2015 To-Do List

My bulletin board and Trello board

As I noted last year, I don’t write resolutions.  Instead, I make to-do lists.  Each year, I go through my master to-do list.  I look at those I planned to do last year and cross off those I did and those I decided I don’t care about any longer.  I then plan which to do this coming year and plot them out so that there is a way to get them done.   In other words, I don’t just say, “Write a book” and leave it at that.  I say what the book will be about and how I will get from now to DONE in as many steps as I can plot.  Usually many, many to-dos are added for those steps, but I get a plan down to at least TRY.

At the bottom of this post is my master list of Genealogy Things to Do.  I crossed off those I accomplished or changed my mind on and put those that I plan to do in 2015 in red.

 Breaking down my 2015 list, here are my objectives and next steps:

·         Update Links and Pages on Website.- This is a quick win.  Calendar for January for next step.

·         Visit Sacramento- 1) 2nd great grandparent's house; 2) Roots Cellar Library. - I can take a day trip with the kids for this.  Next step is to find out where the house was.  Calendar for January on next step.

·         Write a book about my dad and my personal history.- I will continue adding stories to my journal about Dad throughout the year.  This will be a multi-year project.  Next step is to find my personal history story I already did.  Calendar for February for next step.

·         Take classes at National Institute for GenealogicalStudies.-  This requires money.  Once I have enough to spend, I will continue my classes.  Next step is to save money directly for this.  Calendar for April for next step .

·         Local Newspaper Project- The kids’ 4-H family history group is working on a project with the local genealogical society to print out obituaries from the microfilm at the library for those buried in a certain cemetery.  It’s proving difficult as the microfilm machines are constantly broken. 

·         Enter Footnotes to Dukes book.- This one I will have an entirely separate post about, as I’m using the Geneabloggers’ Genealogy Do-Over as the tool for this project.  I will also incorporate my other to-dos: Revisit Blog Posts and Map and Pin Ancestors, as I go through this Do-Over.  Expect much about this in the coming year.  Or not.  Because life is allowed to happen.

For each of the above, I have a Trello list with as many steps as I can think of for now.  I also have a bulletin board (real, physical one) with ALL my master to-dos (no next steps) on index cards.  As I tackle a project completely (as I will with the Dukes book), I will likely have more index cards (real ones) to help me through. 

I have this same process for my genealogy, my personal life, and my work life.  And throughout each year, some of these automatically have to get stalled, as one part of life takes over that was never on the list.  This is okay.  Life is allowed to happen (as I chanted this like a Buddhist monk throughout 2014). 

But this isn’t the time of year to evaluate what you DIDN’T do in 2014, but what you DID do.  Add to the list and cross it off.  I didn’t get to Sacramento last year (it was on the 2013 list), but I did see my mom through cancer and a fire.  I didn’t finish Dad’s book, but I did manage a move that adds 2-3 hours to my day in commuting.  I didn’t read 52 books, but I did find a way to read 32, despite all the above.  Etc Etc Etc.

Life is allowed to happen.  Here is hoping it happens much nicer in 2015.

Debbie’s Master List of Genealogy Things to Do

TRIPS

Lucas County, Iowa where my Conner and Price families lived

Capa, South Dakota where my grandfather lived.  Preferably WITH my grandfather.

Haakon County, South Dakota where my 2^nd great grandfather had a homestead

Sacramento- 2nd great grandparent's house

Sacramento- Roots Cellar Library

Massachusetts- New England Historic Genealogical Society

Massachusetts- Plymouth again

Indiana- Allen County Public Library again

San Francisco- Sutro Library

Salt Lake City- Family History Library

Motor home the Civil War route that Miles’ took

Carluke, Scotland

Go on a genealogy cruise

WRITING

Write a book about my dad- in progress

Write a book about Miles Price

Write a book about the Mariani family- in progress

Complete a genealogy scrapbook

Enter footnotes to Duke’s book
Write a 5-generation book of the kids' ancestors
Write my personal family history book- in progress
Picture book of Christmas decorations
Revisit blog posts and update to provide source info

Update links and pages on website

Mariani book to internet

Kilborne Smith Civil War book

CONFERENCES

Roots Tech

FGS conference

NGS conference

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Take classes at National Institute for Genealogical Studies

Learn to do presentations

Learn Photoshop

Learn inDesign
Learn how to do a for-family podcast
Update my website with all new features
Map and pin where ancestors were from and lived

Capa one place study

Local newspaper project