The February 30 x 30 challenge is over (or almost over depending on when you started). How did it go? Did you work on your goal every day? Did you find that the challenge helped keep you on task?
I did pretty well. My plan was to work every day, even if it wasn’t for 30 minutes, and I was going focus on going through my source documents, making sure that I had plucked all the information from each document, attached it to the source record and properly cited it. I hoped to get through 30 documents.
It didn’t quite work out that way. I was able to work every day until February 25. That’s when RootsTech started and when I went off the rails of my 30 x 30 challenge. But I was okay with that, since with RootsTech I was at least thinking about genealogy. I thought it would be quick to go through my source documentation but what ended up happening was that the source documents sparked more questions (typically about collateral relatives who early on I wasn’t researching). So I pursued more information, rather than putting aside these bright shiny objects for later. The result? I had an enjoyable 26 days of daily research. But I verified only 10 sources! (Sources 91 through 100.) I still call it a successful month, though.
I hope you were even more successful than me. If you participated in the challenge, please let us know in the comments how you did!
I’m “shamed face”! I realized early on that February was not going to be a 30×30 month for me after all. I’m anxious for the next challenge and I WILL be ready!
Thanks for helping me stay on my genealogy track. Have a great March.
Gwen Jackson
No need for shame! I’ll plan to do another 30 x 30 in April (just to prepare you). I hope you have a great March too!
Hi All!
I was pretty good about 30×30. There were a few days where I missed all together, but many days I worked for over an hour. I kept a log, and while my main focus was renaming my files, I did have Roots Tech days and a BSO day. I still have more to go, but sadly looking at some for the first time they will have to be redone when my local Family History Center reopens. But it was great to accomplish as much as I did, and I feel having the challenge really kept me on track.
Ooh, I love the idea of a BSO day!I’m so glad you were able to accomplish so much!
I’ll call it a success although I didn’t accomplish the goal of digitizing all of my paper files. With the ‘computer issue’ still a bit nebulous, I did figure out a way around it and have started over on the project. I will get there! I also attended the RootsTech Virtual Conference and learned several specific things that will help me in my research. All in all, a good month! Zenda
Let’s hear it for a good month! You’re right, Zenda, you will get there!
Well I feel that I did pretty well. I had a few days that I didn’t accomplish anything but I am working on printing less paper and working on sources, etc. I also transcribed about 15 pages of my 3x great grandparents divorce papers. Now I think Roots Tech was working in genealogy. I haven’t watched many sessions because I know we have a year, but I spent all day Sat. Sending messages to 3rd and 4th cousins that are related to me. I contacted about 20 and have heard from 6. I have some info to pass on to them and I hope that I gain some knowledge that I might not know. The challenge did help me think about what I would do every day and that helped me get some things accomplished. Thanks Janine!!
Great job, Vickie!! Glad it was a good month.
Awesome February 30×3!
I finished data entry & source citations for my three DAR Patriots. I began building out additional paternal lineage lines. I found three more lineage ancestors who meet DAR requirements. The best part is all three will be new patriots in the DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS).
I’ve created three research objectives for the missing documents.
I’m elated with my progress and finds.
Wow, Cheri! It sounds like you had an amazing month. Congratulations!!
I’d really like to join in…maybe I can get more done. I’m in the middle of reorganizing my file cabinet. I have everything I need in the way of supplies just need to keep up so I can finish and NOT stop and research for now….just do what I started out to do.!! I believe I can finish if I do 30×30…and then I’ll be at in a better place to do my research!!
Excellent, Ann. A little bit every day can be absolutely great for organizing projects. Don’t forget to set a timer and take breaks! I don’t have an official 30 x 30 going in March, but you can definitely have your own. I expect to do another in April.
Got a hacked computer afraid to do research because it may divulge more personal information
Oh no! I hope you get everything worked out so you can feel comfortable doing genealogy research!
I didn’t manage to do every day, and with a Webinar series and Rootstech not every day was on my stated goal, however with UK Lockdown, and awful weather, I managed to spend more time at the weekend, and managed to achieve my goal of fact checking the information I have for one of my family lines. 🙂
Congrats on making lemonade out of lemons with the UK lockdown, Missy! And congrats on achieving your goal!
I tried to respond yesterday, but I guess it did not post. After a 5 month hiatus on doing genealogy research, it felt good to get back to it. During February I was able to complete my documentation on my Revolutionary War veteran and to close the gap on completing the transcription and inputting the 1870 and 1880 census. I have a few where I do not have their first names so it will require additional research and my wife has 5th generation ancestors that probably stayed in Ireland. I attended a few of the RootsTech sessions. I listened to the RootsTech sessions on my IPAD and at the same time I entered census data on my computer. This was probably not a good idea since I probably missed some on the points that the speakers were making. Thanks for having this challenge.
So glad you’re back into the groove, Jerry! Sounds like you had a tremendous month.
I failed miserably this month – too many distant cousin queries, RootsTech and other tasks. I spent lots of time on genealogy – just none on the source citation clean up.
Hey, at least you spent lots of time on genealogy! I plan to do another 30 x 30 in April…perhaps you can focus on the source citation then (if you don’t do it before).
In February I built tables of the Nth cousins I’ve invited to my Ancestry tree, one table per major line. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But there were a lot, heir names weren’t self-evident from their usernames, and it was getting confusing, because this has been building over 12+years. Already I’ve been able to make good use of the table to contact the right people with a couple of questions.
Reviewing and rereading some portion of our old sources is probably something that we should schedule for ourselves every few years. When I was new to genealogy and sent away for my GGGgrandather’s will, I delighted in the names that I recognized but ignored the ones I didn’t, who turned out to be his step daughters and their families. Big mistake, and it took me years to return to the question of, “I wonder who his wife’s daughters were from her first marriage?” As you say, “collateral relatives who early on I wasn’t researching.”
You’re right: time spent on reviewing those records from our earlier work is time well spent.
Marian, congrats on making sense of all those cousins. It can be so overwhelming to think about how to organize that stuff and I’m glad you’ve already made good use of your table.
I can so related to being excited about familiar names and ignoring unfamiliar ones. Such a mistake, but so easy to do! Thaks for that reminder.
My question is how to enter all of this into the computer in an orderly way. I use Legacy and am beginning Heritage but don’t know what to do with all of the documents and artices Where and how to put them in the computer. I’ve read about organizing but don’t know how that looks in the computer. Is there a source which coud help me with this?
Thanks for your comment. You might find this blog post of mine on how I process a downloaded document helpful: https://organizeyourfamilyhistory.com/process-downloaded-document/. It details my folder structure as well as my file-naming convention. I’m working on a new Orderly Roots guide, called How I Do It, that will go into much greater detail. I hope to publish it within the next six weeks or so.