O.K. Monday... Let's Do This!
12 Tips to Gain Momentum in your Genealogy Research... [Motivational Monday Edition]
Mondays… We all know them… We all either LOVE them or HATE them… and yet, they just keep on keeping on.
I never really put too much thought into Mondays - they start my week off and I must admit that I feel great today after the time change. My body was waiting for the adjustment because prior to Sunday - that 5:25 AM start time was kicking my butt.
Today, on the other hand - I was up BEFORE my alarm and ready to go! No dragging… no grogginess… just a TAKE CHARGE attitude and eyes wide open.
I am a realist… so I know this won’t last forever, but something about today really ignited my drive to get stuff done… and by stuff - we ALL know I mean Genealogy Research!
So, after an exhausting marathon research sesh this weekend… I was thinking about ways to pick up some more momentum and focus to genealogy.
I came up with 12 doozies!
12 Tips To Gain Momentum In Your Genealogy Research
What’s your to-do when your genealogy motivation starts to fizzle out?
It happens to all of us… we set these high genealogy goals for the year… and the progress you thought you’d make by now just isn’t really showing up yet. I am in this same boat.
I try to be kind to myself and allow for some grace but with the world issues I find myself tired and completely distracted… and then comes the BURNOUT!
Genealogy burnout happens to all researchers at one point or another and it doesn’t matter if you are a hobby genealogist or a professional. The kicker is when you are working on a case that is suppose to be FUN but find yourself disappointed and STUCK.
Negative search results and brick walls are… well… a FACT OF LIFE in genealogy. There have been too many times to count when I’ve been sure I was just on the tail end of that one record I was seeking… only to come up short. This can impact your desire to keep going.
BUT… if you don’t keep trying you’ll never find the answers or solve your family mysteries!
After thinking about this… I wanted to share 12 tips to help reignite your motivation for research your family history.
What’s causing your burnout?
One of the first steps we need to take is think about the source of your lack of interest in your genealogy research.
Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Do you feel like the search is hopeless and you’re not making any progress?
Are you discouraged because of the lack of interest from family members?
Or maybe you don’t have anyone to leave your work to in the future, so you are questioning the point of continuing?
It could be even simpler, like you’re burnt out by life in general.
Figuring out the source of your burnout will help you take steps to get your inspiration back on track so you can take your research to the next level and break through those brick walls.
1. Try Something New
It’s easy to get STUCK in a rut when you’re using the same websites over and over again and searching for the same keywords and seeing the same results. But, if you tried something different, switching up your routine, it could ignite a NEW spark within you.
I suggest starting simple. If you’re using Ancestry… maybe try a FREE trial of Findmypast to see what records you might uncover within their database.
If you’ve only searched online, try reaching out to your local library or historical society near where your family resided to see if they have something hidden in their archives.
2. Stay Educated
When you learn something new, especially about the ever changing world of Genealogy, it can reinvigorate your WHY when it comes to Genealogy.
I recently signed up for a freebie webinar from Legacy Family Tree Webinars and learned some great tips on DNA research. This site is a great resource because they have a subscription side to their site and a some free webinar options.
You can also pick up a new book. Maybe there is a topic that has peaked your interest but you’re not sure how to go about researching within it - like Scottish records, for example. I seek out articles and books and always learn something new about how the records were handled or even some neat tips to search with.
3. Pivot Your Research
Sometimes when I am searching Mary Margaret Smith for hours and can only find the same 10 documents over and over again… I like to expand my search and start to look at Mary Margaret’s siblings.
Studying relatives, neighbors, military mates, or even local minister/religious officials might help break down the monotony within your research.
This is also known as Cluster and/or FAN Club research, and can help you get to know more about the people in their lives.
4. Network with other Genealogy Enthusiasts
The genealogy community is generous with their time and eager to help others.
I am a part of a monthly Genealogy Team (@Internationalgenealogyteam) and it helps to keep me focused and excited about genealogy.
You can join a Facebook group that might be related to your family (i.e. a place where they lived) and find some new ideas while meeting like-minded people.
Or create an Instagram account and post family photos or create a family history blog where you can share stories.
This is great cousin bait!
