Motivation Monday ~ Create an Assembly Line



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Super Simple tip # 4: Henry Ford was right.

Hunting seems to be every genealogist's favorite sport. We'll look in every nook and cranny for elusive clues that may lead us to the catch of the day - a document mentioning our ancestor. Those documents can add up quickly however and soon we're faced with a pile of paper that feels more like a chore than a treasure.

I recently copied 27 French records that referred to my ancestors. Twenty-seven records to transcribe, translate, review, and add to my tree. A task that seemed overwhelming. One day I separated the Gury records from the Schmitt's. More organized, but still daunting. I put the records in chronological order. Then I filed them in the left side sleeves of two old photo albums. Ah ha! Now the project felt managable.

Transcribing the records in French was next. Then I ran each through Google language. My translated transcriptions went into the right side sleeves, next to the appropriate photocopy. I tweaked the records with help from a few French friends, and voilà! I can copy and paste the results into my family tree.

By the second transcription, the handwriting seemed more legible. Translating the records all in a row helped fine-tune many of the "old" words used by the Maire. Posing all my questions at one time prevented my helpers from tiring of me. Hopefully. :o)

At each stage of the project, I felt a sense of accomplishment. By the end, I had twenty-seven new French family members and a long list of new clues. Now I just have to tackle those...

Motivation Monday ~ Make documents easy to read



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Super Simple Tip # 3: Bigger is better. The library at the Wisconsin Historical Society has a printer that produces 11" x 17" copies (they also have every census record on microfilm). Enlarging records makes them easier to review. A quick look without a computer screen or magnifying glass in the way often yields clues previously missed. A folded 11x17 fits perfectly in a manila folder.

Motivation Monday ~ Think Nancy Reagan

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Super Simple Tip # 2: Just say no. I am a fan of cluster genealogy and have been known to follow the path of a great-uncle's step-mother's granddaughter's second cousin twice removed. Yes that's an exaggeration, but not terribly far from the truth. This year my time is so limited and my desire for progress so high, I must draw a line in the sand. Fascinating as they may be, I simply cannot research everyone. When I catch myself getting caught up in an interesting person who cannot answer the specific research question at hand, I have to stop, drop, and roll back to the "real" family. (I'll just save those extras for a rainy day!)

Motivation Monday ~ Eat the Elephant



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 'member that expression "Keep it Simple Stupid"? Every once in awhile it would be helpful to hear that phrase before I tackle my next genealogical project. Am I alone in this? Or would a reminder here and there help you too?

Super Simple Tip #1: Eat the elephant one bite at a time. A hundred or so years ago (in another life) I taught time management skills in corporate settings. The most popular of my workshops was one about battling procrastination. There are many reasons we put things off, but BIG things tend to be #1 on the list of Things I Will Do Later. I can't possibly organize all my genealogy files in a single afternoon. But I could take one folder to the TV room with me this evening and sort the papers into two piles - Keep and Recycle.