Here’s the next in my occasional series of bite-size Quick Tips. Click on the Quick Tips tag for my other Quick Tips. Because I tend to write longer posts, I wanted to provide a quick-to-read (and quick-to-write) post every couple of weeks on a small topic that pops into my head. This one saves time and frustration!
Write everything down
I learned a number of years ago that I can’t rely on my memory when it comes to genealogy. (Or a lot of things, for that matter.) I can keep a few ancestors’ names and birth and death dates in my head, but only a few. I used to think I would remember to pick up where I left off in a session or to pursue a clue (from a previous session or even the current one). But now I don’t take a chance, I write it down.
The key to success in taking these notes is having a place to put them so you know where to look. That could be a spiral bound notebook or a pad you keep by your keyboard. Or it could be a note in your genealogy software. Or it could be in follow-up notebooks in a platform like Evernote (that’s what I use). Or in your research log, in whatever form it takes
The takeaways here are twofold: (1) don’t rely on your memory and (2) have a consistent place where you put follow-up notes or lists of tasks. This small practice makes everything easier!
So true. Over time you pick up so much information that there is no way to remember it all, and having written it down helps when you get new information to see how it fits with what you know.
Thanks for your affirming comment, Shasta!
Absolutely! I keep a research log for notes, they all get dumped in there. When I was researching my father’s line, it was a constant of stumbling on other relatives who lived in the same town. That’s where my research log for Other Notes came in handy. Anything in his direct line went in his personal research log. Notes, notes, notes, they save us every time.
Thanks so much for commenting, Maria. I’m thrilled when an accredited genealogist echoes my advice!