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!