Friday, December 28, 2012

Assessing My 2012 Genealogy Goals and Objectives

It seems like every year I make a set of lofty goals and objectives, and then fail to meet many of them.  Here are my assessments of my goals and objectives for 2012:

1)  Research:  Grade = C

I did not go to the local FHC or Carlsbad Library once.  I did get to the Family History Library for one day of research.  My to-do lists are lacking and not up-to-date.  I did not solve any brickwall research problems, but I spent quite a bit of time adding information and sources to my genealogy database.  I mined the 1940 U.S. Census for extended family members.

2)  Data Organization:  Grade = C

I managed to create more couple-based digital folders (but there's many more to do) and transferred many, but not all, of my documents and photographs into those folders using a consistent file naming convention.  I failed at reducing the paper piles in the "to be filed" and "to be entered and then filed" stacks and worked through another 20% of the "to be entered..." stack.  I haven't filed anything in notebooks.  I did not create any more  surname notebooks, leaving, oh, maybe 200 to go.  

3)  Genealogy Database: Grade = C+

I have added quite a few new sources, and many source citations, as I add new information and work through my "to be entered..." stack and through online record collections.  However, I've added very few citations for sources previously entered - only when I work on the person for some other reason.  I added many document images and some photographs to the database.  I created genealogy reports on Scribd and a family tree website on RootsMagic for my research.  I did several critical analysis reviews for brickwall ancestral families, including Joshua Smith and Samuel Vaux.  I created many ToDo list items and a few digital research logs in RootsMagic.

4)  Education:  Grade = B

We went to RootsMagic 2012 in February, on the Legacy Family Tree cruise in May, and the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree in June.  I attended several webinars, but watched many more after the event.  I read several new genealogy books and reviewed several on my blog.

5)  Society Activities:  Grade = A

I attended as many CVGS, SDGS and CGSSD meetings as I could, led the CVGS Research Group every month and the Computer Group occasionally, gave two RootsMagic workshops for CVGS, edited the monthly CVGS newsletter, regularly wrote on the CVGS blog, responded to queries for CVGS, and contributed to the SDGS newsletter.

6)  Speaking and Teaching:  Grade = A-

I created two new presentations in 2012, and spoke to CVGS, SDGS, CGSSD, NSDCGS, SOCCGS, OCCGS, TVGS and GSNOCC societies, plus the Escondido Family History Fair, 
one DAR presentation, and two women's club presentations.  I taught three OASIS courses on "Beginning Computer Genealogy" (4 sessions each, 8 hours total) and gave two library presentations on genealogy through OASIS.

7)  Writing:  Grade = A-

I have kept up my writing on my Genea-Musings, The Geneaholic,  and the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blogs, but the the South San Diego County Graveyard Rabbit blog has languished.  I wrote my four FGS FORUM columns, the Graveyard Rabbit Journal columns, but did not write my annual Seaver-Richmnd Family Journal.

8)  Real Life:  Grade = B

We went for the 9 day cruise around the British Isles out of Oslo with 100 other Legacy Family Tree cruisers, went to a wedding in Topeka in November, 
visited Disneyland three times, visited and hosted the daughters and grandchildren, and my brother-in-law, and saw my two brothers, but not any cousins.  I think I slacked off a bit on genealogy, averaging maybe 9 hours a day this year.

Summary:

So, three A's, two B's and three C's.  The C's all relate to my research, organization and database work, the B to my own education, and the A's all relate to speaking, writing and teaching.  That's not as bad as I thought it would be!

How did you do with your 2012 genealogy goals and objectives?


The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/12/assessing-my-2012-genealogy-goals-and.html

Copyright (c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver

2 comments:

Life Goes On said...

sounds like you had a great year all around and a very busy person. I find it amazing that you spend an average of 9 hours a day on genealogy.

Diane Gould Hall said...

Good job is what I say Randy. I like best the part about spending time with your family in spite of all you do. You've inspired me to look at my own year in regards to research. I think I spend way too much time on genealogy (although I love every minute) and not enough time on my other interests.
Thank you for what you share with us.