How often do you get the opportunity to learn from a master genealogist? In the genealogy world we can gain our education in several ways. Most common are watching webinars and videos, reading books and articles, listening to podcasts and recordings of presentations, and attending conferences and institutes. If we're lucky, we can learn from someone who is willing to share a lifetime of research experience. My week at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) gave me that opportunity. When the courses for 2020 were first announced in early 2019, I eagerly perused the offerings. Seeing that Barbara Vines...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about locating the route your ancestors might have taken as they traveled to a new area. Exploring migration could open up new areas of research in your genealogy brick walls. Taking a look at the historical roads and trails that our ancestors possibly traveled can add to their story and help understand more about their lives. It might even lead to more discoveries that could expand our knowledge of the family and extend the ancestry. Join us as we discuss how to learn more about migration paths and trails. Links Back to...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to choose items from your next action list based on your time, context, energy, and so forth. Engaging with your next actions list is how you actually get things done in your system. We'll talk about tools we use and how our circumstances often dictate what we choose to do at any point during the day. Join us as we discuss getting our family history projects done and making the right choice of an action at any given time. Links Family History & Getting Things Done Part 5: Engaging Getting...
Are you ready to move your research to the next level? Have you heard about the Research Like a Pro Study Group and wondered if it's for you? Our winter/spring study group is starting February 5th and we'd love to have you join us! Here's a little background information on the history of the group and results from past attendees. Starting the RLP Study Group When I finished my accreditation the summer of 2017, I started writing a series of blog posts titled Research Like a Pro. I wanted to test the process by teaching other genealogists how to take...
At the end of the classic The Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge declares, ”I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!” As a genealogist I love and appreciate the stories and lessons learned by “living in the past.” But I recently received a gentle reminder that family history is not just about our ancestors. It’s also about us and what is going on now. ...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about the fourth step in Getting Things Done, reflecting. Regularly capturing the new items that have risen to the surface, reviewing your calendar and project lists, and processing new materials can keep your mind free to do its best work. We discuss the weekly review, getting clear, getting current, and getting creative. We also talk about the big picture review and considering the larger goals that may be on your horizon. Nicole discusses her goal for certification. Links Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, revised edition by David Allen -...
What lies ahead for genealogy and family history in 2020? Taking a look back at 2019 can be helpful in predicting where we might be headed in 2020. The most viewed blog posts on Family Locket for 2019 included those on DNA, Organization, and Productivity. If you missed any of these, I invite you to do some browsing and see if there is something that could help you in your research for 2020. Below are the posts and a teaser for each one. "Before We Were Yours" and a True Life Adoption Story from the Tennessee Children's Home Society As...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about setting up an organizational system that you trust to hold your projects and give you reminders about what needs to be done on any certain day. What good is a filing system or calendar that is never used? Have you tried a new tool but given up when it didn’t meet your needs? This is the time to revisit how you’re organizing your genealogy and make some decisions that will help you feel more productive. We discuss physical filing systems, digital filing systems, genealogy software, reference material, emails, organizing projects, calendars,...
Have you noticed Ancestry DNA's Thrulines and perhaps clicked around exploring this new feature? How can it help you in breaking down brick walls? Are there limitations to it's use? We'll take a look at these questions and more in this article. If you haven't yet discovered Thrulines, some exciting clues might be waiting for you. What is Ancestry DNA ThruLines? First, what is ThruLines and how does it work? A big clue is directly on the home page: "ThruLines uses Ancestry trees to suggest how Diana Elder may be related to their DNA matches through common ancestors." Important words...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about genealogy education opportunities, including attending genealogy conferences like RootsTech. Our guest, Amberly Beck, talks about her first experience at RootsTech in Salt Lake City and how Tom Jones' classes impacted her. She also shares about her experience speaking at RootsTech London and some of the classes she liked there. After recording the episode, Amberly shared a great thought with us. She said, "Sometimes we love researching so much that we don't want to give up any of our research time to genealogy education. But every minute of research time we give...
