| How to Plan for Success in the New Year |
| For many, the new year is an exciting and hopeful time. I am the kind of person that loves making resolutions: plans for how to improve in the year to come.
However, as I’m sure many of us know, the new year can also be discouraging. Now that we’re a few days in to 2023, maybe some of us have already fallen back into the same old routines. (I’m raising my own hand here.)
Once again, I’m reminded that planning to make big changes isn’t the same as actually making big changes. So what is a genealogist to do? One of the best tips I can offer is to be realistic with your expectations. This is one of the components of making SMART goals: the goal you set for yourself needs to be something you can realistically achieve given your time, knowledge and resources. For example: despite how much I like thinking about it, this year I will likely not trace my husband’s family back four generations and create a complete tree with all vital stats for each ancestor. However, what I can do is set aside a few days to go through their many boxes of family photos and identify as many people as we can. Another foundational element of SMART goals is that they are time-bound. Setting deadlines keeps you accountable and is often just the motivation you need to get going. Another personal example: I’ve learned that simply resolving to run more won’t do much. Instead, signing up for a 5k in the spring will actually give me the motivation to put on my running shoes and get out the door. Why not create a calendar just for your year in genealogy? Take your favorite ancestral photos or records and create a calendar at Walgreens or Shutterfly and hang it near your workspace to keep the inspiration flowing all year long. Use the calendar to plan your research and set deadlines for projects. Finally, I humbly suggest that we be kind to ourselves. I’m writing this to myself as much as I am to you! Let’s remind ourselves that the point isn’t to be perfect, it’s to improve bit by bit and hopefully make breakthroughs along the way. |
