Genealogy New Year's Resolutions
Make some promises to yourself with regards to your genealogy research
Time to energize your family tree research, and make some promises to yourself to get moving and do all those things you keep putting off.
Here are a few ideas for resolutions for this year. I don't expect you to do them all but you should try to pick at least one and stick to it.
Get in touch with some living relatives - It can be hard to get in touch with near strangers, especially if your intention is to ask them about family or other personal issues. But you might discover whole branches of family you didn't know about, or just get some new photos of that great-aunt you've never seen before. It might be a good idea to let relatives you are closer to pass along your request, so that it doesn't come out of the blue when you phone up some distant cousin.
Make requests from records offices - Finding references and information via online websites is a great way to build up your family tree. But having original (or copies of original) documents can really add some extra authenticity to your findings. Take some time this year to contact municipal, city or state registration offices to see about getting copies of any vital records you need for your research. If you have phone numbers for these offices, you might want to call first and find out what the process is for requesting records.
Tackle that brick wall. - We all have spots on our family tree waiting to be filled, that's the very nature of the hobby. But is there one spot that has stymied you for months, one relative who are you downright afraid of researching because you know there are no leads and nowhere to turn? Well, that's where you need to work then. Contact city offices (see above), call up relatives (see farther above), dig in your heels and search until you find that lead.
Get organized - This one needs no explanation, I'm sure. I personally have several file folders of scanned census records, birth registrations and marriage certificates that need sorting and filing. Make a resolution this year to dig through your papers and finally get everything organized and filed. And once you have that done, work hard to keep it organized.
Display those old photos - Your old photographs may be secure and protected while stored in a cupboard, but they are meant to be seen and enjoyed. Go through your pictures and make copies of your favourites. With today's scanning technology, you don't need negatives. Just take the prints to your local photo processing place and they can copy your photos.
