Like everything worth doing, especially Family History, there are things we should do to ensure it gets done. Here are six tips/tricks for kick-starting your Family History exploration.
- Dedicate time
It’s completely okay to be an occasional genealogist; but remember, nothing gets done if we don’t dedicate time for doing it. An hour or two, here and there, works great – if done consistently.
- Learn how
One of the most discouraging aspects of exploring your Family History might be not knowing how to do something. Family History research probably isn’t something you learned in school. Invest a little time to learn how to effectively and efficiently discover your ancestry by taking a class or attending seminars or workshops. The time invested in learning the best ways to explore your Family History will yield valuable paybacks.
- Survey what’s been done
Don’t waste your precious time repeating things that have been done previously. The place to start Family History exploration is by surveying what is already known about your ancestors. You may want to validate the findings but that’s often much easier and faster than repeating everything.
- Set SMART goals and follow-through
Successful individuals consistently set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals. Don’t set lofty goals, set achievable goals and then follow-through. Develop a plan for accomplishing the work needed to reach that goal – then set another goal.
- Record what you discover
We’ve all heard about the power of learning from our mistakes – so let me share this important lesson I learned. Take good notes. Record everything you do and discover – as you do it and/or discover it. And, don’t get complacent about record keeping. There’s nothing more frustrating than not remembering where you found some piece of information because you didn’t create an adequate record of the work you did when you did it.
- Ask
Ask questions and ask for help. Family History is all about asking questions to discover details about our ancestors’ lives: who was my great-grandfather; when was he born; where was he born; what was his occupation; did he serve in the military; who was his wife; etc. Sometimes we need help finding the answers to all those questions. The good news is that help is readily available, but we must ask. FamilySearch includes a network of individuals committed to helping you discover your Family History. Visit your local FamilySearch Center and learn more about the resources available to help you find answers to your questions.
