My 2018 Genealogy Goals

2017 was a struggle in a lot of ways, and certainly in regards to my genealogy work. World events, new commitments, and a challenging work/home schedule have meant that my research has to take a back seat to other, more pressing items. This trend will surely continue in 2018. However, I plan to take the time to update my blog more often than I did in 2017. I've gone through my calendar and scheduled writing time, so hopefully that will help. I often find that if I can wedge something into my calendar, it's more likely to actually happen.

I set genealogy goals for myself in 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. Doing this helps me stay focused on my top priorities throughout the year. It looks like I only addressed one of my resolutions in 2017, and in the most cursory way. So, this year, I am going to set more specific, realistic goals.

Here are my top priorities in 2018:

1. Finish transcribing my grandmother's memoirs. Share them with family members. I am about halfway through this task.

2. Write about my Smith line. I started this in my final blog post of 2017. This will also involve carefully reading the notes and research sent to me by my grandmother's cousin Barbara, who has done a ton of work on this family.

3. Return emails related to my Griffin ancestors. Continue researching this line. My posts here about John T. Griffin and his family have resulted in several exciting communications from new cousins. I have been really bad about returning those emails and fully processing their contents. I pledge to do a better job at this!

4. Organize and archive. My family will be moving in 2018, and I look forward to setting up a genealogy nook in our new home. Part of this process will be continuing to scan and archive my materials, particularly the photos and original documents left to me by my grandmother.

Happy New Year! Let's make this one better than the last.