For those of you who are participating in this month’s 30 x 30 challenge, in which we’re trying to do 30 minutes of genealogy research every day for 30 days, please report in! Are you able to research every day? Or most days anyway? Have you found it to be beneficial?
This has been an especially good challenge month for me. I’ve been to carve out time first thing in the morning most mornings. I think it helps that it gets light so early, so it’s easy to get extra early to make time for research. So far, I haven’t missed a day. My timer has been really helpful, so that I don’t get lost in the research.
In addition to researching for 30 minutes, I challenged myself to log my research daily and note next steps at the end of each session. That has been hugely helpful, because each morning I turn to the previous day’s entry and I know what to work on.
Primarily I’ve been transcribing my great great grandfather’s Civil War pension file this month, but I have taken a few forays into investigating his son and granddaughter (the brother and niece of my great grandfather) to fill in some blanks in my ancestor’s timeline. The light is shining at the end of the tunnel: So far I’ve transcribed 106 of the pension file’s 138 documents. I’d love to be able to finish the transcription project in June. (I’ve transcribed 16 documents in June so far.) We shall see if that’s possible.
I love starting the day with genealogy research. I’m growing to love my (very informal) research log. And I’m feeling really connected with the research, which makes it easier to get started.
I hope those of you who said you were up to the challenge are seeing similar benefits! Even if you’re not managing to research daily, I think keeping it top of mind with the challenge can be very helpful. I’d love to hear about your experiences!
One of the benefits of retirement is having much more time to devote to “fun” activities. In the past I spent most of this found time reading various written materials about genealogy, listening to multiple webinars on the same subject or perusing dozens of related blogs on a daily basis. Finally, encouraged by this blog, I have decided to get “real” about my research and actually do some rather than endlessly studying what and how I should do it, Accordingly, I have designed a simple database research log in which I record the sources of my daily work sessions of three hours, punctuated by breaks at 30-minute intervals triggered by the timer on my desk. At the end of one week of such dedication, I can happily report that I have accomplished more actual research than in the previous six months and have actually made a good start at replacing my rudimentary source citations with those recommended by EE, a task I had avoided like the plague in the past. Without the guidance and support offered by this blog and the associated research log utube group, I doubt that I would have undertaken this massive “do-over”
John, that is fantastic! I’m so glad this blog has been a catalyst for your creating some amazing genealogy habits and actually getting some research done! Your comment made my day.
It’s going great! I started an excel spreadsheet to keep me honest. I put in the notes everyday and that has really helped that habit stick. Mostly I do it first thing in the am, but I have found that there have been a couple of times I am working at night. I am shocked I have been able to do it, as I am packing to move from Salt Lake City back to California. I will have to stop early, as I am now having cataract surgery. Still, with all that is going on, I have been able to stick to it past the halfway mark!
Wonderful!! That is impressive that you’re getting your own research done while you’re packing for a move. I hope your move is smooth and that your cataract surgery is successful! Congrats on your great work!