It’s March 1 and I’m sitting at the airport in Salt Lake City, watching the snow fall and waiting to go home to St. Louis, where it should be 65 degrees. I took out a piece of paper and started mind mapping some notes and reflections. It hit me that what I really need is a 30 x 30 challenge. February was a blur for me and while I spent time thinking about genealogy because I was putting the final touches on my RootsTech presentation (which went well!), I barely did any family history research of my own. (I did manage to squeeze in a little time at the Family History Library.)
So I’m creating a 30 x 30 challenge this month, where I commit to doing 30 minutes of research every day. Or at least I’ll strive for daily research that totals 900 minutes by the end of the month. Does anyone want to join me?
I find making this commitment to be really motivating. I’m an Upholder, for those of you who are familiar with Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies. The 30 x 30 challenge elevates my genealogy research to the top of my priority list. Since I am not traveling again until April 1, this seems like a great month to do it.
Please let me know in the comments if you’d like to take part of the challenge. Feel free to say what you’ll be working on (though don’t feel like you have to).
RootsTech was great, by the way. This coming week, I’ll write a post-RootsTech post.
I will join with the 30×30 challenge for March. Part of the challenge is getting back to others who have reached out to me and sometimes I delay in getting back in touch with them.
Mary Kay
Excellent, Mary Kay!
I’ll join the 30 x30 challenge to “dig deeper” into my paternal grandfather’s residences during his lifetime. Thanks for the opportunity to make this commitment.
Fantastic, Gwen!
I am in on the 30 X 30 challenge for March. I need to complete my goals for 2019 so I can start on my 2020 goals.
Glad you’re in, Jerry. Be kind to yourself–I never reach all my goals but I don’t let that stop me from setting new ones!
I really want to do this(!), but I suspect this isn’t the month for me to attempt it. There’s just too much going on with my living, breathing family. One area I’d love to spend some time on is learning more about Northern Ireland and the migration to Ontario of my paternal grandfather’s paternal line. I knew they came from County Tyrone, but have just identified a possible parish. And I have some odd DNA matches linking those paternal ancestors to ancestors of my mother’s from the Highlands of Scotland. I’m woefully ignorant about Scottish/Northern Irish history and need to learn more.
So no 30 x 30 commitment, but I know my work’s cut out for me. Good luck with yours!
So smart not to overcommit! There will be another challenge in a few months, I’m sure.
I want to do my best on this 30 X 30 challenge. It might help me get back into regularly doing family history work. I’ll start today. Thanks!
Terrific, Kelly! This challenge can be a great way to get back into the swing of family history research.
I am in. Done with home remodeling. It was hard to even work, back onto my personal research,
Congrats on finishing your home remodeling!! Glad to have you as part of this month’s challenge.
I will join the 30 x 30 challenge for March. I may be one of those who gets 2 – 3 hours in on one day, skipping a few days before or after. Lots on my plate this month but I need to get back to my research!
Doing it in chunks is just fine! I hope it’s a great month for you, Linda.
I am in. I’ll be working on my pesky project of renaming my images and reattaching them in my software program.
Excellent, Linda. That’s a great little-at-a-time activity.
Think I will join you in this one, Linda. I recently decided on a new method for filing these images so now need to spend more time on renaming and linking them.
That’s great, Maureen!
I’m going to modify the challenge… 30×15. Going to be a busy month for me, so I’ll promise myself 15 days. If I do more I’ll be happy! We just got back from a trip to Georgia (from NJ) for our 30th anniversary. My husband hates my hobby, but loves me more – so it was his idea to take me on one of my dream trips! I found SO MUCH! Now If I can just cite it all properly as I enter it into my program! LOL! Anyone know how to cite – bible pages, in a hand typed manuscript (from 1923, author deceased) held in a university rare manuscript collection?
What a wonderful gift from your husband! I love your realism with committing to 15 days. As far as your citation question goes, I’m all about good-enough source citations, but a quick glance at the Evidence Explained website offers that you might find citation instructions in Chapter 3 (Section 3.15) of Evidence Explained. https://evidenceexplained.com/index.php/content/chapter-3-archives-artifacts
I will participate — thanks for the challenge! I am going to do a variety of things in my 30 minutes each day starting with reviewing the materials for RootsTech and planning the action that I want to take based on what I learned. Your presentation was awesome! Thank you.
Thanks for your kind words, Karen! I’m really glad you liked the presentation. And welcome to the challenge!
I’ve been sticking to 30 mins daily since the last 30 x 30, Yay! I’ve had a deadline, since I’m traveling in a month or so to the Switzerland town that my great-grandmother immigrated from and I wanted to make sure I had explored everything I knew before I got there. Motivation!
That’s fantastic, Terry! Keep up the great work. I hope your trip to Switzerland is amazing.
Not the best month for me sorry – too many other commitments already. But thanks for the link to the Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies site. Have now discovered I am a questioner
It’s an interesting quiz, isn’t it? I bet a lot of genealogists are questioners. Catch you on the next 30 x 30!
I’m in. I have been trying to organize my “office” and get it set for my new computer. While doing this I found some notes I had taken from some research interviews. So I want to enter those in my programs. I also want to try to find out how some relatives wound up in Ohio when research had them going elsewhere.
Welcome to the challenge, Trisha! As far as I’m concerned, organizing my genealogy research absolutely counts in my 30 minutes!
I am in. I kept up since the last challenge in January. Last month I focused on one family branch. I reviewed what I had already and what I was missing. Then I researched the missing pieces. That was a very productive month. I am working on another branch this month. I am hoping for another productive month.
That’s fantastic that you’ve been keeping up the challenge! I hope March is an equally productive month!
I’m in! It was lovely to meet you at RootsTech (and as I said, I really appreciate you validating my method of research logging using Evernote!). I think I’ll try for an hour a day, as I’ve got a number of projects where I want to make progress. Need to capitalize on my post-RootsTech momentum!
So glad you’ve joined the challenge, Nicole! An hour a day sounds great–let us know how you do! I will publish a mid-month report post for people to comment on and then another at the end of the month.
It was great meeting you at RootsTech!