Goal Setting 2020

Happy New Year!! 

Hopefully, you all had a great evening and are ready to start 2020 on an upswing. I did, and I am certainly prepared to get into a new year of genealogy finds.

When I started this blog in November 2011, I honestly had no idea where I would go and how my life would change. Not just a little, but a lot.

For those who were not around in the beginning, I started this blog to journal my finds, experiences, and dreams. I was a brand-new genealogical researcher and was so excited about what I was doing that I wanted to share it with the world.  I had no idea eight years later, I would be a professional with a master’s degree.

I am frequently asked, “what’s next?”

Honestly, I do not know. Right now, I am adjusting to life after three years of schoolwork and slowly retaking clients. I am also looking at speaking more and writing more. There are so many ideas in my head that it is hard to organize them and put words on paper.

With these things in mind, here are my BIG goals for 2020:

• Finish the Mott Family Letters digitization and transcription project (my Master’s Thesis was on this collection, and now I am obsessed with completing it!)
• Personal digitization of family files and photographs (needs completed)
• Write at least twice a week on this blog to keep you all up to date on what’s going on in genealogy
• Submit proposals to speak at three new to me conferences
• Focus and create a draft for a new book…

Year three in review

Another year has come and gone.  Why do they keep getting faster the older I get? I swear just a couple of months ago I wrote the “it’s another year” post for 2013.  Well, I hear when you are super busy the time just flies so we will stick with I am super busy and not just getting old.

Star Candy In Glass Stock Photo

by audfriday13. Published on 11 May 2012

Stock Photo - Image ID: 10082728

For those who have followed from the beginning this blog turned 3 on November 28^th.  Three years, wow.  There were times I wasn’t sure it would last past the first few months.  Thank you for sticking around and being interested in what I have to say.  It’s fun to run into you all in person at conferences or society meetings and know you enjoyed a post or two.

There were lots of changes to my genealogy career this year.  In October I announced that I accepted The In-Depth Genealogist as Creative Director.  This has pushed me in ways I could not have imagined.  It has also been a learning process as I figure out my new job.  Unfortunately it has taken time away from me being here, and with you, but in the New Year I hope to get a better handle on that.

a position with

I also hung my shingle out as a professional (or at least a struggling transitional) genealogist.  With the launch of my 2 books, increased speaking engagements, and more writing I thought I should put together a website and brand.  From that T2Family History was born.  I love the logo, which was designed by my friend Jennifer Soucy who is an excellent graphic design artist. 

I have continued with my courses through The National Institute for Genealogical Studies and am 1/3 of the way through the program.  Yes, I am still on track to earn my PLCGS in American Studies in December 2016.  It seems so far away but I know that it really isn’t.   If you are curious about The Institute or the courses pop on over to their blog and learn more!

For this blog, it seems I wrote some articles you all really took a shine to.  The top 10 posts (and 1 series) from 2014 were:

10.  Getting Around Richmond

9.   Fear Comes in Many Different Forms

8.   Spanish American War Pictures

7.   NGS Recap Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4

6.   Pocahontas’s Wedding Jacket

5.   How Direct Sales Helped Me With Genealogy

4.   The Writing Life Blog Hop

3.   21 Valentine Days and Counting

2.   Are You Ready to Research at the Library of Virginia?

1.   A New Adventure

What is coming in 2015 you ask? Well bigger, better and more I hope!  What I do know is that it’s going to be busy, and right now in January my eyes are set on finishing the marathon.  Hope you will dream big and come along for the ride!  

Year in review

Grape-Shot: 1915 English magazine
illustration of a lady riding a champagne cork

Happy 2014!  A New Year and a new beginning in the genealogy world.  What a whirlwind trip 2013 was and I bet 2014 will be just as exciting!  Sitting at my desk a year ago I really could not phantom where I would land 365 days later.  Few of the things I accomplished were actually planned.  Most just ended up in my lap where I swallowed down my fears and went for it, shaking in my boots the whole time.

2013 started off with my new adventure as a contributor at the In-Depth Genealogist.  I had just ended my stint at the Family Tree Firsts Blogger and was looking for a way to continue to grow not only as a genealogist but as a writer.  To be frank I thought they would turn me away since I was an “unknown.”  However, they gave me a chance and I can’t believe the experience I have received in the last year by working with these amazing people. 

On the home research front there were quite a few successes.  Several walls came crumbling down, particularly for a number of my female lines. Nearly a dozen new cousin contacts were made not only through this blog but from DNA results on FTDNA.  I am not the best pen-pal, but I hope these contacts continue to grow through the years and we can share some amazing breakthroughs together in the future.  My family just keeps growing!

My biggest challenge was the Boston University course this past fall.  You remember that don’t you?  The reason I was nearly non-existent on this blog for over 15 weeks.  I have not received my official final grade in the course but looking at my five module grades (B+/A/A-/A/A) I am pretty sure that I will receive my certificate and be a graduating member of the 13^th online session (OL13).  Waiting for the official word is a bit nerve wracking but I should really just relax.  I wanted to go to Boston for the certificate ceremony, but I don’t think I can swing a trip up there in February.  The stars are just not aligning for that to happen.

