For those of you who signed on for the November 30 x 30 challenge, how did it go? I’d love to hear whether you were able to research/organize for 30 minutes a day during the 30 days of November. If not, did you get more done than you might have without the challenge? I think that setting the intention can be really powerful even if you’re not able to fully keep the commitment.
As for me, thanks to the August 30 x 30 challenge I’ve actually developed the habit of doing genealogy research every morning. I almost always do it for at least 30 minutes, though occasionally I’m so pressed for time that I can’t devote even 30 minutes to it. But I still do something. I haven’t missed a day since August 1 and now it’s built into my morning routine. In case it’s interesting to you, here’s that routine:
- brush teeth
- empty dishwasher
- make coffee
- take coffee to computer
- scan email
- set timer for 30 minutes
- do genealogy research until the timer goes off
- get dressed and walk my dog
I build the 30 minutes of research into the calculation when I decide what time to set the alarm to go off. It feels part of my natural rhythm and it’s a wonderful way to start the day! I blogged last month about the benefits of daily research. Building this habit is definitely one of my favorite achievements of 2017.
I’d love to hear how the November challenge went for you. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested in a January 2018 challenge!
I did the 30 x 30 challenge in September (I postponed August’s challenge for a month). I found it very helpful, and did manage to do at least 30 minutes every day. I reviewed old research, found errors, sorted through paper files and organized them, and did some research on my tree and my husband’s.
I’m planning another 30 x 30 challenge for January to kickstart 2018. Some of my friends are joining me!
That’s great, Carol! You’re inspiring me to start a 30 x 30 challenge on the blog this month.