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Thursday, December 31, 2009

My 2010 New Year's Resolutions


Time to start again, already? This year I'm going to be good! I'm only making five genealogy resolutions, so maybe, just maybe I'll be able to keep them! Here's my list:

1. I will not overcommit myself to research projects, lecture invitations and volunteer requests. (Yeah, right... lol!) Well at least I’ll try to do a better job of scheduling my commitments realistically, including keeping a detailed calendar and planning enough time to adequately fulfill each commitment in the time required to do so. It isn’t helping that I already received two research requests just yesterday, and I haven’t even fulfilled all of Decembers “Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness” requests yet.

2. For all new research projects, I will first and foremost start by developing a detailed research plan, following it strictly, and meticulously keep research logs along the way. Sounds good, doesn’t it? The trick will really be resisting the temptation to dive in head first and accumulate piles of research notes haphazardly, because that’s sooo much fun! What isn’t fun is trying to sort through it all later and try to figure out what I was thinking. I know its not just me, y’all do it too, don’t you!

3. I will actually work on my OWN family line this year. The brickwall I’m determined to bust this year will be finding the parents of Mary Prouty Hatch – or more specifically, proving that Burpee Prouty is, in fact, her father... of course, following the method I’ve outlined in #2...

4. I will schedule reading time regularly, if only monthly, for catching up on all of the journals, magazines and books in my ‘need to read’ pile.

5. I will continue to update the toolbar with cool and helpful websites for internet genealogy research. (Always open for suggestions, by the way!)

My personal new year’s resolutions are much simpler (can't claim originality on these - I saw them somewhere and loved it!)
Dance like no one is watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like no one is listening, and Live like its heaven on earth.

2 comments:

Rick Archer said...

Sensible reolutions, some that I will also start doing, might need some guidance from you if time permits. Good luck with yours.

J.M. said...

Great goals, especially number 2 (yes, we all do it ;)) and number 4. Good luck and have fun in 2010!