2011 Resolutions

Every year I make resolutions...loose a few pounds, eat healthier, pay off some debt....but I've never before made Genealogy Resolutions. 
So this week's Geneabloggers challenge, works off of last week's challenge:

Week 52: Based on the goals you made last week, make a list of the documents and research steps you need to accomplish them. The great way to start a new year is with a to-do list and a plan. What information do you want and where can you get it? If you have professional or educational goals in mind, consider drafting a timeline. This task is flexible, based on your goals. When you are finished, post your to-do list somewhere handy and pat yourself on the back. You just finished the 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge!

 First let's review the list of goals that I created last week:

1. Attend 2011 Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in June
2. Follow up on letters I have written and research requests I have made and haven't heard back from.
3. Make time to research
4. Improve my genealogy education
5. Utilize more offline records such as churches, FHC, etc
6. continue to be a RAOGK Volunteer
7. Continue to volunteer on Family Search
8.  Write on my blog at least once a week

For my first goal I need to arrange time off at work, get the plane ticket, register for Jamboree (online registration starts after Jan1st) and make my hotel reservation.

To follow up on the letters that I have written entails going through my research log notes and see which places I have no received replies from and write follow up letters.  Of course after writing the letters, they need to be mailed out.

My third goal is to make more time to research.  Ok, I admit that lately I've been in a funk lately and even when I've had time to research I don't.  So, I'm not so sure if when I actually wrote this goal if it was more because I was in a funk, or because I really do need to set aside time every week or two to do a little bit of research.  Part of this, I think, also means to think outside the box and find new resources to search to actually make progress on my research.


To improve my genealogy education, I plan to read more educational books, attend Jamboree, continue to attend our local genealogy society meetings and to participate in the genealogywise online chats.  I'm sure there are other educational opportunities that will come up along the way during the year as well.

My next goal ties in with my goal of making more time to research and to seek out information in other resources.  I tend to research the same online sites over and over and it can be very frustrating not making progress on my research, which can also account for the research funk. 

The next two goals, continue to volunteer for Random Acts of Genealogy Kindness and to do volunteer work for Family Search supports my goals of helping to keep genealogy free and help other researchers.

The last goal that I have written, I have already gotten a head start on.  I've been busy planning and scheduling my 'Tombstone Tuesday' entries.  Although I don't have the next year completely finished, I have much of the year planned out.  I hope to write more entries in general though about my research and how and what I've researched.  Also be looking for my insights as a first timer to Southern California's Jamboree!