Happy New Year! As I mentioned last week, daily research is so helpful. And a great way to help establish the habit of daily research is participating in a 30 x 30 challenge. For the month of January, you’ll strive to do 30 minutes of research every day for 30 days. This is your challenge and you can adapt it however you want. Maybe you want to focus on organizing your research, not doing new research. Or perhaps you want to focus on processing your backlog of downloaded documents. You may want to average 30 minutes a day for the month, not do 30 minutes a day. Whatever works for you is great. You alone measure your success.
I just want to help you focus on what’s important for your research this month. I’ve been holding these challenges periodically since 2015 and have proven to be a great jump start for lots of people.
If you’d like to participate, just say so in the comments. (I know a number of you said you’d participate in the comments for last week’s post, which is great.)
Then, in the middle of the month, I’ll create a post and ask you to report in on your progress this month. And there will be a wrap-up post at the end of the month.
Are you in? I hope it’s a great month for your research. Ready, set, go!
I’m in. I need to get into the habit of writing daily and piecing the family stories together. I’ve read it takes 29 days to create a new habit, so 30 is the cherry on top.
Terrific, Angie. I hope the challenge is really beneficial for you!
After being away from genealogy in last year + while I was my husband’s caregiver during his final time, I’m ready to get back into it. Planning on doing a Do-Over (per Thomas MacEntee’s work). It seems like recently I saw a notice that you were having a sale on the Orderly Roots. Is that still on, by any chance? ( I have always enjoyed reading your emails even when I wasn’t able to do the work!). Thank you!
Hi, Patricia. Please accept my sympathies on your husband’s passing. Doing Thomas MacEntee’s Genealogy Do-Over will be a great way to get back into it. I’m afraid that Orderly Roots sale was the weekend after Thanksgiving and has expired.
Hi Patricia. I understand your situation to an extent as I was one of the primary caregivers of my mom (who had Alzheimer’s) until she died 10 months ago. I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m also doing (albeit a modified) Do-Over right now.
I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s passing. I lost my dad 16 months ago and it still hurts. Hugs.
I’m in also. I need to be more consistent in my work and make a plan for what I’m doing.
A daily habit should really help you with your consistency, Donna! I’m glad you’re participating in the challenge.
I commit to this challenge of 30 minutes a day. I need to get my files in order & better organized. Can’t wait to dig in & get things done!
Excellent, April!
I am in!
Oh good, Bonnie! I hope it’s an excellent month!
Definitely in, my research is a mess and organization was already on my January list!
Excellent, Janet. 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference in organizing your research!
I’m so happy to have this opportunity and challenge — I’m in! I plan to complete writeups for several projects that are in the “completed except writeup” stage. Thank you and Happy New Year!
Gwen
Happy New Year to you, too, Gwen! I feel like January will be a nice month for completion for you!
I’m in, too. I need to finish writing up a few family stories to post on my genealogy blog. 30 minutes a day is very doable. Thanks for hosting again!
That’s great, Zenda! Enjoy writing your family stories!
I’m in, I actually started on Dec. 31st by visiting the cemetery my grandparents are buried in, taking photos of headstones and documenting same when I got home…..I guess I will take Jan. 1st ‘off’ and get into Day 2 tomorrow!!
Sounds like you’re off to a great start, Faye! Enjoy your month!
I am in and also doing the MacEntee do-over!
I think the Do-Over is a great idea. I hope you have a good time with it and I’m glad you’re letting the challenge help!
I’m in. I plan to work on a small project each month, and participating in the 30×30 challenge may ensure the completion of my projects.
Excellent, Diana!
I’m in! I need to get back to doing my genealogy and other things, so I have created my “Past / Present / Future” calendar event that repeats. I am using the Ahnentafel chart of my 30 direct ancestors, starting with #1 or Me! Today on Ancestry, I was able to finally narrow down where I lived in 1994 and in 1999. Those addresses were lost in the mists of time, so I am happy to get them back. Tomorrow I work on #2 or my dad, then Wednesday on #3, my mom. Using the Ahnentafel works great for your 30×30 Challenge, Janine. Thanks for doing this!
Hi, Christy! I love the way you’ve organized your month. I think it will really help you stay focused. Enjoy!
