and The Nugget. Look for other publications such as the Texas State Genealogical Society’s Stirpes, the NGS Magazine, or Utah Genealogical Association’s Crossroads.
c. Presentations: I had 5 proposals for NGS conference that were not accepted. Perhaps take one or two of those and create them into a presentation.
This seems like a lot, but some of the above goals I already do. I just want to make sure that I continue doing them and take credit for getting them done. I shall write these on a 3 x 5 card and post them above my monitor so I see them every day.
What are your goals for 2025?
You have an ambitious list of goals. I have to ask about Airtable. I've tried it out, but don't need to collaborate with anyone else. I just can't get past that it is totally in the cloud. I know it can be exported, but I'm a fan of Excel. If needed, I can export a file to take to a library. What are your reasons for using Airtable instead of software on your computer?
ReplyDeleteI am using it for special projects. I took the NGS GenTech class on it, and was convinced it's a great way to view your information, because it can show your information in different tables without having to re-enter the information. It's great for analysis and correlation. I recommend taking that workshop. (it's hands on, you so get exercises to practice) You can still purchase it. I don't know everything about it and Diana Elder is presenting to my local society (Contra Costa Co Gen Soc) on it this coming week. You can register for that.
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