Earlier this week I couldn’t put my hands on a tax document I needed. (It’s nice to know that professional organizers have these problems too, right?) I tore apart my office looking for it (not a pretty sight). And in doing so I discovered a whole bunch of unfiled papers related to genealogy. What? I’m supposed to be all about digital genealogy. Where’d all this paper come from?
I put all the papers together in a container. (That’s a picture of it at the top of this post.) They appear to be categorized in some way. At least I think they are, because they’re in five separate plastic file sleeves, plus a few loose papers.
I also gathered together all my unread genealogy publications. I have a backlog of issues of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, NGS Magazine and the Missouri State Genealogical Association Journal. I have a bad habit of putting these publications aside when they arrive in the mail. But I know that at the very least reading case studies can be useful, so I’d like to dig into them.
I have no idea what treasures or clues might be hiding among all that paper. So I’ve decided to focus on the paper until it’s gone. Starting today. Here’s my plan:
- Review the loose paper first, spending 30 minutes a day processing it until it’s gone. That might mean discarding or scanning and processing like I do other documents I find online. Or it might mean simply reading and taking notes (in Evernote). Or it might be a simple case of not needing the paper any more. (I’m hoping for some no-brainer recycling in there.) In any case, my intention is to discard the paper after it’s digested. I’ll feel successful when all the paper is gone.
- Once the papers have been dealt with. I’ll turn my attention to the journals. Again, I’ll spend 30 minutes a day. I imagine I’ll take notes in Evernote. And I won’t be too surprised if I end up keeping the publications on a bookshelf (but we’ll see).
Does anyone want to join me on dealing with a paper backlog in February?
Ooo, tempting! I know I have a backlog of paper to deal with. I also have a backlog of non-genealogy related membership journals waiting to be read. The 30 min rule might work well for them. I’m going to try that!
Excellent, Kim! It makes me feel good knowing that I’m not alone in this endeavor. I’ll post a note mid-February (unless I finish before that…fat chance) to see how everyone’s doing.
Hi Janine
Yes, yes, yes! I am swamped by years of paper which is so overwhelming I avoid it. This in turn then gets in the way of doing more research because what I have isn’t entered into Reunion, either at al or incompletely, or inaccurately.
So,I am going to follow your suggestion. Start with half an hour each day with whatever papers are closest to hand. Or should I sort them in some way first? (Daunting task).
Starting just half an hour a day seems manageable and not so overwhelming.
Thank you
Yay, Julie! We’re in this together! I’m not planning to sort my paper. If you find sorting yours daunting don’t bother. If at any time it feels like it would be helpful, then go ahead. Do what works for you!
It’s always amazing to me how breaking something like this down to 30-minute sessions suddenly makes it feel possible. I stopped my paper processing today after 30 minutes because I had other things to do but now I’m dying to get back to it!
Hi Janine, citing sources simply but accurately. Any advice please? I’m using Reunion.
Julie, have you seen this post? https://organizeyourfamilyhistory.com/process-downloaded-document/ It sort of shows how I cite sources in Reunion. I almost always use the templates and I keep in mind that the goal is to be able to find the document again. I always drag the source document into the source record and I use same source citation multiple times. (For example, one census source might apply to several different facts for several different family members.) I try not to get wrapped up in making the citation perfect. Does that help? If not, let me know if you have specific questions.
Ahhh yes but my brain didn’t process it properly. Message to self “slow down, read to the bottom of the page, then read it again!” Thank you. You are always an inspiration and the best and mentor.
I’m so glad it was helpful! And thank you so much for your kind words.
I could definitely use a continuation of this month’s challenge so that I can process everything I found during my research efforts. I want to post things to my new blog at https://www.shakingmyfamilytree.com/ so that I can share my research with my family. Count me in!
Excellent! Yes, processing all the info you find is so important and sometimes it can be easy to let a backlog build up. I know I’m guilty of that!
I’m loving your blog, Christy!
I am loving writing it! I posted twice today since they were both about the census and how I handle it in my research. I wanted to keep all my general posts in January so I can say in the Welcome note to the right that I suggest all new readers read the January 2019 blog posts when they first get to my site.
Thanks for this! I have been stacking and filing paper for years – now trying valiantly to do better.
Excellent, Jackie! You’ll get through those stacks, one piece of paper at a time.
Its funny that you have this new challenge. For the past week I have been going through my old genealogy papers and deciding to pitch or scan. I had a bunch of old conference notes dating back to 2004 and after glancing at it I decided to pitch it. If I had not looked at the stuff since 2004 I probably would not look at it in the future. Now I scan all my conference notes and papers. I even found some instructions on the old Palm Pilot and how in install Gedstar. Needlessly, to say I pitched it. Thanks for the challenge. I need it. My wife is know tackling her den.
I just love that I have (virtual) company while I tackle these papers! Thanks for sharing news of your discards. I’ll keep you in the back of my mind while I’m doing the same.
Even though I’m a few days late, I would like to join your challenge. My goal for February was to get serious about organizing my genealogy papers (file, scan or pitch) so your challenge is exactly what I need. Thanks!
Excellent! I’ll write an update post later in the month and ask folks how it’s going. Please let us know!