I’m in! As much as I would like to have this focus solely on research, I’m going to have to amend this to doing an average of 30 minutes of genealogy (whatever that is) every day. Many months ago, I set a course at an online genealogy institute to start at the beginning of December (aka as far away as I could push the start date) and then forgot about it until today. (I guess I could ask but I’m too far behind the due date of being able to push back the start date. And it’s my fault for forgetting.) Since I only have a total of 6 months to complete it (really 5 months starting today), I’m going to have to make that the priority. I’m hoping though that I can fit in an average of 30 minutes of coursework and 30 minutes of research in a day but no guarantees.
(I did try to do my own 30 x 30 in December. I lasted 10 days and then it got derailed. So I’m hoping this 30 x 30 gives me the kick start I need.)
Rebecca, you’ve got the potent combination of the accountability of the challenge and a deadline going for you! I hope you have a really productive month.
Hi, Janine. Happy New Year!!! I am in. I will be doing research in my father’s family line. Thank you for doing the Challenges. They are fun and help me to focus on one project at a time.
Hi, Linda! I just realized that I didn’t respond to your post. I’m glad you joined the challenge and I hope your month is going really well!
I’m also in, Janine. I actually got started on 12/29, and I haven’t missed a day thus far. I’m focused on one German family line and one research question, with a supporting research plan. The focus is finding the Bavarian village of origin for my great-grandfather.
Hi, Russ! I love your focus. Have a great month.
Hullo, Janine – you have another taker as need to thoroughly re-organize both focus and filing.
Thanks for the stimulus.
So glad, Antoinette! I hope you have a wonderfully organized January!
Count me in. I’ve fallen behind in reading my quarterly journals from National Gen. Soc. and Ohio Gen Soc. One of my problems has been that I start an article and don’t return to it until 10 or more days later. I lose the mental thread during those days and probably miss many of the points I meant to learn. If I read for a set time each day, I think I’ll do better in absorbing the content AND getting caught up.
What a great use of your 30 x 30 challenge, Marian!
I’m in. I’ve been researching for longer than I can remember so organization, rechecking details, and continuing with my writing plan is all tied up in the mountains of information that threaten to undo me! Last summer returning to England I was able to walk the streets and find so many places but coming back home to the US I’ve become lost in the morass of detail and I really need to get it organized and recorded before time beats me. I so appreciate the challenge.
I hope it’s a great month of discovery, Mary. It’ll feel great to get that backlog organized.
I’m in. Need to get my downloads orgnized and labeled
Welcome to the challenge!
I will be doing this months challenge.
Terrific, Jane!
I will be doing this month’s challenge! 30 minutes organizing records.
Enjoy your organizing! You can get a lot organized in 30 focused minutes.
Yes, I need to get my files more organized as I have documents scattered about the house in several rooms. I tend to spend quite a bit of time finding what i need because of this.
I bet daily effort this month will pay off huge dividends, Susan!
Count me in! I will be cleaning up my genealogy software making sure all records are attached and cited. Last year, I finished through my 3X great grandparents, but my maternal branch has many more generations back to early New England and England.
Enjoy, Linda! That will feel so good.
Started on the 6th, so I will make up those 2.5 hours. Thank you for doing this.
You are so welcome! Have a great genealogy month!
Taking the time to implement a standardized naming structure on my documents and pictures. Time consuming, but I’m feeling a real sense of accomplishment as I see the newly named documents folder grow, and the hodge-podge of named documents and photographs dwindle. Finding a lot of duplicates along the way! Once I get through this step, I want to run them through Clooz to analyze them. I have my work cut out for me for a few years!
That is fantastic, Donna. You are going to be so happy that you put in this effort. It’s such a great thing to do in small bites.
I have got the motivation back to get busy with my family tree. I have been idle for a bit. I have been going thorough papers on my desk. Entering information into my tree & looking to fix some dead ends. Back volunteering with a genealogy group as well. Hopefully, the next few months with this winter weather, I will get a lot accomplished.
It sounds like you’re off to a great start, Tammy! I bet your volunteerism will keep you motivated.
I began working on one of my lines – and I also do volunteer work and help others with their genealogy. I have been trying to file papers left over from previous projects so that pile has gone down and is out of my house and where it belongs.
I think having piles of papers can be so distracting. And they can be a time waster if they contain documents you need and are looking for elsewhere. Good on you for getting is some filing!