Last August I went to Indiana for a family visit and attended FGS in Ft. Wayne.  As I am sure you remember it was my first national level conference for genealogy and you can read all of the posts about FGS here.  I learned so much, met some really awesome people, plus I was able to spend time with my family researching our genealogy together.  It was a mind blowing experience overall and quite a few doors for me to avenues I never dreamed possible opened up for me.

Of course how could I forget my first year giving lectures on genealogy topics?  While it was scary at first I quickly realized that I loved teaching about my passions.  There was a reason I wanted to be a science teacher since it seems I have a knack for it. I have several lectures coming up in the next few months already, and hope to do many more.  If you come to a lecture make sure to say hi! 

Then there was my adventure into social media.  I did something that I never thought I would ever do...created a Twitter account.  From there it spiraled to Pintrest, Facebook Page, and Google+.  Do I have time to keep them all up to date?  No, but I am going to do my best this year to post more (and different things) to each feed.  Wish me luck!

Looking back over the most popular posts on the blog this year I was surprised by which ones made the list.  Hope they made your list of favorites. So, with our further delay, here are the top ten for 2013:

1. Reading and Digesting Complex Terms: Making a Flow Chart For MGP
2. Heraldic Primer Part 6: Inanimate Objects
3. Free Genealogy Lecture Series
4. Observations From The Edge: Multi-Generational Needs in Genealogy
5. Creating Fun Word Cloud Graphics 
6. Taking on The Next Generation
7. WDYTYA, #genchat, and an aftershow.  What a great way to spend an evening!
8. Road Trip : Packing for FGS 2013
9. IDG Re-post: Handwriting Tools For Your iPad 
10. Are you still there?

Now it is time to get moving on 2014.  My kids are back to school so it is high time to brush off the holiday fog and buckle down again.  I have big plans and they won’t be accomplished if I sit here staring out the window.  Join me in making 2014 a great genealogy year and let me know about your goals too!  We can cheer each other on.

Happy 2nd Blogoversary!

Well, it’s been 2 years.  Wow is about all I have to say to that!  I wasn’t sure this blog thing would last 6 months to be honest with you, but here I am, still chugging away. 

It has been an amazing 2 years though.  So many discoveries, so many new cousins, plus the opportunities in my newly developing professional life, and of course all of you.  Whoever “you” are, thanks.  This little blog wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t for your support no matter how small it may seem.  Keep on reading and letting me know your thoughts.

Last year I wrote a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish before my next anniversary.  You can read the post here but in short these were my goals:

ü  Finalize and submit all paperwork to the DAR as well as the GSMD for me and my husband.

ü  Continue to write and work towards further publication opportunities.

ü  Research the possibilities for certification.

ü  Attend one national conference.

Believe it or not I did all but one.  This year I started writing for the In-Depth Genealogist as well as doing a couple guest blogs here and there.  I did research certification possibilities and enrolled in the Boston University online program to help with that.  My one national conference was FGSin Fort Wayne this past August.  I did submit, and was accepted to the DAR.  The GSMD on the other hand, I am still waiting on my final okay (8 months and counting) plus I am at the mercy of my mother-in-law for my husband’s information.  What can you do?

This year, I am going to be a bit more ambitious with my goals.  I would like to:

·         Work on writing my grandfather’s WWII story.

·         Find more lecturing opportunities.

·         Scan and organize all my pictures and documents.

It is a small list, but I have a feeling looks can be deceiving.  Keep your fingers crossed for me and look out for the update posts.

Since it is also Thanksgiving here in the US I think I will put 2 candles in my pumpkin pie and wish for an amazing third year!  There is a lot in the works for the coming year, stay tuned…

Happy 1st Birthday!!

 

One year ago today I wrote my first ever blog post.  I was petrified.  It had taken months for me to work up the courage to actually set-up the blog and put that first timid post out there.  To be honest I think I fretted more about the design than the actual post.  I looked at it for at least 30 minutes before I clicked the publish button.  Little did I know that 4 days later I would also become the 2nd Family Tree Firsts Blogger.

Then I waited, and wondered.  Who out there besides the few friends I had who liked genealogy, my husband, parents, and mother-in-law would read this.  It was amazing when I had my first comment from someone unrelated to me.  I nearly passed out the first time I had more than 20 reads in one day, let alone the first time I had over 1,000 reads in a month.  It appeared that people were actually READING this blog.  Wow was about all I could think, and it made me want to research, share, and write more.

To say it has been an amazing whirlwind of a year would be an understatement.  It has changed my life.  No, really, it has.  I am a more confident writer and researcher.  I have met amazing people who are dear friends to me, even if I have never met them in real life.  I am looking to my future in this field and I am excited about it. 

So, on that note, what are my goals for the upcoming year?  I have thought long and hard about this, and have decided on the following list:

• Finalize and submit all paperwork to the DAR as well as the GSMD for me and my husband.
• Continue to write and work towards further publication opportunities.
• Research the possibilities for certification.
• Attend one national conference.

Yes, I am being ambitious but, like I have been told, I might as well shoot for the moon because even if I miss I will still land in the stars.   Thank you for reading, thank you for returning to see what I am up to, and thank you for all your support. 

Here is to a great second year!
 

photo credit: Here's Kate via photopin cc