This time of year, most individuals set New Year’s resolutions, whether losing weight, getting organized, finding another job, finding a significant other, or something else.
I usually don’t set much into resolutions because I usually don’t follow through with the resolutions, but I recently saw several posts and articles on genealogists setting their own New Year’s Resolutions for 2023 for their own research goals they want to accomplish.
This makes sense that sometimes you need to plan what you want to know and what you want to accomplish in a New Year in your genealogical or historical research.
In 2023, why don’t you take some time this month to sit down and write your own genealogical or historical research goals down on paper – yes, I said paper!
Below are just a few ideas and maybe it’s just time to get started on your own family history. Make time, even if its just a few hours a month. There is a lot of helps, workshops, and people to simply connect with, whether in person or online. Just do it in 2023!
1.Write your own genealogical
resolutions
a.What is it you need to do this year?
Is it visit an older family member? A cemetery? A courthouse? Or an Archives? Is it just getting started doing genealogy?
Take some time and really sit down and examine your own genealogical brick walls and confirmed materials. What do you want to learn this year? Are you a beginner and need more key information? Do you need to take sometime to visit heritage sites related to your family?
If it’s a trip you need, maybe sit down with a calendar and make some trip plans this year.
2. Simply Connect with others.
a. Take a genealogical course
b. Seek help from other genealogists
c. Joining a genealogical society
d. Connecting with others on Facebook through genealogy Facebook groups
Genealogical courses no longer have to be taken in person. Facebook, YouTube, etc. have lots of genealogical courses and helpful videos.
There are still plenty of in-person genealogical workshops happening as well. The Jonesborough Genealogical Society will be hosting a quarterly workshop in 2023 called Back 2 Basics: Genealogical Techniques Workshop Series. Watch for more information!
Seeking help also can be done online or in-person. The JGS helps anyone on the 2nd Thursday night of each month at the Washington County-Jonesborough Library. Our first help night is tomorrow night! Come out and join us with all your questions!
I think I’ve beaten a dead horse, but if you are working on your family tree, join a genealogical society. It brings you together with people with the same interests and provides you with experts and friends on all levels and perspectives.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of groups on Facebook related to local, regional, and other topics of genealogical groups that you can join, ask questions, share information, and even help others!
3. Organize your genealogical
collection
a. Going back and understanding your notes and organizing or rewriting them into a more organized state
b. Create “family” specific notebook
c. Clean and organize your online family trees’ presence
I know this area of my own genealogical work is probably the most needed in 2023. Organization is key to get to particular family research easily and readily. Yet, we all tend to take short-hand notes, lay them down, and forget where we got something.
Organizing these materials in “family” specific notebooks or files, if you are completely digital, on a computer can help you easily and readily find something you need in a moment notice instead of taking hours or days to find something you really need. Family trees online can become cluttered and have “unconfirmed” or “untrue” information added, it might be time to go through and clean up your family trees and add new information you’ve found since the last time you’ve updated the tree as well!
In 2023, these are just a few resolutions related to your genealogical journey, but maybe you have something else you need to do! If so, what’s important is that you do something to help move your research along in 2023.