5. Remember your “WHY”
When you are thinking about any goals you are trying to meet, it can be so important to remind yourself WHY you’re doing genealogy in the first place.
What inspired you to begin?
What made you keep researching?
Think about all your accomplishments and what’s been keeping you going for months or years of searching.
Some people want to go back as far as they can or look at one set of great-great-grandparents.
Whatever the reason is, remind yourself of your WHY and put a visual cue somewhere, like a photo, to remind you to KEEP PUSHING FORWARD.
My why began with trying to dig deeper into the story of my maternal great-great grandparents. What’s kept me going is finding the magic in solving age old mysteries surrounding not just one of my branches… but so many more. I love figuring out my ancestors backstories, thinking about how they lived, what they did in their day to day lives, and using it all to understand how I came to be where I am today.
6. Revisit your Goals
It is so important to WRITE your goals down so you have a plan and can LOOK at that piece of paper and determine what the next step is. Even if you tackle these goals with tiny steps… so progress is still progress.
I usually sit down in January and write down my yearly goals for my genealogy research. I think about what branch will take priority, who is under the magnify glass, and what I wish to uncover. I look at what I have previously captured by pulling out the family history binders.
I go one step further in my Genealogy business and plan both Yearly and Monthly with how many client cases I wish to have, what my focus with regards to research will be, if I wish to create a new course and if my branding need a refresh.
Goals are important and revisiting those goals helps you stay motivated and focus on the big picture.
7. Ignore your “should-s”
Here’s something that might blow your mind as a Genealogist… You don’t have to look into everyone in your family tree if you don’t want to.
I think we all feel like we should investigate EVERYONE for a complete and thorough family tree… BUT, this doesn’t make sense for EVERY ancestor.
My great-grandfather is unknown. I’ve researched his family forwards and backwards but I can’t figure out which of the brothers is my DNA great-grandfather.
I’ve learned the basics of the families life, but the more I get to know, the more I am not even sure I want to know more. One day I might pick back up and dig deeper, but I’ve exhausted my avenues of research and feel that while I am a bit further than where I began… I am good with my decision to put the pencil down and walk away.
It’s important to remember you don’t have to study someone just because you “should".
8. Make a Timeline
If you’ve been following me for a while now… you know I love TIMELINES. I almost get giddy about them… being dyslexic, timelines help me visual see the lives of my research ancestors, or the gaps.
A timeline can also help spark new ideas when thinking about places to information in context to your ancestors life.
Example time: Let’s say your ancestor was around at the time of the Civil War but you’re hitting a brick wall. Look at the town histories to get an idea of what life was like them. If your ancestor served in the war, look into the history of the regiment and see what battles your ancestor fought in.
9. Connect with Distant Relatives
If you’ve done a DNA test, try to reach out to some of your closest matches to connect. Ask if they have pictures or stories to share.
Don’t forget about other non-DNA sites, too. I recently met a distant cousin through Find a Grave. She contacted me to ask how we were related from a memorial I had updated.
10. Get Crafty
One of my favorite things to do when I get “stuck” is craft!
Make a scrapbook or photo book of your ancestors’ lives. Add photos (copies, not originals, though!). Track down images of the places they lived, where they worked, etc.
By bringing your ancestors’ to life, visually, it can drive you to keep going. Think of this as an ancestor VISION BOARD!
11. PIVOT.
My favorite term ever! Rotate through those ancestors. Sometimes by just shifting your focus from your paternal side to your maternal side can allow those fresh eyes to open pandoras box.
12. Take a BREAK!
I’ve taken breaks in my research and it’s okay. Everything is still standing. Life happens and taking a break refreshes you and while you’re away those records sometimes get refreshed, too!
When you are ready to jump back in, there could be a lot of new stuff waiting for you to uncover.
Final Thoughts
Losing your motivation in genealogy research is a common thing and its topic that pops up often for many people.
Remember that genealogy is a LONG GAME. You’re not going to find ALL the answers quickly. (What would be the fun in that?) You’ve got to keep an eye on the BIG PICTURE.
It’s possible to get your enthusiasm back and recapture your love and excitement for your family tree again.
Try these tips and share some NEW ONES with me.
These are great tips - and relevant for someone outside of genealogy, too. Glad to see you back in action!